Jennifer Aniston says playing a celebrity facing scrutiny on ‘The Morning Show’ was like "20 years of therapy wrapped into 10 episodes".
The ‘Friends’ star portrayed the co-anchor of the titular breakfast news show in the Apple TV+ drama, and she found herself relating to her alter ego’s experiences so much, it was like going to see a therapist and having a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Jennifer explained: "That show was 20 years of therapy wrapped into 10 episodes.
"There were times when I would read a scene and feel like a whole manhole cover was taken off my back."
She continued that it was "cathartic, yes, and also interesting for me to look at how I always have tried to normalise being fine and ‘everything’s great, you know, this is all normal,’ and then there are moments when you have your private breakdown or your ‘Calgon, take me away’ moments.
"To actually look at it from an actor brain observing it and acknowledging it, I had to look at it as opposed to pretending it doesn’t exist."
The 51-year-old Hollywood actress also admitted there’s been times when she’s not wanted to do red carpets because she doesn’t want to be judged.
On what aspects of her character she related to, she added: "There have been moments — not to that level of hysteria — but moments of ‘I don’t want to f****** go here,’ ‘I don’t want to walk out onto the carpet,’ ‘I don’t want to be seen,’ ‘I don’t want to be looked at and everyone’s going to be talking about me and judging me’ … that’s real.
"I just loved being able to walk into it and lean into it and not be ashamed of it, but actually just … it was like … Ooooooooooh."