Jennifer Aniston’s commitment to healthy living started at an early age.
“I was never allowed to have a sugary piece of anything, and I was also served spelt bread,” the actress, 56, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about growing up with her mother, Nancy Dow, and father, John Aniston, in the 1970s.
“I grew up in one of those holistic households… so I’ve sort of lived by that,” says Aniston, who is launching a new campaign with Smartwater.
According to the Morning Show actress, her mother, who died at the age of 79 in May 2016, was particularly concerned with ensuring that she always lived a healthy lifestyle. “My mom sort of drilled into me the importance of drinking water since I was a kid, but I guess really more in my late teens,” according to her.
And her mother’s wisdom did not end there, according to the Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award winner. “She was also the one who taught me to put on face cream and eye cream,” she says.
Aniston was born in L.A. in February 1969. She relocated to New York City with her parents when she was young, and the couple, who both worked in the entertainment industry, divorced when the Friends star was nine. Aniston’s father died at the age of 89 in November 2022.
Her parents’ attention to health continues to influence her habits and decisions. Today, the singer works hard to maintain her physical and emotional well-being.
Aniston thinks the value of drinking water extends to many parts of her life, including her friendships. “I’ve become so hyperaware of people who don’t drink water now because I’ve always been such a water drinker,” she tells me.
“I know pals who refuse to drink water because they dislike the taste of it. It’s like, ‘It’s water.’ It’s only water,” and I keep telling them, “You have to hydrate.” “You must hydrate.” Aniston continues.
Aniston’s love of water is what makes her collaboration with Smartwater so perfect and long-lasting. (She began working with the beverage brand in 2007.)
“We just can’t quit each other,” she tells PEOPLE, laughing. “I’ve loved it since then, and I love it now.”
“It’s delicious, it’s crisp, it tastes perfect, and I love the bottle, the brand, and the people.” The actress keeps going.
Through her collaboration, Aniston appears in a series of new TV commercials that humorously depict behind-the-scenes happenings on film and television sets, as well as illustrate how sometimes the simplest method is the best one.
“We were trying to come up with a way that felt really fun, innovative, and just a little different,” the star adds to the promotional materials.