Since her departure from Friends, Jennifer Aniston has taken on several different roles, particularly in the world of film. Back in 2014, fans got to see a different glimpse of the actress, playing a main role in the film, Cake. Jennifer Aniston received lots of praise for the role of Claire Simmons in the Netflix film. However, behind the scenes, there was a lot that went into the performance.
In the following, we'll take a deeper dive into Aniston's work on the film, and why the project was unlike anything she had ever done before. A scene in particular caused lots of problems for Aniston as she was faced with a traumatic scene. Aniston was able to get through the shoot, but it took several takes.
Jennifer Aniston Revealed Her Role In Cake Was Unlike Anything She Had Ever Done
Jennifer Aniston went into a deeper place for her role in Cake back in 2014. Playing the role of Claire Simmons, Aniston revealed that in order to thrive in the Netflix film, she really had to let go of herself, and get uncomfortable. She discussed the process with Toronto Life, admitting it was a role unlike any other that she has ever done.
“This is the farthest thing from anything I’ve ever done,” the actress said. “I knew this would be an extraordinary challenge for me. I was so excited, and so ready, to just dive in and take it on.”
In terms of her character work for the film, Aniston sought after the advice of her two girlfriends, and the daily stresses they underwent because of injuries.
“I have two girlfriends who suffer from chronic pain. One is a dear friend and stuntwoman who suffered a very severe accident and became addicted to pain meds. I asked about their physicality, and I talked to psychopharmacologists…I wore a brace, because I tend to slouch. If you walk like that for five weeks, you do end up in pain.”
Aniston put herself in difficult situations for the film, and one of the toughest of her career had to do with her fear of going underwater.
Jennifer Aniston's Fear Of Going Underwater Was Put To The Rest During Cake
During the film, Aniston goes underwater as a way to cope with her character's chronic pain during her physical therapy. However, Aniston has a genuine fear of going underwater. This fear stems from her earlier days.
“I basically have a real fear of going underwater. As a kid, I drove my tricycle into the pool and [now] I can’t go underwater,” she said.
Ultimately, Aniston was able to put those fears aside, but it took several takes to finally get right.
“To get the one shot of me going under with the weights, I think we did that 30 times,” said the star, adding, “It was the hardest day of my life.”
Credit to Aniston as perhaps a double could have been used for the scene, but she was insistent on doing it herself and overcoming those fears. The project was truly something she had never experienced before.
“It wasn’t a romantic comedy, it wasn’t,” she said of the challenging role. “It was honestly the first time for me to be able to do a true study of a character. Even though in my movies I’ve played women in different situations, this was a real physical challenge and an emotional challenge ... I’ve been dying to do for years.”
A definite change from what fans were used to from Aniston, and it turned out to be one of her best performances ever.
Jennifer Aniston Got An Injury Scare During The Final Scene In Murder Mystery 2
Speaking of injuries, Jennifer Aniston sustained one most recently during the filming of Murder Mystery 2. The unfortunate part is the back injury took place during the final day of shooting.
Aniston tells Variety, “I had a back injury about three years ago and it got really pissed off when I was in the harness,” Aniston said. “It was literally the last thing I shot. It was one of those things where you wake up the next day or two days later and you’re like, ‘Wow, that got bad.’”
Sandler tells the publication otherwise, praising Aniston for her strong shape, while the actor himself revealed he wasn't physically read for such a demanding film.
“Everything’s scary at 56 years old,” Sandler said. “You never know what the hell you’re gonna get up from. I’m sluggy, man. My body hurts. Jennifer is in good shape. I didn’t think I needed to get in shape before the movie but then when we were shooting, I was like, ‘Man, I should have gotten in shape.’”
Nonetheless, both stars were able to get through the shoot, despite the bumps and bruises.
