Jennifer Aniston has built her post-"Friends" career as a fixture of romantic comedies, but, with the failure of her latest, The Switch, critics have been asking whether her winsome, girl-next-door persona has grown permanently stale. As if on cue, Hollywood Life reports that the former "Friends" star will appear topless — for the first time, at age 41 — in Wanderlust, an edgy, upcoming Judd Apatow-produced comedy about a New York City couple who move to a hippie commune. Will showing some skin perk up Aniston's career? (Watch Aniston's recent on-air gaffe)
Absolutely, this could be just what Aniston needs: Jennifer Aniston "isn't getting any younger," says Neha Jaju at Entertainment Showbiz. From a cynical career perspective, it's smart to flash what she's got and switch things up before she runs out of "steam." Besides, audiences just don't go for "mushy love stories" the way they used to. If Aniston wants to continue acting as she ages, she needs to evolve.
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This is a desperate, futile move: Getting naked won't solve Aniston's No. 1 problem — she's fundamentally "boring," says entertainment blog The Blemish. If she thinks going topless and, according to the leaked script, smoking pot in one film will save her career — "what a rebel!" — she's really "getting desperate."
"Jennifer Aniston is doing full frontal nudity"
Nudity won't help — but working with Apatow might: "Threesomes? Lesbianism? Nipples?! This has career boost written all over it," says Amelia McDonell-Parry at The Frisky. But if this film does help, it won't be solely on account of her breasts. The role's inherent edginess will help, not to mention her "kick-ass co-star," Paul Rudd. But most importantly, Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin) can turn anything he touches into comedy gold, so this could be "just the vehicle Aniston needs to justify her big-screen salary."
"Jennifer Aniston will go topless, smoke pot and have a threesome in upcoming Apatow comedy"
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