Jennifer Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American film and television actress. She became famous in the mid 1990s for playing the role of Rachel Green in the sitcom Friends, a role for which she won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, and for her marriage to Brad Pitt which received widespread coverage in the world media. She has starred in several Hollywood films often alongside a member of the Frat Pack, including Bruce Almighty, Office Space, Along Came Polly, Derailed, The Break-Up and Rumor Has It.
Aniston was born in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, and grew up in New York City. She is the daughter of the actor John Aniston and actress Nancy Dow is of English, Scottish and Italian descent. Aniston has two half-brothers, John Melick (older) and Alex Aniston (younger). Aniston's father is a Greek American born on the island of Crete, Greece, while her mother was born in New York City. Aniston's godfather was the late actor Telly Savalas, her father's best friend. Aniston lived in Greece for one year as a child with her family, and they later relocated to New York City. Her father has appeared in the soap operas Days of Our Lives, Love of Life and Search for Tomorrow. Aniston attended the New York Rudolf Steiner School and graduated from Manhattan's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Among her high school friends was future gay rights activist Chastity Bono. Aniston's desire to become an actress grew as she worked in Off Broadway productions such as For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave. During this time, she supported herself with several part-time jobs, including working as a telemarketer and bike messenger. In 1989, she moved to Los Angeles, California.
