Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars, Jennifer Aniston was advised not to chase an acting career by her own father.

During her recent appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, the Friends alum revealed that her late father, veteran actor John Aniston, tried to steer her away from the industry. “My dad was telling me, ‘Please don’t do this. You’re just going to suffer rejection,'” Jennifer recalled.

John Aniston, best known for his nearly four-decade run as Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives, had himself switched careers early in life after studying medicine in Greece. Jennifer humorously added, “He’d tell me, ‘You’re going to end up in Greece anyway. Go get a real job.’ All the cliché things.”

The actor reflected on her father’s dedication to his craft, noting that he was active on the soap opera right until his passing in 2022. “He was on that show forever. The last episode he shot aired like a week after he died. He literally worked right up until that was it, a wrap on John,” she said fondly.

Aside from reminiscing about her father, Jennifer also shared what excites her professionally today. The 56-year-old star revealed she’s open to revisiting her fan-favourite role as Dr Julia Harris from the Horrible Bosses films. “Jason Bateman and I were talking about it, and Charlie Day has been talking about it a lot too,” she told People. “The characters are hilarious, and we need comedy. I personally think comedy is a necessity.”

Aniston further admitted that another dream of hers lies on stage rather than on the screen. “That’s on my bucket list,” she said of performing on Broadway. “It’s just about finding the time and the right material. But I absolutely have to do a play on Broadway.”