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Before Jennifer Aniston became a sitcom legend, the actress turned down a role on and there was a good reason why. She wasn't yet a household name in 1994 when she faced a choice between taking the role of or taking a spot on , the sketch comedy show that already had a history of success. At the time, Aniston was coming off of four unsuccessful television shows, and it would have seemed like a no-brainer to sign on to a television juggernaut.
Adam Sandler was an cast member at the time and really wanted Aniston to join. He told Oprah in an interview (via ), When he found out that she had turned down the offer for , he was shocked. he recalled thinking.
would go on to star together in other projects years later. However, Aniston had her reasons for not joining at the time. She recently talked about her meeting with producer Lorne Michaels (via ).
I remember walking in, and it was [David] Spade and Sandler, and I knew those guys forever, and I was so young and dumb and I went into Lorne's office and I was like, "I hear women are not respected on this show." I don’t remember exactly what I said next, but it was something like, "I would prefer if it were like the days of Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin." I mean, it was such a boys' club back then, but who the f--k was I to be saying this to Lorne Michaels?!
Despite her harsh, but likely true, words to Lorne Michaels, Aniston developed a good relationship with SNL over the years. she said, Just a year after premiered, she made an appearance in the opening monologue on October 21, 1995, and featured in that episode's "Spade in America" sketch. She went on to host the show twice, once on November 20, 1999, and again on January 20, 2004.
Aniston's latest appearance on had a direct connection to . The actress dropped by the December 3, 2016 Weekend Update segment as Vanessa Bayer was doing her impression of . After begging Bayer to stop texting her every day, Aniston told her, Maybe got the last laugh after all.
