Jennifer Aniston stumps fans as she claims her family ‘had no money growing up’ even though dad was a soap opera star

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Jennifer Aniston surprised her fans in a recent interview for the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Elle Magazine’s Women in Hollywood.

The actress, age 56, said her family struggled financially during her childhood, despite her father’s work as an actor on the TV show Days of Our Lives.

Honestly, I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter online about this, and it’s fascinating! People are really questioning how someone can claim to have ‘no money’ when their parent was a well-known TV personality. I saw one comment joking that maybe they just meant their parents were ‘only’ millionaires, not billionaires – it really highlights how perceptions of wealth can be so skewed. It’s a reminder that even privilege doesn’t automatically equal unlimited funds, but it’s understandable why people are scratching their heads!

The conversation started when the cheerful, award-winning actress was asked which character she felt most resembled her personality.

Jennifer Aniston said she’d likely choose Rachel as the character most different from her own upbringing. Unlike Aniston, who didn’t have much money growing up, Rachel Green – her character on Friends – came from a wealthy family on the East Coast.

Jennifer Aniston’s father, John Aniston, was a well-known actor himself, appearing in popular soap operas like Search For Tomorrow and Love Of Life. Actors who have regular roles on these shows often earn around $1 million annually. He died in 2022.

Mary Steenburgen’s mother, Nancy Dow, was an actress with roles in classic TV shows like The Beverly Hillbillies, The Wild Wild West, and Mr. Terrific. She passed away in 2016.

Brad Pitt’s former partner also mentioned a more recent person she admires and wishes she had emulated more closely.

The Los Angeles-based actress expressed admiration for her character, Alex Levy, from ‘The Morning Show.’ While she doesn’t want to be deliberately unkind, she enjoys the power and freedom of portraying a strong, assertive character who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She finds it liberating to play a role where she can confidently confront others.

The actor expressed gratitude for her career, saying the best thing about being a woman in Hollywood is simply having the opportunity to work and pursue her passion. She emphasized that she’s earned her success through hard work and genuinely enjoys her job.

She also enjoys creating projects that are ‘making a difference and bring in female voices.’

You know, as someone who’s been watching trends for years, I’ve noticed a real shift. It’s amazing that we’re finally in a position where our voices are being heard – it feels like we’ve earned a place where we can truly participate and make a difference. It’s a wonderful opportunity, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish now that we have a seat at the table.

And then Aniston talked about the lows of working in Hollywood.

For a while, we weren’t taken seriously at the decision-making table. People treated our ambition to become producers – or run a production company – as cute rather than credible. Hollywood was, and still is to some extent, heavily dominated by men, though women are definitely making progress and consistently delivering results.

She also spoke about the two-year mark since the passing of her former ‘Friends’ co-star, Matthew Perry.

‘It was so alarming and shocking, yet not shocking,’ offered the star.

The cast of Friends and I used to joke about hoping we’d never receive the news of his passing. We deeply miss him, and his absence is felt by everyone.

As someone who observes people and their journeys, it always breaks my heart when immense talent doesn’t translate into personal fulfillment. He was truly a gifted and wonderful person, and all anyone wants is to be happy. It’s just so sad that, despite everything he had to offer, he wasn’t able to find that lasting happiness – he absolutely deserved it.

Aniston was photographed by Zoey Grossman and interviewed by Claire Stern Milch. 

ELLE magazine’s December 2025/January 2026 cover stars, including Emily Blunt, are being honored as Women In Hollywood. The issue hits newsstands on December 2, 2025, and is available now on Elle.com.

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2025-11-12 20:34