2020-01-01_InStyle_Australia

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to me today, as does women’s intelligence and how


capable and creative they are.”
Not surprisingly, the Morning Wars crew has many
cool ladies both in front of and behind the camera.

“There are a lot of women running this show,” Aniston
says of the team, “and it moves really smoothly.” They

include showrunner Kerry Ehrin and trailblazing
director Mimi Leder. Still, the shift to Apple TV+ was an
adjustment for Aniston. Friends, which debuted 25 years

ago in September, was a breeze in comparison. “To me, a
TV series used to mean a studio audience and five cameras.
I got in at 10 and was out by five,” she recalls. “[Morning

Wa r s] was like doing two films back-to-back over seven
months. After a full day of shooting, I’d go home and keep

working, looking at cuts, weighing in on casting for the next
week, preparing for the next day’s work. When the show

wrapped, I crawled into my bed for a solid week.”
Pushing herself out of her comfort zone wouldn’t
have been possible without the help of Aniston’s loyal

and supportive assistants, glam squad and fashion aides,
all of whom have been with her for 10 years or more. In

shaping her character’s look, she brought in her secret
weapons: twin-sister stylists Nina and Clare Hallworth.
“We went with beautifully tailored men’s fabrics in shades

of grey, blue and brown. It was a conscious decision not
to be in canary yellow or fuchsia or cobalt blue,” Aniston
says. Her inspiration for Alex? None other than Diane

Sawyer, the legendary TV journalist renowned for her
skills and style. Aniston sighs just thinking about the
icon. “I’ve known Diane for years, and I had the joy of

getting to pick her brain when I was doing research for
the show. Diane’s always been so elegant and classy.”

If that seems like a lot to unpack, that’s because it is.


By Aniston’s own admission, her role on Morning Wars


is her most complex to date. She plays Alex Levy, the


ambitious co-host of a television news program who


confronts the sexism, ageism and other “isms” foisted


onto her by a troubled male co-host (Steve Carell), her


network’s male executives, and, in some respects, herself.


“Alex’s sell-by date expired long ago, and she’s trying


to stay relevant,” says Aniston, whose research included


going behind the scenes at Good Morning America


at 5am to get a sense of the matrix.


Remarkably, the Aniston-Witherspoon pitch


meeting occurred before #MeToo revelations rocked


the entertainment industry. “The show was always


about the abuse of power, and women and sexism. We


sold it in the summer, and then Harvey [Weinstein]


happened in the fall,” Aniston says. The allegations


against CBS This Morning anchor Charlie Rose and


the Today show’s Matt Lauer came next. “[We] were


like...‘The show is writing itself.’ It was as if the


universe were begging for this patriarchal


society to be exposed. It’s crazy.”


Aniston hopes that the show, which


delves into the grey areas of #MeToo,


will also inspire deeper conversation


about the norms of the workplace. And


the dialogue should not just be limited to


men either. The reckoning affects all of


us. “There’s a new playbook that’s being


written in real time, and this show looks


at how we’re finally taking steps to


acknowledge and dismantle the old,


dysfunctional ways of doing business


so we can level the playing field.”


The role of Alex is made all the more


interesting given Aniston’s most recent milestone. This


past February she turned 50, an age that was once a career


killer for even the biggest female stars. (Can you imagine


banishing Aniston—or other 1969 babies including Gwen


Stefani, Cate Blanchett, Ellen Pompeo and Jennifer


Lopez—just because of a birthday?)


“Fifty was the first time I thought, ‘Well, that number,’”


Aniston says. “I don’t know what it is because I don’t feel


any different. Things aren’t shutting down in any way.


I feel physically incredible. So it’s weird that it’s all of


a sudden getting telegraphed in a way that’s like, ‘You


look amazing for your age.’ I think we need to establish


some etiquette around that dialogue and verbiage.”


Aniston admits that, if anything, she feels more


in control than ever. “Women were never allowed


to have power,” she says bluntly. “Power feels sexy


“POWER FEELS SEXY TO


ME TODAY, AS DOES


WOMEN’S INTELLIGENCE


AND HOW CAPABLE AND


CREATIVE THEY ARE”


JANUARY 2020 INSTYLE 71
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