Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Celebrity News

    Jennifer Aniston almost quit acting because of one particularly exhausting role

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 11 August 2022 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Jennifer Aniston is one of the most talked-about women in the world, making headlines ever since she burst onto our teenage screens.

    From her sweet friendship with ex husband Brad Pitt to her bond with Reese Witherspoon and the iconic Friends reunion, Jen definitely got a lot of us through the last couple of years.

    Recently however, the A-lister made news as she made the revelation that she once almost gave up acting after a particularly exhausting role.

    Yes, really.

    During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast last year, Jen told Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett that at one point she considered quitting the profession.

    You may like
    • Anne Hathaway has just announced her third pregnancy at 43 Anne Hathaway's Pregnancy Hides a Much Bigger Truth About Having Babies in Your 40s
    • Julia Restoin Roitfeld Marie Claire'd Anatomy of A Wardrobe 'I Function Better With Less': Julia Restoin-Roitfeld on Timeless Style, Wardrobe Investments and Borrowing From Her Mother’s Closet
    • Jodie Kidd Jodie Kidd on Fashion, Fast Cars and Finding a Second Career in Motorsport

    "I would have to say the last two years that [quitting] has crossed my mind, which it never did before," she explained, going on to add that it was due to a unprepared project that "sucked the life out of me" and led her to think: "I don't know if this is what interests me."

    And while Jen didn't name the particular project, she did reveal what she would be doing if she wasn't acting - and we're here for it.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Jen's plan B? Interior design.

    "I love it," she explained to the trio. "It's my happy place. It's really a happy place for me."

    We're pretty sure we can speak on behalf of the whole population when we say we are relieved that Jen didn't throw in the towel.

    That being said - we would love her interior design tips!

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

    Read more
    Anne Hathaway has just announced her third pregnancy at 43
    Life Anne Hathaway's Pregnancy Hides a Much Bigger Truth About Having Babies in Your 40s
    Julia Restoin Roitfeld Marie Claire'd Anatomy of A Wardrobe
    Fashion 'I Function Better With Less': Julia Restoin-Roitfeld on Timeless Style, Wardrobe Investments and Borrowing From Her Mother’s Closet
     
     
    Jodie Kidd
    Sustainability Jodie Kidd on Fashion, Fast Cars and Finding a Second Career in Motorsport
    The Rachel Hair on Gigi Hadid, created by hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos
    Hair Gigi Hadid Brought Back the 'Rachel' Haircut—So I Tried It Too, and My Hair Has Never Looked So Full
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity News
    Olivia Rodrigo performing on stage in a babydoll dress that sparked online debate, later prompting the singer to speak out about the sexualisation of girlhood and double standards facing young women.
    Celebrity News “We Really Normalise Pedophilia in Our Culture”: What Olivia Rodrigo's Babydoll Dress Backlash Reveals About Girlhood
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2
    Celebrity News Anne Hathaway Has Spoken Out About Her 10-Year Health Battle
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
     
     
    Latest in News
    New Beauty Products: The Beauty Digest
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Dyson Does Teeth, Fenty Rips Up the Rulebook (Again) and a Surprisingly Fragrant Week for Dogs
    Jodie Comer
    Shopping Jodie Comer Just Announced the Start of Knee-High Boots Season
     
     
    Kaia Gerber
    Shopping Kaia Gerber Just Wore the ’90s Dress Style That’s as Flattering as It Is Low-Effort
    Oxfam
    Fashion “The Water Used to Produce Britain’s Unworn Clothes Is Enough to Supply 1 Million People for a Lifetime”: Oxfam’s Latest State of Style Report Finds
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.