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A date with Jennifer Aniston
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A date with Jennifer Aniston

Thursday, 28 February 2019
By Frank Rousseau
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Frank Rousseau

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5 min read

Authentic, natural and likeable, Jennifer Aniston has a lot in common with Rachel Green, the character who shot her to fame in “Friends”. Don’t be surprised to see her rocking a simple tank top and jeans… with one of the Swiss watches she adores.

In Dumplin', you play Rosie, mom to Willowdean, a chubby teenager who signs up for the local beauty pageant that's run by her mother, a gorgeous former beauty queen. How much do you identify with your character?

I’d say I’m pretty, but that’s all. I could name a lot of women in Hollywood who have a much better physique than mine. Before I went on a diet, my dad used to say you could serve coffee off my behind! Believe me, there are days when I feel pretty and days when I’d rather not show my face! I know I’m not perfect.

You're on a first date. What gift could a guy give you?

I try to watch my weight, so probably not chocolates. But I never say no to a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
And jewellery?

In that case I assume we’ve gone beyond the first-date stage! [laughs]. To be perfectly honest, flowers are just fine. I’m a cheap date! But if the gentleman wanted to give me a watch, I mean if he really insisted, I wouldn’t turn my nose up! Unfortunately, when a man buys a watch for a woman, most of the time he gets it wrong. I have no idea why, but when a man chooses a watch for his wife or girlfriend, almost inevitably he’ll pick something massive with a huge dial. A guy’s watch! Probably without even realising, he’ll go for a man’s watch that he sees as being slightly feminine, and you end up walking around with this anvil on your wrist! [laughs]

Which begs the question, what kind of watch do you like?

Something discreet, in precious metal and well-designed, but definitely not too girly. I don’t want a watch that could double up as a disco ball. You know, the kind that could light up the room!

So imagine a man gifts you a watch. What's the worst thing he could do?

If he were to present me with the box then wait for me to go, “You’re crazy! It must have cost a fortune!”. As though how much you love someone is proportionate to how much you spend on them. I have a few watches at home. Some are worth a lot of money, others not so much, but they all have a story to tell, they all have history. Thinking about it, some are actually quite imposing! They’re not one of those teeny-tiny watches with numerals so small you almost need a microscope to read the dial. I’m all for dainty watches but you still have to be able to tell the time. I mean, that’s the whole point of wearing a watch, right?

My first grown-up watch? A vintage Rolex.
Jennifer Aniston
Tell us about your first ever watch.

It was a Mickey Mouse watch. You know the one, with Mickey’s arms for the hours and minutes. It stopped working after I dropped it in the bath. I was inconsolable.

And your first grown-up watch?

A vintage Rolex that cost me the best part of my savings. I was terrified of losing it, but never regretted buying it.

Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Your favourite?

My gold Rolex Day-Date President. It’s not a small dial, but what a beauty. In a different register, for other occasions I enjoy wearing my Rolex Milgauss or my white Lady Datejust. No matter what event I’m attending, no matter what I’m wearing, these are watches that never go out of style.

When you buy a watch, do you think of it as an investment?

Never. I consider the overall aesthetic and I try to imagine myself wearing it in a few years’ time, exactly as I would with a suit or another important item of clothing. I think about how it will weather time. It’s never crossed my mind to buy a watch with the idea that I’m investing in something that will gain in value and make money. Oh, and I could never sell a gift; I’d have too much of a guilty conscience.

Friends came at just the right moment. I heard you were considering quitting acting when you were given the script.

I’d been in a few shows already, none of which took off. Honestly, I was a long way from thinking Friends would be any different. I still remember Jimmy Burrows, the director, taking the six of us to a casino in Las Vegas. He told us to take care of each other as none of us had any idea what we were getting into. Then he gave us each $500 to gamble and said, “This is your last shot at anonymity. Once the show comes on the air, you guys will never be able to go anywhere without being hounded.”

Did you use the money to buy a watch?

I wish, but I had bills to pay!

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