Jennifer Aniston tried to tell us about 'SNL' and its toxic culture as new revelations unearth slew of scandals
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: NBC's Emmy-winning late-night comedy program 'Saturday Night Live', created by Lorne Michaels, is the subject of a devastating new book that alleges to reveal the poisonous climate there. In a scathing behind-the-scenes look, journalist and reporter Maureen Ryan's book 'Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, And A Call For Change In Hollywood' reveals fresh issues regarding the program, its culture, and its leadership.
In the workplace at 'SNL', Ryan claims that "abuse and toxicity are not just permitted but often celebrated" throughout ten years, as reported by DailyMail. However, a few megastar actresses refuse to be on 'SNL'. Jennifer Aniston, before landing her breakthrough role as Rachel Green on 'Friends', had a significant chance that most celebrities would have pounced at, but she declined it. Aniston turned down a part on the renowned sketch comedy program 'Saturday Night Live' in the early 1990s for a very particular and important reason, she subsequently disclosed.
Aniston spoke about a casting opportunity she received from 'SNL' co-creator and producer Lorne Michaels in a 2019 appearance on 'The Howard Stern Show'. Aniston was a little taken aback when Michaels invited her to be on the program because of how hilarious he felt she was. "Well, you were dismissed for saying, "Wait a second, I'm a f***ing serious actress. I'm not a comedian'… It was insulting to you," host Howard Stern said. "Yeah, a little bit," Aniston said.
'I didn't think I'd like that environment'
Aniston didn't join the cast of 'SNL' mostly due to the workplace, despite the fact that sketch comedy wasn't her area of expertise at the time. Aniston stated, "I didn't think I'd like that environment," and she told Michaels about her worries. Aniston recalls telling Michaels, "I think that women need to be treated better here...because it was such a guys club. She also mentioned how her brazenness was inspired by her youth, though. "You're just not the brightest when you're in your early 20s," she said to Stern. Aniston's co-star Lisa Kudrow from 'Friends' even left SLN, as reported by Bestofonline.
'I didn't know how to go too far outside of myself'
Kudrow said in an interview, "The thing about my characters that I did at 'The Groundlings' is they weren't the big crowdpleasers, They really weren't. … I didn't know how to go too far outside of myself. Her examples include a biology teacher and an actor appearing on a talk show," as per reports.