It’s pretty impossible to imagine a world without the sitcom Friends. After all, it’s what made Jennifer Aniston and her co-stars household names. However, while it’s easy to always imagine her as Rachel Green, Aniston’s showed off her acting chops in many more projects.
In fact, as iconic as Friends is, it’s arguable that her acting became a lot more dynamic and versatile outside of the confines of the show. Since her groundbreaking rise to fame, she has had impressive starring roles in a wide variety of films and TV shows. Moreover, she’s also a pretty darn good voice actor, and it’s a wonder why she’s not ventured more on that path. Nonetheless, Aniston has many worthwhile performances under her belt, with the following 10 being standouts in her catalog so far.
10. We’re The Millers
First things first, We’re The Millers isn’t winning any prizes for “best plot,” but boy is it funny. Despite its mixed reviews, it’s actually one of the most well-known movies in Aniston’s filmography. Moreover, it’s just plain hilarious, and that’s what matters to most audiences. Evidently, this was the case for this movie as well, because it made a whopping $270 million against a $37 million budget. Aniston stars as Rose, a stripper who poses for Jason Sudeikis’ character, David, as his wife. If she successfully blends into the “fake family” dynamic, she gets a large cash reward. Sounds easy enough, but working with a criminal has its downsides.
9. Just Go With It
Over the years, Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston have maintained a hilarious working relationship. One of their most impressive turns as a couple is the 2011 rom-com, Just Go With It. In the movie, Aniston stars as Katherine Murphy, an assistant to Sandler’s character, Danny Maccabee. In order to keep his romantic fling unaware of his motives, he begs Katherine to pose as his soon-to-be divorced wife. Overall, Just Go With It is hilarious, and the lead couple bring a lot of heart to the film. Brilliant performances from Nicole Kidman and Nick Swardson give the movie an extra oomph.
8. Horrible Bosses
“Villain” might be a stretch, but Aniston was definitely an antagonist in the comedy, Horrible Bosses. As the title suggests, the movie follows the premise of unbearable bosses. The ensemble cast is led by Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis, who hatch a plan to murder their respective, abusive bosses. One of these is Aniston’s inappropriate character, Dr. Julia Harris. Unlike her previous roles, she donned a darker brown wig, almost transforming her look. However, her acting remains some of her best work yet, and a complete shift from her other roles.
7. Murder Mystery
Aniston and Sandler’s most recent team-up is the Murder Mystery series. The first movie was released in 2019, and although it was met with a lukewarm critical response, audiences warmed up to the movie immediately. Aniston stars as Audrey, a murder mystery enthusiast who is roped into an investigation aboard a billionaire’s yacht.
6. Marley & Me
Marley & Me remains one of Aniston’s most famous roles. The incredibly moving comedy-drama is also a tearjerker, as it follows a couple’s journey with their wonderful Labrador retriever. As with most of the works in her catalog, Marley & Me became a huge commercial success. Additionally, it showed off a more charming side to her acting.
5. Cake
If only Cake was as amazing as Aniston’s acting, perhaps she would have earned an Oscar nod. Unfortunately, the opposite was the case. While the actress was lauded for what is considered her most emotionally stirring performance yet, the movie failed to impress audiences. Nonetheless, she showed off a unique side, delivering a wonderful showcase of a woman struggling with addiction after surviving a car accident that killed her son.
4. The Good Girl
While still starring as Rachel Green, Aniston appeared as Justine Last in the comedy-drama, The Good Girl. Acting alongside John C. Reilly and Jake Gyllenhaal, The Good Girl is one of the most acclaimed works in her film catalog. It follows a bored woman who begins an affair with her co-worker in small-town Texas. Aniston took home a Hollywood Actress Award at the Hollywood Film Awards for her role.
3. The Iron Giant
In the animated sci-fi, The Iron Giant, Aniston brought a delicate warmth and love to her voice acting role. She voiced the character Anne Hughes, the mother of the lead character, Hogarth. Her performance was lauded, as was the entire movie, which has remained one of the most acclaimed animated offerings of all time.
2. Friends
Aha! The iconic show that skyrocketed Aniston’s career. In Friends, the actress starred as Rachel Green, the lovable waitress turned businesswoman. Evidently, this was a star-making, career-defining turn for Aniston, who is still widely viewed as Rachel, even two decades after Friends’ conclusion. Nonetheless, it’s not without reason, as her performance throughout the show was awkward, charming, funny, and absolutely relatable.
1. Dumplin’
Beating out her performance in Friends is the comedy-drama, Dumplin’. In the coming-of-age story, Aniston stars as Rosie Dickson, a former beauty queen who wishes to instill her past success in other young girls. However her daughter, who isn’t considered the ideal image for participating in beauty pageants, decides to enter her mother’s latest show. The comforting movie preaches about body-image acceptance, and an anti-heroic turn from Aniston is just what the movie needed to win hearts.
