Jennifer Aniston Would've Pursued This Low-Key Career If She Wasn't An Actress

TV just wouldn't be the same without Jennifer Aniston. Who else could have played Rachel Green on "Friends" so brilliantly? And "The Morning Show" would be considerably less binge-worthy without her occupying the role of Alex Levy. As for Aniston's big-screen gigs, "Horrible Bosses," "Cake," "We're The Millers," and "Murder Mystery" are just the tip of her talented iceberg.

While she may have always been destined for showbiz, thanks in part to her soap-famous dad John Aniston, the beloved star has contemplated other professions outside of the entertainment industry, and decided on one low-key career in particular. When her home was featured in Architectural Digest in 2018, Aniston took the opportunity to declare her love of interior decorating. 

"If I wasn't an actress, I'd want to be a designer," she revealed. "There's something about picking out fabrics and finishes that feeds my soul." Over the years, and with a variety of fabulous properties, Aniston has stuck to her alterna-life career ambition, with the actor's picture-perfect homes showcasing that she not only has the designer itch, but the talent to make a go of it as well.

Having called half a dozen houses in the past two decades her humble home, Jennifer Aniston has had plenty of opportunities to showcase her decorating skills. As she shared with The Wall Street Journal, "I love putting homes together and creating spaces. I can walk into a house and see what it needs. And it's a fun process."

Aniston usually works with a professional interior designer to help turn her vision into reality but is very specific with both her opinions and her aesthetic. She leans toward neutral tones and natural elements like stone and wood. The "Friends" star also has one strict requirement in addition to her living space looking like a million bucks, telling AD: "Sexy is important, but comfort is essential."

In her current home, a stunning four-bedroom house in Montecito that Aniston purchased from Oprah Winfrey — whose own home looks way different than you may think — her kitchen consists of high-end appliances, dark countertops, and contrasting light-blonde wood cabinets. Her Instagram regularly features the large living space, where she mixes up morning drinks and carves pumpkins with family and friends.  

While she nabbed an Emmy nomination for her acting prowess on "The Morning Show," Jennifer Aniston also found a way to incorporate her passion for interior design into her Apple TV+ gig. As one of the executive producers of the hit show, she has a say in how things are set up, and Aniston took full advantage of that for Season 2. 

In particular, Aniston worked closely with the crew to make sure her character's New York and Maine homes were just right — everything from fabric choices to dangling pendant lights. "If Jennifer Aniston weren't an actor, she would be an interior designer," Nelson Coates, Season 2's production designer, told Domino, echoing the star's thoughts about her secondary career choice. 

Although his budget was smaller than Aniston's for her own abodes, Coates tried his best to meet her expectations. "Jen would pitch me ideas, and then I'd come back with alternatives that had a similar feel but a different price point," he explained. They collaborated well together; Season 2 of "The Morning Show" was nominated for its production design by the Art Directors Guild.