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09-30-2003, 03:28 PM
News item from NY POST..........
September 30, 2003 -- RABID fans of "Friends" may want the NBC sitcom to go on forever, but Jennifer Aniston didn't even want to come back for this final, ninth season.
The star, whose haircuts are mimicked by millions of women, put her foot down and told the series' producers that she would only return if they cut the number of episodes and put production on an "accelerated" shooting schedule.
"Jennifer told her husband Brad [Pitt] she would focus on starting a family last year," a Hollywood insider said. "Brad was really angry when she went back for another year. It's not like they - or anyone else on 'Friends' - needs the money.
"Jennifer compromised. The rest of the cast wanted one more year and she felt a lot of pressure. But she also wants to keep Brad happy. So Jennifer said she would do one more year, but insisted on only 18 shows and that filming would be done by January."
Sitcoms normally come in packages of 24 and are shot over the course of nine months. "Friends" is shooting two episodes a week to wrap up in five months.
In December, Aniston was the lone holdout from the ensemble cast, and her agent worked overtime to save the popular series from a premature demise. Aniston made it clear she wasn't returning for another season because of money.
"The feeling on the set right now is 'let's just get this over with,' " our source said.
"She's not totally disgruntled - I mean, she is getting $1 million an episode - but she's not happy.
"Everything is being done to appease Jennifer. The others could care less."
Aniston is also said to be looking forward to working on her thriving movie career. Other cast members, including Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Courtney Cox-Arquette, are also said to be exploring film offers. Matt LeBlanc is the only cast member already signed for his own spin-off series.
Aniston's spokesman, Stephen Huvane, said don't blame her for the "Friends" rush to the finish line.
"Everything they [the 'Friends' cast] do is by a majority," Huvane said. "It was to everybody's advantage to be done filming by January."
September 30, 2003 -- RABID fans of "Friends" may want the NBC sitcom to go on forever, but Jennifer Aniston didn't even want to come back for this final, ninth season.
The star, whose haircuts are mimicked by millions of women, put her foot down and told the series' producers that she would only return if they cut the number of episodes and put production on an "accelerated" shooting schedule.
"Jennifer told her husband Brad [Pitt] she would focus on starting a family last year," a Hollywood insider said. "Brad was really angry when she went back for another year. It's not like they - or anyone else on 'Friends' - needs the money.
"Jennifer compromised. The rest of the cast wanted one more year and she felt a lot of pressure. But she also wants to keep Brad happy. So Jennifer said she would do one more year, but insisted on only 18 shows and that filming would be done by January."
Sitcoms normally come in packages of 24 and are shot over the course of nine months. "Friends" is shooting two episodes a week to wrap up in five months.
In December, Aniston was the lone holdout from the ensemble cast, and her agent worked overtime to save the popular series from a premature demise. Aniston made it clear she wasn't returning for another season because of money.
"The feeling on the set right now is 'let's just get this over with,' " our source said.
"She's not totally disgruntled - I mean, she is getting $1 million an episode - but she's not happy.
"Everything is being done to appease Jennifer. The others could care less."
Aniston is also said to be looking forward to working on her thriving movie career. Other cast members, including Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Courtney Cox-Arquette, are also said to be exploring film offers. Matt LeBlanc is the only cast member already signed for his own spin-off series.
Aniston's spokesman, Stephen Huvane, said don't blame her for the "Friends" rush to the finish line.
"Everything they [the 'Friends' cast] do is by a majority," Huvane said. "It was to everybody's advantage to be done filming by January."