Born in Sherman Oaks, California, in 1969, Jennifer Aniston spent a year of her childhood living in Greece with her family until they relocated to New York City. Her parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow, divorced when she was 9 and Jennifer was raised by her mother who struggled to support her. Jennifer had her first taste of acting at age 11 when she joined the 'Rudolf Steiner' School's drama club. It was also at the 'Rudolf Steiner' School that she developed her passion for art. She began her professional training as a drama student at New York's High School of the Performing Arts. In 1987, after graduation, she appeared in such Off-Broadway productions as For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave. In 1989, she landed her first television role, as a series regular on Molloy (1990). She also appeared in The Edge (1992), Ferris Bueller (1990), and had a recurring part on Herman's Head (1991). By 1993, she was floundering. Then, in 1994, a pilot called Friends Like These came along. Originally asked to audition for the role of Monica, Aniston refused and auditioned for the role of Rachel Green, the suburban princess turned coffee peddler. With the success of the series Friends (1994), Jennifer has become famous and sought-after as she turns her fame into movie roles during the series hiatus.