3 minute readrundown
Jennifer Aniston, winner of ELLE Women in Hollywood, spoke about changes in the film and television industry in her speech. While addressing the audience, she made remarks about AI in Hollywood. Adam Sandler, Aniston’s frequent co-star, introduced her.
ELLE Women in Hollywood honoree Jennifer Aniston has been in the industry for decades, and in her speech at ELLE’s Los Angeles event on Monday night, she spoke about the realities of fighting to make the film and television business a more welcoming place for women. The actress, who has previously won the Woman in Hollywood honor, told the crowd, “Somehow I deserve to win this award again. I won this in 2011, I think. A lot has happened since then.”
“I think it’s really important to acknowledge that things are evolving. When I first said I wanted to produce in like 2004, the room got really, really quiet… But I want to help the story, I want to shape the story, I want to create the story and not just star in it. My desire to donate my blood, sweat, and tears for the cause never went away, and slowly, really gradually, and thanks to women like you sitting in this room who won’t take no for an answer, our industry began. To change my perspective, I ended up producing my first film, and I loved it and knew I was really good at it. ”
She then added, referring to the proliferation of artificial intelligence in and out of Hollywood. “That’s what makes me stand out. It’s the camaraderie… and the shared belief that storytelling still matters and baring your soul as an actor and creator still matters. That’s something that AI will never be able to imitate, no matter how ‘smarter’ they become.” ”
Aniston ended her speech with this: “I’m not exactly the same person I was 14 years ago, thank God. But what I believed in 2011 is still true today, and that is that women in this industry must continue to support each other, lift each other up, and light the way. I have to leave the back door open so I don’t have to kick the door down…Dedicated to all the smart and beautiful women in this room who are sure to give me endless inspiration. Maybe we’ll see you here again in 2039. ”
The actress was introduced by friend and frequent co-star Adam Sandler, who praised her strength and warmth. “Jen is the best in so many ways, one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met,” he said, joking, “I’ve only seen her angry maybe two and a half times in the 40 years I’ve been with her.”
Watch Aniston’s full speech above.
In an interview with Women in Hollywood, Aniston spoke about her current career priorities. “My main mission now is to do projects that really inspire and excite me,” she admitted. “The goal is quality, not quantity, and spending time with people I really care about and want to work with. And luckily, my friends are extremely talented.”
She reflects on which of her characters is most like her, saying, “I think it’s probably Rachel[from Friends]but my family didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so Rachel was like that. I want to be like Levy, the character she played in “The Big Show.”
She also gave a very candid opinion about the ups and downs of being a woman in the industry: “The best thing about being a woman in Hollywood is that I’m a woman working in Hollywood and I get to continue doing what I love. I’ve worked hard and I love what I do. And it’s also great to be able to create projects that make a difference and bring women’s voices to the table. It’s really amazing what we can do now that we’re allowed to be at the table. There was a time when we weren’t allowed to be at the table, and it seemed like a great thing to be able to be a producer or run a production company. We still have a long way to go in this industry, but women are really taking action.”
Learn more about Jennifer Aniston
