Jennifer Aniston’s time on television turned her into a major star during the 90s, and since then, the actress has been able to land roles in impressive projects. Friends will always remain her seminal work, sure, but the performer’s body of work has helped turn her into a legend of the entertainment industry.
While Friends was still in the midst of its run on television, Aniston wound up taking some roles on the big screen. One role paired her alongside a comedic performer, which angered the actress and caused problems on set.
Let’s take a look and see what happened here.
Aniston Was A Major Television Star
When looking at the biggest shows in television history, it becomes quite clear that Friends is unlike the others with its incredible ability to remain as fresh and relevant as it has been since the 90s. The show was the biggest thing on television outside the Seinfeld during the decade, and it just so happens that Jennifer Aniston was its biggest star.
Friends did feature six lead performers, but Aniston was the true breakout star from the show who has gone on to be arguably the most successful away from the franchise. She wasn’t a household name by any means prior to landing the role of Rachel Green on the show, but it didn’t take long for her to become an A-list star who was responsible for an entire generation’s shift in hairstyle.
During her time on Friends, Aniston was a key part of the show’s success, and she was also building a steady stream of credits outside of the show, as well. This was quite similar to what the other stars of the show were doing, as they were all interested in taking projects outside of their work on the small screen.
She Was The Lead In The Movie ‘Picture Perfect’
Back in 1997, Jennifer Aniston had scored herself the leading role in the film Picture Perfect, which was poised to do some solid numbers at the box office. As we stated already, Aniston had been taking part in some big screen projects during her time on Friends, but Picture Perfect was going to allow her the opportunity to be the primary lead in a film and not simply be a co-star.
Needless to say, there was going to be some stiff competition for the other lead role starring opposite of Aniston. This movie had a world of potential, so it was incredibly important for the studio to get this casting decision right.
Eventually, the studio would reach a decision on who they were interested in casting, and this news came as quite a shock to Jennifer Aniston. Turns out, she was in a relationship with a performer at the time, and he was one of the primary contenders for the leading role. Instead of casting her beau to star alongside her, the studio decided to roll the dice on a comedic performer, much to Aniston‘s dismay.
She Was Angry About Working With Jay Mohr
During the 90s and leading up to his casting in Picture Perfect, Jay Mohr was someone who was making a name for himself on the comedy scene. Not only was his brand of stand-up comedy getting him noticed, but so was his work on television in shows like Camp Wilder and Saturday Night Live. He even appeared in Jerry Maguire one year before Picture Perfect. Despite this, Aniston was none too pleased about Mohr being cast in the movie.
When speaking on his experience, Mohr said, “Being on the set of a movie where the leading woman was unhappy with my presence and made it clear from day one. I hadn’t done that many movies, and even though they screen-tested some pretty famous guys, I somehow snaked into the leading role. The actress said, ‘No way! You’ve got to be kidding me!’ Loudly. Between takes. To other actors on set. I would literally go to my mom’s house and cry.”
That’s right, apparently working on Picture Perfect with Jennifer Aniston wound up being a nightmare experience for Jay Mohr, who doesn’t exactly have the kindest things to say. His response is certainly veiled in a bit of mystery, but it doesn’t take a whole lot of digging to see that he is clearly talking about Jennifer Aniston. Despite the friction between the two of them, the film was a modest success at the box office during its theatrical run in 1997.
It was a rough time for Jay Mohr on set with Jennifer Aniston. Hopefully, things will be smoother if they ever work together again.