Jennifer Aniston has hit it off in a big way with Jeremy Irons after signing him up for The Morning Show as her on-screen dad, according to a source, who exclusively tells In Touch the veteran actor is assuming a similar role off screen, too.
“Jen has fantasized about working with an actor like Jeremy since before she was famous, and him coming aboard this season was a dream come true,” the source reveals.
Jen, 55, has been knocking it out of the park as producer and star of The Morning Show alongside Reese Witherspoon. The veteran actress has racked up an impressive 16 Emmy nominations for her passion project.
As a different source previously told Life & Style, “Jen is once again in the position of being a little blown away by her own brilliance when it comes to this show. Especially the incredible number of acting nominations Season 3 got – nine in total – because she is extremely involved in picking the actors who join the massive ensemble.”
One such big pick is acting legend Jeremy, 76, who has had a storied multi-decade career in Hollywood. As for Jen, the Friends star first found an unexpected career resurgence with Netflix’s Murder Mystery franchise, but lacked the finer control on those movies that she now wields over The Morning Show.
The first source continues: “Jeremy has worked with some of Jen’s friends before, like Demi Moore [in 2011’s Margin Call] and came highly recommended. He can also handle the crazy long hours they pull on this show, which instantly won Jen’s respect and admiration. But the real highlight of him coming aboard is what he’s doing on camera and the tone change he brings whenever he’s in a scene.”
“And behind the scenes, he’s becoming a father figure that this production never really had until now.”
As the cast comes together like family, Jen isn’t risking putting Jeremy off and is catering to his every whim on set. The Horrible Bosses actress also made a point to move past the “friction” with her costar Reese, 48, after she made it clear she would be the one calling the shots.
With the Apple TV+ drama ratcheting up expectations for fans and critics alike for the upcoming fourth season, a heavy hitter like Oscar-winner Jeremy on screen is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
“It’s not an insignificant part. He has a lot of material with Jen and they have a surprisingly fiery chemistry. Jeremy is treated well and paid well to be on this show, but he wants to be there and is having the time of his life.”
The newest season will also feature Marion Cotillard as part of the ensemble cast, in addition to series’ mainstays Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Greta Lee, Jon Hamm and Nicole Beharie.
“It’s yet another case where Jen rolled the dice and came up with a very interesting new flavor to add to this series, as well as a new member of Team Aniston she can rely on for years to come.”
