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| jen & vince : hollywood’s new sweethearts Co-stars of new US hit film The Break-Up , Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn talk life, love and shopping… jennifer on vince ‘When I first got the call, I thought it was a joke,” says Jennifer Aniston when asked if it was hard to make The Break-Up in the light of her own very famous break-up. We’re in Los Angeles to talk about her latest film, in which she plays one half of a couple going through a painful split. When she was approached by the film’s producers, she and Brad Pitt had been separated for three months. Rubbing even more salt into her wounds were photographs of her husband on an African beach with Angelina Jolie, confirming rumours of a heated affair. But in an amazing display of resilience, Jennifer said ‘yes’ to the film. ‘I thought, “There has to be a reason this is happening to me.” I felt I should dive in and see what it was about.’ Not only did it turn out to be ‘very cathartic and healing’, it also led her to the man who seems to be helping heal those wounds. Ironically, Jennifer first met frat-pack actor Vince Vaughn when he was working with Brad on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith (yes, that film), though it wasn’t until they worked on The Break-Up that sparks flew. ‘We had that quick rapport,’ says Jennifer, smiling. ‘For me it was just…you get those moments pretty quickly with someone, “Oh, this is going to be easy.’” Isn’t it hard getting close to someone after a break-up? ‘No,’ says Jennifer. ‘What’s hard post break-up is trying to remember how to be alone. It’s not good to jump into being with another person right away.’ Indeed, despite photos, headlines-‘Vince proposes-Jen says no!’; ‘Jen’s baby plans!’-and the rumours, the alleged romance remains unconfirmed. Even news they’ve put in an offer on a house in Chicago, where Vince grew up and his parents still live, isn’t enough to get the pair to admit they’re more than friends. ‘He is a true professional,’ says Jennifer, enthusing about Vince’s on-set skills. He plays Gary, boyfriend to her character Brooke and a Polish prole who gives rambunctious bus tours of Chicago and doesn’t do much at home except play video games, to her Waspy, tasteful girl next door with a classy job at an art gallery. ‘I had a ball. It was truly refreshing working with somebody who’s good at their job. He’s the cream of the crop.’ Whatever the two say-or don’t-about their relationship, it’s real enough to have boosted box-office sales of The Break-Up from a projected $20 million on its opening weekend in the US to $40 million, revealing just how anxious we are to see the private pair in the same room, lounging on the sofa, lying in bed, appearing naked. The film’s credit montage, depicting Gary and Brooke’s two-year union in ludicrously feel-good photos, is rendered all the more poignant by imagining that it could be real. But as well as the gossip potential of its Vaughniston/Brangelina tie-ins, The Break-Up strikes a chord with its universal theme-romantic implosion. Some of the arguments between Gary and Brooke are highly energised, and there are plenty of jolts of recognition as we watch the couple argue about doing the dishes. ‘What is it about guys?’ Jennifer laughs. ‘I’ve argued about the dish thing a lot, and picking up clothes. And they don’t ever turn off the lights or blow out candles. They’re silly things, but they build up.’ So men and women speak a different language? ‘Yes they do! If someone speaks a different language and you have an interest in understanding it, then you learn it. You take time to understand and realise men and women are different. If you accept that, you can walk through [a relationship] a lot easier. If you’re frustrated with the differences it can be difficult, but of you accept them as something that’s beautiful…I don’t like the word “compromise” but that’s what makes a relationship interesting, truthfully.” Truth is something that Jennifer strives for off-screen as well as on. She advocates therapy to ‘understand how we work as human beings’ and her big Greek family help her stay ‘on the real’. ‘There’s a real warmth to my family. It’s such a community,’ she says. ‘Friends I’ve had since I was 14 are still in my life. They keep me grounded.’ Even though you’re a huge movie star and perceived as America’s ‘perfect woman’? ‘Well, I have a pretty different view of myself!’ she protests. ‘We’re all walking through this world pretty equally. I have a more public life, that’s all. But it’s still very normal, pretty boring…’ Her views on her appearance seem pretty normal, too. Jennifer uses the same Neutrogena soap on her face she’s been using since her teens and she’s a fan of the ‘simple stuff’-L’Oréal-for her hair. ‘Fancy stuff seems to…not work.’ There’s nothing fancy about her diet and exercise. ‘Eating healthy and often works for me, and I’ve always done exercise. I’ve recently discovered yoga-I like what it does for my body-and I do the elliptical machine several times a week as well.’ And her guilty pleasures? ‘Bread and cheese!’ When it came to shooting the film’s nude scene, she felt the same way most of us probably would. ‘I’m comfortable but not in front of everyone! It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t fun. I don’t even walk around my own house that long naked! (It took a day to film the scene.) ‘It’s nerve-wracking,’ she continues, ‘and you have to pretend you’re at ease. My sweet hair and make-up and wardrobe assistants wanted to make me feel better and I remember coming into the room after a take and they’d all taken their shirts off!’ Jennifer seems to be on an even keel now. She’s received acclaim for her role in Friends With Money and The Break-Up is set to go stellar. She’s even revealed how important it was to learn from her marriage break-up, which ended in divorce last October, talking about the importance of moving on. ‘I’ve thought about moving a lot,’ says Jennifer. ‘This industry is so concentrated here [in LA], it’s hard to feel normal. That’s what I love about, say, New York. You’re around all walks of life and you don’t feel like you’re a piece of Chum.’ Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised if she’s set to move to a new city with a new man any time soon… |