The two dear friends chatted, laughed, and appreciated each other for being the amazing women they each were in their own right.
Jennifer Aniston has become one of the most celebrated and loved celebrities not just for her acting skills but also for the woman she is. Time and again, she has braved through heartbreaks and challenged societal norms in her own gracious yet fierce way. She rang in her 51st birthday on February 11, 2020, and as a treat to her admirers, she bore her heart out to one of her close friends and another celebrated Hollywood icon Sandra Bullock in an exclusive interview for Interview Magazine.
What happens when two fearless and witty women come together? Heartfelt conversations about life, purpose, relationships, fashion, and much laughter.
The Friends star is known to industry insiders as well as outsiders as a positive, cheerful individual who instantly puts people at ease with her warm smile. Sandra Bullock began the interview by acknowledging Aniston's positive spirit. Her words reveal that great success comes with humility, grace, and compassion. But given that Bullock herself is feisty, things begin with the duo's trademark humor.
JENNIFER ANISTON: "Hi, mama."
SANDRA BULLOCK: "Hi, sweetheart. Are you in your jammies?"
ANISTON: "No, I’m in jeans and a sweater and a black t-shirt. Do you feel good about that?"
BULLOCK: "Who are you wearing?"
ANISTON: [Laughs] "I’m wearing Rag & Bone jeans and an Elder Statesman sweater."
BULLOCK: "Jewelry?"
ANISTON: "Of course. And a James Perse t-shirt underneath the sweater."
BULLOCK: "Layering."
ANISTON: "And then Hanky Panky underwear if we want to get real specific."
BULLOCK: "So can I say, 'Jen was casually chic for the interview, layered in light cottons and some cashmere, with her legs tucked up under her, as she snuggled on the couch?'”
Then Bullock goes right on to acknowledge Aniston's positive spirit.
"You can be an a**hole but you’re so charming! You really have a way of pushing joy and positivity. You do that in your work, but you also do it so effortlessly with everyone you allow into your home and into your life. Anyone who has the honor of being in your home and in your life doesn’t want to leave because it’s safe, it’s emotional, it’s joyous. What is it that allows you to stay buoyant and keep from getting discouraged when things don’t go the right way?" asked Bullock.
"First of all, that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. I think that it comes from growing up in a household that was destabilized and felt unsafe, watching adults being unkind to each other, and witnessing certain things about human behavior that made me think: 'I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to experience this feeling I’m having in my body right now. I don’t want anyone else that I ever come in contact with ever to feel that.' So I guess I have my parents to thank. You can either be angry or be a martyr, or you can say, 'You’ve got lemons? Let’s make lemonade,'" responded Aniston.
Lauding her courage, Bullock said, "You go through life as though you’re not afraid to lose anything, and that’s really inspiring."
She also spoke about Aniston being one of the warmest people she has known and how she has always been the woman who supported other women:
"And in your world, the action is not. Everyone sits at that table as the head of the table. Everyone has a voice. And I just get to sit back and go, 'I’m so lucky to sit here with my family and be a part of this world.' You share your wealth, the wealth of your friendships. You literally go, 'Here are my friends, they’re going to love you, too. Here’s my family, they’re going to love you, too. Here’s my home, stay as long as you want.' That’s a rare thing. A lot of people don’t have that. They’re afraid to share because they’re afraid to lose something. You go through life as though you’re not afraid to lose anything, and that’s really inspiring."
Aniston with equal awe responded, "I feel that same way about you. Like you said, this conversation of women supporting women is new, but I think we have been doing it for a long time."
As the conversation continued, they talked about their passion for the craft and how they take efforts in shattering the glass ceiling. Sandra Bullock, a fiercely private mother, also gave a rare sneak-peek into her personal life by confessing that she will never allow her children to move away from her. In a light-hearted moment, she said that she could drop her children to school and colleges if required but will never let them go far from her.
"Well, you do have a lovely home and a stunning man and two gorgeous children," responded Aniston as Bullock shared glimpses of her family life.
Bullock went on to ask, "What is it that you haven’t done yet that you are looking forward to doing? Is it on a work level? Is it on a spiritual evolvement level? Is it all of the above?"
Aniston's reply came as a surprise, but then again, she has never been afraid to express what's in her heart.
“My gut reaction was to say all of the above,” Jennifer replied. “It’s not so much what I see myself doing, but it’s more like a little screenshot in my brain, where I hear the ocean, I see the ocean, I hear laughter, I see kids running, I hear ice in a glass, I smell food being cooked. That’s the joyous snapshot in my head.”
Never someone to let social norms dictate her happiness, she spoke about her marriages earlier with Elle, “I don’t feel a void. I really don’t. My marriages [to Brad Pitt and Justin Theroux], they’ve been very successful, in [my] personal opinion. And when they came to an end, it was a choice that was made because we chose to be happy, and sometimes happiness didn’t exist within that arrangement anymore.”
We wish Jennifer Aniston a very happy birthday and a life full of adventures, love, and laughter!
References:
https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a25426565/jennifer-aniston/?utm_medium=google
https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/jennifer-aniston-cover-story-sandra-bullock-march-2020
