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Jennifer Aniston turned down 'SNL' for 'Friends'

In a few days, the actress hits the big screen alongside “Saturday Night Live” veteran Adam Sandler. However, the two were almost cast mates on the late night sketch comedy years ago.
/ Source: Access Hollywood

In a few days, Jennifer Aniston hits the big screen again, this time alongside “Saturday Night Live” veteran Adam Sandler in “Just Go With It.” However, the two were almost cast mates on the late night sketch comedy years ago.

On Wednesday’s “Oprah Winfrey Show,” Adam and Jennifer revealed she was, in fact, once courted for the legendary comedy.

“We wanted Aniston to be on the show with us. And she, I remember being on the ninth floor where [executive producer] Lorne Michael’s office was and seeing Jen come in,” Adam Sandler recounted. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, there’s Aniston. Is she about to be on our show?’

“Her going in, having a talk, leaving. I was like, ‘Wow! I’m gonna be working with Aniston?’ ”

Sandler said he quickly found out Aniston turned the gig down in favor of another project in the works.

”[I remember thinking], ‘She said no?’ She’s gonna do that ‘Friends’? What the hell is ‘Friends’? That was the truth,” Sandler laughed.

Aniston said she got plenty of flack for turning down the long-running NBC series in favor of a sitcom upstart.

“They were like, ‘You’re so stupid,’ ” Aniston noted.

Attempting to clarify things, Oprah asked, “Did Lorne Michaels offer that to you?”

“Yeah, you know, I had this show ‘Friends’ coming up and I thought, ‘Yeah, "Saturday Night Live"?” Aniston said, holding her hands like a double-tiered scale. “But they thought I was making a huge mistake.”

“Worked out for ya,” Oprah chimed in.

“Did all right,” Aniston laughed.

“Just Go With It” hits theaters on Feb. 11.