The Surprising Reason Jennifer Aniston Turned Down Saturday Night Live
As one of the biggest names in Hollywood for thirty years, Jennifer Aniston has stolen our hearts time and time again. Born in Sherman Oaks, Calif., Aniston was raised by her actor parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow, who discouraged her from acting. However, it didn't stop her from going to multiple schools to learn the art of acting (via Collider).
The first few years were rough for her, as she only snagged small guest appearances and roles on failed TV shows. But after snagging the part of Rachel Green in Friends, Aniston shot straight into worldwide recognition and even earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. From there, she starred in multiple critically acclaimed films such as Marley & Me, The Good Girl, Bruce Almighty, and Cake. According to Numbers, her films have grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide with a dozen of them earning at least $100 million at the box office.
Her latest work is playing Alex Levy in the Apple TV series The Morning Show. However, Aniston almost took a whole other path with her acting career.
Jennifer Aniston had something better lined up
In the early 90s, Aniston had a spout of failed television series, but it wasn't too long until her luck would turn around. In 1994, Aniston was signed on for the part of Rachel Green in the legendary sitcom, Friends. However, a lot almost came in the way of her getting her most iconic role to date.
During an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler sat down to discuss everything from their upcoming movie at the time, Just Go With It, to how Aniston was almost on Saturday Night Live. Much to the audience's shock, Sandler recalled seeing Aniston in the SNL office back in the '90s. Then Aniston told her side of the story, saying the creator, Lorne Michaels, wanted her to join the cast. Aniston turned it down because she had already been cast in Friends, which the SNL cast thought was a "stupid" decision. "Friends? What the hell is Friends?" Sandler joked.
During a later appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Aniston gave more details. "I didn't think I would like that environment," Aniston revealed. "I remember showing up, and Sandler was there and [David] Spade was there... it was such a boy's club." She also told Michaels that she thought the women of SNL should be treated better, and decided to turn him down. However, it all ended up for the best — how can you imagine anyone else as Rachel?