Jennifer Aniston is born on February 11, 1969 in Sherman Oaks, California. Having actors as parents, she graduated from the LaGuardian High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York. She then performed in several off-Broadway plays, and worked many part-time jobs, before moving to Los Angeles in 1989. She got her first television role in 1990, in the movie Camp Cucamonga. She was also cast as a regular on the short-lived series Molloy. She was also cast as the lead in the short-lived Ferris Bueller, the television adaptation to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. After appearing in more failed television shows and critically-derided films, she considered giving up acting until she was cast on the new comedy Friends.
Originally persuaded by the producers to play Monica Geller—a role which eventually went to Courteney Cox—she convinced them that she is better off playing Rachel Green. Her character was originally the stereotypical daddy’s girl; although it eventually evolves into being less absorbed in later series, she is still the most image-centric among the six. The success of Friends, which first aired in 1994, catapulted her and her co-stars to international recognition. She also earned five Emmy nominations, winning Best Comedy Actress in 2002.
Aniston’s success in Friends led to a successful movie career. Her performances in 1998’s The Object of My Attention and 2002’s The Good Girl were acclaimed by critics. She also starred in box-office successes such as Along Came Polly, Bruce Almighty and The Break-up. Her popularity also reaches beyond the screen, with intense attention on her private life, especially during her high-profile relationship, and subsequent marriage, with actor Brad Pitt. Nevertheless, her success led Forbes to name her the 10th richest woman in the entertainment industry for 2007, pegging her earnings at $27 million.