Born in Sherman
Oaks, CA and raised in New York City, Jennifer Aniston is a versatile
actress who was exposed to acting at an early age by her father, John
Aniston, who starred for several years on the daytime drama "Days of Our
Lives," and her godfather, the late Telly Savalas. Aniston is currently
starring in the hit ensemble comedy "Friends," along with Courteney Cox,
Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer. Jennifer
portrays "Rachel," a pampered twenty something New Yorker embarking on a
life of independence after having left her fiancee at the
altar. This past summer,
Aniston was seen in the title role of the feature film "Picture Perfect"
and also completed production on the motion picture, "Object of My
Affection." Other recent film credits include "She's The One" opposite
director Ed Burns and Cameron Diaz, as well as "'Til There Was You," with
Jeanne Tripplehorn and Sarah Jessica Parker and Dylan McDermott.
Additional film credits include a staring role in the independent film
"Dreams for an Insomniac," a romantic comedy with Ione Skye set in San
Francisco. Aniston, who is of
Greek descent, spent a year of her childhood living in Greece with her
family, but relocated to New York when her father landed a role on the
daytime drama, "Love of Life." She had her first taste of acting at age 11
when she joined the Rudolf Steiner School's drama club. Aniston said, "I
was always fascinated by acting, but my experience at Rudolf Steiner
encouraged me to pursue it as a career." She added, "Steiner was a
free-spirited school that encouraged creativity and
individualism." Her experience at
the Rudolf Steiner School also helped Aniston develop a passion for art.
At age 11, one of Aniston's paintings was selected to be displayed in an
exhibit at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. She began her
professional training as a drama student at New York's High School of the
Performing Arts. After graduating in 1987, Aniston won roles in such
Off-Broadway productions as "For Dear Life" at New York's Public Theatre
and "Dancing on Checker's Grave." In 1989, she landed her first television
role as a series regular on "Molloy." Aniston's other television credits
include series regular roles on "The Edge" as well as "Ferris Bueller," a
recurring role on "Herman's Head" and guest-starring roles on such series
as "Quantum Leap" and "Burke's Law."
The youngest of four children raised in Birmingham, Ala., Cox is a former model who signed with the Ford modeling agency shortly after finishing high school. Soon, the stunning brunette (Cox was People magazine's 1995 cover girl for the "50 Most Beautiful People" issue) was appearing on magazine covers and in television commercials.
In 1984, Cox made her acting debut on the daytime drama "As the World Turns," but got her first big break later that year when she was cast by director Brian DePalma to portray the young fan whom Springsteen pulls out of the crowd in the music video "Dancing in the Dark."
Before "Friends," Cox's most memorable television series role was that of Lauren, Alex P. Keaton's (Michael J. Fox) girlfriend on "Family Ties." Her other television credits include regular series roles on "Misfits of Science" and "The Trouble with Larry;" guest-starring parts on such hits as "Murder, She Wrote" and "Seinfeld," and the cable series "Dream On" and "The Larry Sanders Show." She has starred in several television movies, including "Prize Pulitzer," "Battling for Baby" and "Curiosity Kills," as well as in the miniseries "Till We Meet Again," which was based on Judith Krantz's best-selling novel.
Of her motion-picture credits, Cox starred in the hit thriller "Scream" and spent her summer hiatus this year filming the sequel "Scream 2." Cox also had a starring role opposite comedian Jim Carey in the box-office hit "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." Her other feature films include "Commandments," "Down Twisted," "Masters of the Universe," Cocoon: The Return," "Shaking the Tree," "Mr. Destiny" and "Blue Desert."
On stage, she starred with Michael Spound in "King of Hearts" at the Tiffany Theatre in Los Angeles.
Cox enjoys remodeling and decorating homes in her spare time, and insists she is nothing like her compulsive character, Monica, in real life.
For her performance as the spacey but lovable Phoebe Buffay, Lisa Kudrow has earned two Emmy Award nominations (1994-95, 1996-97) for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also has received Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and American Comedy Award nominations.
Kudrow graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY with a B.S. degree in biology. Intending to pursue a career in research, she returned to Los Angeles and began working with her father, a world-renowned headache specialist. In all likelihood, Kudrow would be a researcher today if she had not been inspired to perform by one of her brother's friends, actor/comedian Jon Lovitz.
Kudrow began studying with Cynthia Szigeti, a well-known improvisation teacher based in Los Angeles. In that class she met and became close friends with then-unknown Conan O'Brien. In 1989, her dream of becoming a performer became a reality when she was accepted as a member of the famed Los Angeles improv group, The Groundlings.
A recurring role as Ursula, the ditzy waitress on the comedy series "Mad About You," led to Kudrow's starring role on "Friends."
Kudrow has had success on the big screen too. Most recently, she starred in the hit comedy "Romy & Michele's High School Reunion" with Mira Sorvino. Before that she co-starred in Albert Brooks' comedy "Mother." She has a starring role in the upcoming film "Clockwatchers" with Toni Collette ("Muriel's Wedding") and during this summer's hiatus from "Friends," Kudrow starred with Christina Ricci, Martin Donovan and Lyle Lovett in "The Opposite Sex."
Matt LeBlanc, star of the Emmy nominated smash comedy "Friends," is one of the hottest young stars in Hollywood. Entertainment Weekly has described LeBlanc as "a rarity, a hunk with a gift for deadpan comedy," referring to his portrayal of Joey Tribbiani, a struggling actor whose role model is Al Pacino. The ensemble cast has charmed audiences, consistently holding a spot in the ratings among the top five Primetime television shows. "What sets this apart is its fully dimensional characters and avoidance of stereotypes," notes LeBlanc. "It's about issues that my generation, or any generation, can identify with - dating, working, career goals. And it's funny!"
LeBlanc moved to the big screen with his lead role in the feature film "Ed," the story of a minor league pitcher whose career is going nowhere until he befriends an amazing third baseman who happens to be a monkey. He recently finished production on the motion picture "Lost in Space," which was filmed in London and is based on the popular television series of the same name.
Prior to these roles, LeBlanc knew that a transition to television and film required study and stage experience, so he took up under the tutelage of Flo Greenberg, and landed roles in such theatrical productions as "Private Wars," "Out of Gas On Lover's Leap," and "A Streetcar Named Desire." He soon made the leap to television, appearing in guest spots on several nighttime series and made for television movies, before landing "Friends."
The Newton, Massachusetts native moved to New York in 1987, where he thought he was one of many young actors in waiting struggle to make a living. Casting agents thought otherwise. Noticing something special about LeBlanc, they soon had him in big budget commercials for Levi's 501, Coke and Doritos.
Matthew Perry stars as Chandler on the comedy series "Friends," which has been a top ten rated series since its debut.
Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Perry was raised in the city of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. At age 15, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his father, actor John Bennett Perry. In addition to performing in several high school stage productions, he was an avid tennis player. He ranked number 17 nationally in the junior singles category and number three in the doubles competition.
After graduation, Perry landed the leading role in the television series, "Boys Will Be Boys." His other television credits include "Home Free," "Sydney," a recurring role on "Growing Pains," as well as starring roles in such television movies as "Deadly Relations," "Call Me Anna" and "Dance 'til Dawn."
His feature film credits include "Fools Rush In," "Edwards and Hunt: The First America Road Trip," "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon," "She's Out of Control" and "Parallel Lives."
In addition to acting, Perry also enjoys writing. He sold his first pilot, "Maxwell's House" to Universal Television.
In the debut season (1994-95) of "Friends," David Schwimmer's performance as Ross, a sensitive, hopeless romantic, earned him an Emmy Award nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Born in Queens, New York and raised in Los Angeles, Schwimmer was first exposed to acting when he enrolled in a high school drama class on a whim. After he completed the course, an instructor encouraged him to attend a summer program in acting at Northwestern University in Chicago.
After his graduation from high school he returned to Northwestern, where he received a B.S. degree in speech/theatre. In 1988 Schwimmer, along with seven other Northwestern graduates, founded Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company - an ensemble of actors, writers, directors and designers dedicated to creating vibrant new works for the American stage. Schwimmer says the company, which is now twenty members strong, "possesses a unique combination of talent, drawing its strength from training in the classics, acrobatics, gymnastics, dance and music."
Schwimmer's stage acting credits with Lookingglass include "The Master and Margarita," "In the Eye of the Beholder," "West," "Of One Blood" and "The Odyssey." This Fall he will be bringing the company out to Los Angeles, where he will act with them in "The Arabian Nights." Theatre being a passion for him, he most recently starred on the Los Angeles stage as a devious screenwriter in the hit play "D Girl." His stage directing credits include "The Jungle," which he also adapted and which earned six Joseph Jefferson Awards, "The Serpent," and "Alice in Wonderland," which toured to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.
In 1993, Schwimmer made his debut as a television series regular on the comedy "Monty," with Henry Winkler. His other television credits include recurring roles on such series as "NYPD Blue," "L.A. Law" and "The Wonder Years."
His feature film acting credits include "The Pallbearer," "Twenty Bucks," "Crossing the Bridge" and "Since You've Been Gone," which he also directed and which stars his pals from the Lookingglass Theatre Company. He recently completed filming "Apt Pupil," adapted from a Steven King novella, "Breast Men" for HBO, "Kissing a Fool," and Ivan Reitman's "6 Days, 7 Nights" with Harrison Ford.
Schwimmer enjoys playing softball, basketball, ping-pong and poker with his buddies.
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