Jennifer Aniston is an American actress known for her performance on the TV series Friends. This launched her into stardom, earning her numerous film roles between seasons and, more notably, after the sitcom ended. Indeed, over the years, Aniston’s career has blossomed, with her starring in light-hearted comedies like We’re the Millers to more serious dramas like Cake, a performance which many critics called Oscar-worthy. Aniston’s award-winning career has made her one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood history.

Since Friends, Aniston seemingly lost interest in television as she only made a handful of small appearances, not taking on any major roles — until recently, that is. In 2019, Aniston made her comeback to television on the AppleTV+ series The Morning Show, a drama revolving around a news anchor and her newfound rival (played by Reese Witherspoon). The series has been subject to critical acclaim, with special praise for the performances from Aniston and co-star Witherspoon, as well as the way the modern workplace functions. The Morning Show was perfect for Anniston’s return to TV, and here are several reasons why.

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Jennifer Aniston’s TV History

     NBC

After her debut in the comedy-horror film Leprechaun, Aniston broke into international fame playing the role of Rachel Green in the critically acclaimed NBC sitcom Friends. The series immediately launched Aniston into the spotlight, earning her a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Her regular appearance on the long-running sitcom made her one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, as well as breaking the Guinness World Record, alongside her women co-stars, as the highest-paid TV actress of all time, being paid a whopping $1 million per episode in the later seasons. Thanks to her performance on Friends, Aniston was able to score a number of roles in films like Office Space. Once Friends came to a close, Aniston’s continued success in film led her to take a step away from television and instead focus on her performances on the big screen.

A Return to Television

     Hello Sunshine

Since Friends came to a close in 2004, Aniston’s focus on film was an executive decision. While she has made a few appearances on TV, regular roles have been non-existent up until her comeback as Alex Levy in The Morning Show in 2019. After more than a decade away from television, some would expect her to fall flat in some way, but the opposite is true. Her performance alongside Witherspoon in The Morning Show has earned her a number of accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. The show has a total of two seasons so far and was renewed for a third season in January 2022.

Why The Morning Show Made For a Great Comeback

The Morning Show made an ideal comeback for Aniston mainly because of the content and the character she plays. The show revolves around Alex Levy, anchor of The Morning Show, a popular breakfast news program, who is forced to deal with the departure of her co-anchor of 15 years as well as a new rivalry with field reporter Bradley Jackson, who brings a whole new world of journalism into Alex’s view. The show tackles the concept of keeping a job and competing against younger competitors who have their youth and their fresh outlook on life on their side. It’s a far cry from her light-hearted and hilarious role in Friends, and, as we’ve seen throughout its two seasons so far, affords Aniston a deeply complex character to really prove what she can do as an actress.