Jennifer Aniston is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars — not only as an actor but also as a producer — but even she faced a time when the industry did not take her ambitions seriously. At ELLE’s 2025 Women in Hollywood celebration, Aniston reflected on how the showbiz world reacted when she first said she wanted to start producing after “FRIENDS” ended. Now, things have come far since then, and what once was thought to be impossible is her reality.
Jennifer Aniston remembers how the industry reacted when she pitched producing to them
Adam Sandler introduced Jennifer Aniston before she took the stage, praising her as “the best in so many ways.” Aniston looked around the room filled with actors, directors, and showrunners. What followed was a speech from the heart. She recalled how, in 2004, she told a room full of executives she wanted to produce her own projects. “The room got really, really quiet, and I got that look of ‘how cute you are’ and sort of a pat on the head.”
Aniston remembered the room telling her, “OK, let’s just wait a second, let’s put a pin in this for now.” The actor said that, while it took time, things changed thanks to women who refused to accept ‘no’ for an answer. She added, “I got to produce my first movie, and I can confirm I love it,” proudly saying, “I’m really good at it.”
Now an executive producer on “The Morning Show,” she spoke warmly about her producing partners, including Reese Witherspoon and Kristen Hahn, saying, “Collaboration and friendship absolutely can exist in the same space.”
The 56-year-old also made a point to remind the audience why storytelling still matters. Emphasizing, “Baring our souls as actors and creators still matters,” she noted that it was “Something that A.I. will never be able to duplicate, no matter how smart it gets.”
After recalling the struggles of her journey as an aspiring producer, Jennifer Aniston ended her speech by calling on women: “Women have to keep holding each other up.” She added that women need to leave “the door open behind us so no one has to kick it down.”
