On February 11, 2021, Jennifer Aniston turned 52 years old. The A-list celebrity, actress and producer may have been born in the US, but Jennifer Aniston actually has deep Greek roots she frequently talks about in interviews.
Jennifer Aniston’s Greek Heritage
Most people wouldn’t guess that Aniston is Greek based on her name. However, the actress was actually named Joanna Anastasakis when she was born, and changed her name later in life.
Aniston was born to Nancy Dow and John Aniston, whose real name was Yannis Anastasakis. He was born in Chania, Crete, Greece, and was most famous for playing a Greek character, Victor Kiriakis, on the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives”.
When Jennifer was a young girl, she got to experience Greece up close. Aniston lived in Athens and then Crete for a short while with her family when she was five years old. She is even connected to other famous Greeks, such as Telly Savalas, most famous for playing “Kojak”, who is her godfather.
Though Aniston turned 52 years old today, she barely looks a day older than when she played arguably her most famous character, Rachel on “Friends”.
Aniston has gone on record saying that her Greek heritage is part of the secret behind her ageless beauty. “My dad is 100 percent Greek; he turned 81 and he barely has a wrinkle. And neither does my grandmother, who was 95 when she died”.
Aniston in Hollywood Today
Right now, Aniston is continuing to take on acclaimed roles, currently filming season 2 of Apple TV’s “The Morning Show”. In 2020, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Dramatic Television Series for her role on the show.
Aniston always makes sure she puts her influence and fame towards a good cause. In the past year, she has used her enormous online platform to urge people to follow pandemic safety measures. Aniston raised and donated millions of dollars to charity, to help those affected by COVID and systematic racism in the last year.
For more background on Aniston’s Greek roots, watch Greek Reporter’s exclusive interview with John Aniston, on his life, his daughter, and Greek heritage below:
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