Can you think of a more iconic actress from the 90s than Jennifer Aniston? It’s tough, isn’t it? This Hollywood star, who first rose to fame on the hit sitcom Friends, has been a fixture on both the big and small screens for decades. She’s also been setting style and beauty trends (remember “the Rachel” haircut craze?) along the way. But before she became a household name, Aniston was just a drama student in New York City with big dreams.
From her early role on the Ferris Bueller television show (yes, that was a thing) to almost missing out on the part of Rachel entirely, let’s take a look at some of Aniston’s early career highlights.
In the 1980s, Jennifer Aniston attended New York’s LaGuardia High School of Music & Performing Arts, also known as the Fame school, and graduated in 1987. During that time, she posed for a portrait. Moving on to the 1990s, she was part of the television series adaptation of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
Aniston’s acting career began with a role on the short-lived television series, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after only one season. In a promotional shoot for the show, Aniston was pictured sitting alongside her co-stars Charlie Schlatter, Brandon Douglas, and Ami Dolenz.
In the early 1990s, Jennifer Aniston was romantically linked to her Ferris Bueller’s Day Off co-star, Charlie Schatter. The two were spotted on a date at Wolfgang Puck’s famous restaurant in Beverly Hills, Spago.
In 1990, Jennifer Aniston made an appearance at the NBC Stars Party, as well as starred in a TV movie called Camp Cucamonga and seven episodes of the comedy series, Molloy, which also featured Mayim Bialik.
Back in 1992, the budding actress had her first ever movie role in the horror-comedy fantasy film, Leprechaun. During a recent video interview with InStyle in 2021, Aniston revealed that she was actually afraid the film would have a negative impact on her acting career.
In 1993, our heroine appeared on the set of “Burke’s Law” and a year later she landed a role in one of its episodes. This show was quite popular and was broadcasted on CBS network.
Back in 1994, Jennifer Aniston took on yet another short-lived sitcom called “Muddling Through” where she played the role of Madeline Drego, daughter of Stephanie Hodge’s character Connie Drego, an ex-convict who returns to her family.
In 1994, Jennifer Aniston landed the role of Rachel Green in the popular television series “Friends.” However, it almost didn’t happen for her. During an interview on SiriusXM’s “Gayle King in the House,” Aniston revealed that her other series at the time, “Muddling Through,” was set to be renewed for a few more episodes. When the producers of “Friends” heard this, they started auditioning other actresses as a backup.
In 1994, Aniston’s rise to stardom was catapulted due to the excellent dynamics she shared with the entire cast of “Friends” when it began airing. In this photo, taken at one of NBC’s press tour parties in 1995, she can be seen attending the event. Additionally, Aniston appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in the same year.
In 1995, the talented actress made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote her hit show Friends. On the same night, the musical guest was none other than James Ingram.
In 1995, Jennifer Aniston and her Friends co-star David Schwimmer made an appearance at the Hollywood premiere of Before Sunrise. This movie, directed by Richard Linklater, was a popular romance drama in the mid-90s and starred Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. During this time, Aniston and Schwimmer were already famous for their roles in Friends. Additionally, in the same year, they also attended the 21st Annual People’s Choice Awards.
Jennifer Aniston went to the 21st Annual People’s Choice Awards in Universal City with her co-stars from Friends. The group received the award for Favorite New Television Comedy Series that night.
In 1996, Jennifer Aniston played a role in the movie “Picture Perfect” alongside Kevin Bacon. The following year, she was captured on camera during a break from filming on location in New York City with her then-boyfriend Tate Donovan.
In 1996, Jennifer Aniston attended the 53rd Annual Golden Globe Awards with her fellow Friends cast members. She looked stunning alongside Lisa Kudrow on the red carpet. Friends was nominated for Best Musical/Comedy Series, but unfortunately lost to Cybill.
