Jennifer Aniston

People know little more of Jennifer Aniston than what the tabloids print or what they see nightly on repeats of “Friends.” For instance, did you know that she was also a moviemaker? As in, more than an actress that stands in front of the camera?

Last year Aniston and Glamour magazine released the short movie Room 10. As part of the “Reel Moments” series developed by the women’s magazine, the former television actress took her place behind the camera, and with friend Andrea Buchanan put together the story of a nurse (Robin Wright Penn) who reexamines her life after caring for a dying patient. It’s “about who shows up at the end of your life,” Aniston told The New York Times in July 2006. Yes, it has been complete for nearly one year. And released to film festivals around the country, including CineVegas where it won the jury prize for Best Short Film. The actress even visited Oprah last fall to promote the Glamour program and her part in it. For all those who have yet to catch Aniston’s directorial debut, Room 10 will screen at the opening night of the 11th annual LA Shorts Fest on September 5, 2007.

Born in California to “Days of Our Lives” actor John Aniston and sometime actress Nancy Dow, Aniston had the pedigree of Hollywood royalty from the start. Still, it took a while to develop her talents and land meaty roles in movies such as She’s the One, her first feature as an actress, written and directed by indie stalwart Edward Burns. During her 10 years as Rachel Green on the NBC sitcom “Friends,” Aniston spent her time off acting in movies such as Picture Perfect (1997) and Office Space (1999). But it wasn’t until 2002 that producers saw the actress as more than just a ditzy waitress and cast her in The Good Girl, for which she received a Best Female Lead nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards. Still, despite working with directing talent as varied as Ben Stiller, Rob Reiner and Nicole Holofcener, Aniston probably wouldn’t have been first on anyone’s list to direct their movie. But then again, no one really knows as much about Aniston as they would like to believe.