| Not Just a haircut. Jenifer Aniston shot to fame with the 'Rachel haircut', but now she's a sucsess in her own right, making her mark on movies as well as on the irresistible Brad Pitt. Nick Steele talks exclusively to the Friends star. Jennifer Aniston is having an incredible year. In addition to the continued success of Friends, her movie career is on the rise and there is the little matter of her enviable relationship with heart-throb Brad Pitt. Not bad for a girl whose acting career had consisted of small parts in TV and theatre until Friends catapulted her to stardom. Now in its fifth season on Sky the show is still going from strength strength - and its popularity is largely down to the cast, who have nurtured and developed their characters. After five years of playing spoilt rich kid Rachel, who has had her fair share of ups and downs, Aniston recognises that her character has finally come of age. 'At this point she has evolved,' she says of Rachel. 'There's more of me in her now.' Aniston also thinks it's time the gang got the chance to grow up a bit more. 'I would like to see Rachel married,' she offers. 'You know, to find the right guy and a wonderful job. We don't have any idea of where things are going, but that would be nice. 'To see our adult lives starting would be good,' she elaborates. 'Maybe separating - sadly - but moving on in our own directions and our own little journeys.' Whatever happens, though, Aniston will be going along for the ride. 'I'm happy doing the show,' she confides. 'I'm with it till it ends.' However, fame and fortune did not arrive overnight. At the age of 14, Aniston won a place at the New York High School of Performing Arts - although she was never quite sure - why! 'I don't think they really considered me to have many talents,' recalls Aniston. 'When I left there I thought I'd give myself another option. I thought, I would be a shrink if I couldn't make it as an actor.' So she went on the occasional audition and enrolled in a night course in psychology. 'I like to talk to people,' she confides. 'And I like people to talk to me.' She lasted about five months on the course, before getting a part in a play. She never went back. But the road to stardom was filled with bit parts, low pay and a lot of struggling. Aniston was still a relative unknown when she was cast for Friends. Things are rather different now. Aniston's success on the show has opened doors to a film career. She has starred in She's the One, Picture Perfect and last year's hit, The Object of my Affection, for which she got great reviews; and she is currently busy at work on her new film, Office Space, in which she takes on a supporting role. The film is the creation of Mike Judge, the man behind King of the Hill and Beavis and Butt-head. 'I love King of the Hill,' raves Aniston. 'But I have issues with Beavis and Butt-head. They're such idiots - but then, idiots have conquered the world.' Perhaps - but when it comes to conquering, Aniston isn't doing so badly herself. After all, she has been dating Brad Pitt for several months, and he reportedly blushes at the mention of her name. 'It's something I'm not ready to talk about,' she says, laughing. 'That's hard to do, because when something wonderful happens, you want to tell the world. But there's definitely a price to pay for that. Because then, God forbid, there comes a time when you're no longer together.' But even though the couple are imposing a press blackout on their relationship, Aniston says she has made her peace with her celebrity status. 'It's different for everybody and I think it's in your attitude,' she explains. 'If you want to go to the supermarket, you go. There is always going to be a person here or there who recognises you'. 'It is not like you can't leave your house because you get mobbed everywhere you go,' she continues. 'People aren't bothersome at all. And if they do say something, it's usually something very nice. So it hasn't gotten difficult for me. There have been times when it has, of course, but for the most part it's very easy to deal with.' AIl that may change, however, if Aniston and Pitt eventually become a Hollywood golden couple. But Aniston seems like someone who can handle whatever comes her way. After all, she survived the 'Rachel haircut' craze. 'It looked terrible on me,' she says, crinkling up her face. 'I hate to see photos of me with that hairdo. It's like, if she only knew. That poor dumb girl!' |