Molly Shannon recalls how Jennifer Aniston was ‘very laid back’ during ‘SNL’ hosting gig
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Molly Shannon has worked with countless celebrity hosts during her six seasons on 'Saturday Night Live', but one in particular stood out—Jennifer Aniston.
In honor of 'SNL's 50th anniversary, Shannon, 60, reminisced about her favorite guest hosts during a joint interview with Seth Meyers, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, and Leslie Jones.
Jennifer Aniston chose 'Friends' over 'SNL'
The 'Superstar' actress recalled being especially struck by Jennifer Aniston’s effortless charm and professionalism. She recalled Aniston was "very laid back" while hosting 'SNL'.
"I remember being like, ‘Ooh, that's so cool. Jennifer Aniston,’” Shannon shared.
"And she had a big wedding ring on and she was just [an] easygoing professional, [she] had been in television for a long time," she added.
Aniston, now 55, has hosted 'SNL' twice—first in 1999 and again in 2004.
However, before 'Friends' made her a sitcom icon, Aniston had turned down a role on 'SNL' in 1994.
Despite coming off four failed TV shows, she chose to play Rachel Green on 'Friends' over joining the already successful sketch comedy show.
As per Screen Rant, Adam Sandler, an 'SNL' cast member at the time, was eager for her to join, but she opted for the gamble that ultimately changed her career.
Fast forward, during her 'SNL' debut appearance, People reported she was engaged to Brad Pitt and wore a striking spiral diamond and platinum ring, designed by Silvia Damiani, which Pitt reportedly spent seven months helping to create.
In addition to praising Aniston, Shannon also recalled her time working with Cameron Diaz.
"During the rehearsal, she would just eat salads, lots of greens. And I was like, ‘I want to be like Cameron Diaz and just eat salad,’” she laughed.
“You know what I mean? Isn’t that funny?” she added.
Jennifer Aniston on turning down 'SNL'
Interestingly, Jennifer Aniston’s connection to 'SNL' extends beyond hosting. The 'Friends' star previously revealed she was once invited to audition for the show but declined, citing concerns about the environment.
"I didn’t think I would like that environment," she told Howard Stern in 2019.
“I remember turning up and [Adam] Sandler was there and [David] Spade was there, and I’d known them already, and they were like, ‘Look, Aniston’s here!’” she said on 'The Howard Stern Show'.
Aniston, who met Sandler and Spade in her early 20s, recalled voicing her concerns about 'SNL' being a "boys club" during a meeting with showrunner Lorne Michaels.
"I was like, ‘I think that women need to be treated better here,’ because it was such a boys club,” she admitted.
“You’re just not the brightest when you’re in your early 20s. I didn’t lecture him, I was just saying what I would hope if I was to do this, what I would hope it to be," Aniston further said.
Looking back, she laughed at her younger self, calling herself a "young twit".
