Jennifer Aniston thinks back to the time she almost became a member Saturday evening live before her Friends breakthrough.
During her appearance on the October 13 episode of Armchair expert With Dax Shepard, the 56-year-old actress opened up about how she turned down the opportunity to be part of the NBC sketch comedy series.
“I always thought I was so hot… The story about it is all very confusing,” Aniston recalls.
She explained that she met with SNL creator Lorne Michaels in New York, where she also ran into Adam Sandler and David Spade.
“Honestly, I should ask Lorne today, because I remember I was in New York City and I had a meeting with Lorne Michaels, and I came [Adam] Sandler and [David] Spade in the room just outside,” she said.
“And I’ve known Sandler forever.”
When Shepard asked if her friendship with Sandler had started before FriendsAniston confirmed yes.
“Yes, he was very good friends with Charlie Schlatter, who played Ferris Bueller in the television version of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” she said, referring to her early TV role as Ferris’ sister.
Joking about how long ago that was, she added, “So we met at Jerry’s Deli in 1912.”
The Morning Show star went on to say that she had some concerns about the environment at the time SNL.
“I don’t know why I had this self-righteous attitude of ‘I don’t know if women on this show are being treated the way they should be treated,’” she admitted.
“It’s a very male-dominated one [show]. I would love to be here if it was on Gilda Radner Day.
Looking back, Aniston acknowledged that her memory of the moment is a bit hazy, but said she eventually moved on Friends came by.
“I mean, this is the brain half-remembering things that are so far back. Something like that. I can’t remember, but I just remember.” Friends Then it happened,” she said.
In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood ReporterAniston shared how she approached Lorne Michaels during that time.
“I was so young and stupid and I went into Lorne’s office and thought, ‘I heard women are disrespected on this show,’” she recalls. “I don’t remember exactly what I said next, but it was something like, ‘I’d rather it be like the days of Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin.’ ”
Laughing at her younger self, she added, “I mean, it was such a boys’ club at the time, but who the hell was I to say that to Lorne Michaels?! So yeah, it’s admirable that that happened and I got to host Saturday evening live a few times, and I like it so much.
She told me earlier The Howard Stern Show in 2019 that her concerns at the time stemmed from wanting more equality.
“I thought, ‘I think women should be treated better here,’” she said.
“Because it was such a boys’ club. You’re just not the smartest in your early twenties. I didn’t teach him, I just said what I would hope if I did this, what I would hope it would be.”
“I was such a young fool,” she added, laughing.
Although she never joined the cast, Aniston later hosted SNL twice: once in 1999 and again in 2004.
The experience left a lasting impression on those around her. In honor of the show’s 50th anniversary earlier this year, alumnus Molly Shannon described her as “very relaxed” and “an easy-going professional,” adding, “She had been on television for a long time.”
While Aniston may have declined SNL Early in her career, the decision ultimately paved the way for Friendsthe series that made her a global icon.
