Today, Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston turns 55! Τhe Greek Herald presents three special moments to celebrate the Greek roots of the actress who has spoken openly about the appreciation she has for her heritage.
A Greek Orthodox priest on Friends
In the season seven finale of “Friends,” titled “The One with Chandler and Monica’s Wedding,” Jennifer Aniston’s character, Rachel, scrambles to find an officiant for the wedding. Amidst the chaos, she encounters a familiar sight for Greek viewers — a Greek Orthodox priest officiating a wedding between Anastassakis and Papasifakis, a nod to Aniston’s Greek heritage.
“Kala esy?”
When a Greek reporter Giorgos Satsidis covered the Critics Choice Awards 2024 a few days ago, he asked Jennifer Aniston, “Ti kaneis?” which means “How are you?” and she answered immediately “Kala, esy”, “I am fine, and you?”, showing that she can speak Greek and she is ready to prove it at any moment.
When Jennifer Aniston used social media to pay tribute to her father
“Sweet papa… John Anthony Aniston. You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain,” she had written on social media after her father passed away.
John was born Yannis Anastassakis in Crete, Greece, and emigrated with his family to Pennsylvania when he was a child. He was a theatre major at Pennsylvania State University and before starting his professional acting career in the 1960s, John served in the US Navy.
With early break-out roles on the small screen in ‘Combat!’, ‘I Spy’ and ‘The Virginian,’ his acting credits went on to include ‘Search for Tomorrow,’ as well as ‘The Gilmore Girls’. John was most known for his long-running role on ‘Days of Our Lives’ where he played family patriarch Victor Kiriakis, the former drug lord who goes on to found the powerful Titan Industries.
