Even Jennifer Aniston had a traumatizing experience at the age of 11. “I remember a parental figure saying to me around the critical age of about 11, after a dinner party, that I was excused from the table because I didn’t have anything interesting to add to the conversation.” According to Jen, this cruel remark really hit home and, to this day, she remembers how it affected her.
These days Jennifer Aniston has plenty to say and fans love hearing it. She’s forged an incredible career, after making a breakthrough as Rachel Green on the beloved sitcom, Friends. Prior to her success on Friends, it was all about humble beginnings for Jen, just like it is for many other people, including her former partner, Brad Pitt!
Let’s take a look at these rare photos of Jen prior to her fame. In some of these photos, she looks downright unrecognizable. Enjoy, folks!
14- Baby Jen
Would you have guessed who this baby is if we hadn’t told you? We know we wouldn’t have! The Friends star actually shared this throwback photo when she posted it to her Instagram account in 2019. Shortly after joining the social media platform. The second photo she posted was a current one, but she wore a similar hat; she captioned it: “#TBT In style, then and now…”
13- Wicked Witch
Even when Aniston tries to look like The Wicked Witch of the West for Halloween. We still think she looks great. In fact, it’s really difficult to find a bad photo of Jen. Regardless, though, her pal and co-star, Reese Witherspoon, feels a little differently about the photo above. After seeing this photo, Reese Witherspoon claimed Jennifer Aniston looked “spooky as a teenager”.
12- Goth Phase
Remember when we said it was nearly impossible to come across a “bad” photo of Jennifer Aniston? Well, this is probably as close as we’re going to get. It’s not that the photo is really bad. It’s more the fact that Jen’s rocking a hairstyle that isn’t doing her any favors. Jen has admitted that this was during her “Goth” phase. She was trying to rebel against her mother, who happened to be a model, according to Starcasm.
11- Prom
Jen, is that you? Just like all celebs, there was a point in time when Aniston was not yet recognized in Hollywood and was actually just a normal teenager. She went to prom in 1984, and although we don’t know who her date was, we’re certain he’s kept photos of the two and will likely cherish them forever.
10- Tomboy
Again, before Jennifer Aniston became a household name in Hollywood, she went through the motions like all other teenagers, meaning she went through a few different stages…
We already talked about her Goth phase, but it looks like Jen also had a “Tomboy” phase, based on the outfit she’s wearing in the photo above.
9- A Football Fan… Really?
Based on the character that made her famous, Rachel Green, we have a hard time believing this photo is real. Every Friends fan knows that Rachel Green was not big on sports, so seeing her 14-year-old self in this football jersey, while holding up a ball, is truly puzzling.
8- With Her Mom
Looks like the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Jen’s mom, Nancy Dow, was actually a model and an actress herself, way back in the 60s. Although Aniston followed in some similar footsteps to her mother’s, the two were reportedly estranged by the time Nancy passed away in 2016.
7- Friends Meets Big Bang
This is one epic throwback pic. Friends is a show that’s considered one of the best sitcoms of its generation, but many would agree that The Big Bang Theory is one of the best sitcoms of this generation. Seeing Mayim Bialik and Jennifer Aniston posing together for this 90s photo definitely gives us all the feels.
6- Jen And Her Best Friend
Wait a minute, that’s not Courteney Cox?! Although Cox and Aniston became best friends in real life after portraying best friends on-screen for over 10 years, that doesn’t mean Aniston didn’t have a best friend before her. In the photo above, she is photographed with Andrea Bendewald, who was Jen’s bestie from the 90s.
5- Jen And Chaz
Looks like Aniston went to school with some pretty famous faces. She attended New York City High School Of Performing Arts at the end of the 80s and was friends with none other than Cher’s son, Chaz Bono, who was then known as Chastity. This photo of the school friends was taken in 1987, and one thing’s for sure…both have changed A LOT since then.
4- The Edge
We assume not too many people know this, but prior to Friends, Jen once showed off her comedic chops. In the sketch comedy series, The Edge, Aniston took part in a variety of humorous sketches, one of which was a Sports Illustrated spoof. It may have been short-lived, but based on the screengrab above, she has always been a bombshell! She definitely started turning heads at that point.
3- A Recognizable Face
This photo might’ve been taken a while back, but it’s clear that the Friends star has aged gracefully, based on similar she looks now. Back in 1990, Jen was about 21 and just beginning to dabble in acting. She landed her first TV role, in Ferris Bueller (which was an adaptation of the 1986 film) and the rest is history.
2- Early Beginnings
This photo of Jen definitely reminds us of the actress we’ve come to know and love. She began appearing on our TV screens when Friends made its debut in 1994, and to be honest, we haven’t stopped watching her since. We’d be lying if we said we didn’t still watch reruns on Netflix. She was very new to the Hollywood scene, but it did not take long for her to become a staple.
1- Before All The Fame
We might all know her as ‘America’s Sweetheart’ nowadays, and recognize her as one of the most beautiful celebs in the world, but things weren’t always so peachy for the Friends star. In fact, Jen admitted in an interview that as a child, she was a little on the chubby side and would often get bullied in school, according to the Daily Mail.
