Rob Schneider took the high road after Jennifer Aniston launched a pathetic attack on his politics. The “Friends” star went after the comedian during a recent interview, calling his views “embarrassing” and suggesting that Hollywood had moved on from people like him. The comments made the rounds online, and plenty of people expected Schneider to fire back hard.
He didn’t. At least, not the way anyone expected.
“I’ve met Jen. She’s cool,” Schneider said during a stand-up set this week. “A shame she’s not working, but she shouldn’t take it out on me.” The crowd loved it.
Aniston was once one of the biggest stars in the world. “Friends” made her a household name, and she followed it up with a long run of romantic comedies. But people around the industry say the phone hasn’t been ringing much lately. Since the woke era in Hollywood started to collapse, projects built around the old A-list have dried up, and Aniston has been without a job.
Schneider, meanwhile, has been on a roll. The comedian has packed theaters across the country and recently lined up a residency in Las Vegas that runs all the way until 2040.
“Sixteen years,” one of his longtime friends said. “Nobody gets that. But people want to laugh again, and Rob makes them laugh.” Schneider has spent years as one of the few openly conservative voices in comedy. He’s been mocked by critics and largely shut out of big studio projects, but his fan base has only grown. He says he never set out to be political.
“I’m just a comedian who loves his country,” Rob said.
His fans see the Aniston dust-up as a perfect picture of how things have changed. For years, stars like Aniston had the platform and the power, while comedians like Schneider were treated as outsiders. Now, they say, the roles have flipped.
“Hollywood spent years telling us who to listen to,” one fan posted online. “Turns out we just wanted someone who was funny.”
Aniston’s supporters were quick to push back. They pointed out that she has produced and starred in a hit streaming drama in recent years and argued that one quiet stretch doesn’t mean her career is over. Some called Schneider’s response smug.
Still, even some of Aniston’s fans admitted the joke was a good one. People close to Schneider say he doesn’t hold a grudge. He has said in the past that he worked with plenty of stars from the “Friends” era and got along with most of them. He even offered her a spot on his Vegas stage, at least as a joke.
“If she ever wants to open for me, the door’s open,” he said. “I’ll even let her pick the night.” Aniston has not responded. For now, the Hollywood power structure has been turned upside down.