Jennifer Aniston And Quinta Brunson Have Been Paired Up For Variety’s “Actors On Actors,” And Here’s Why Their Conversation Could Get A Little Awkward

Quinta is one of the most successful people in Hollywood to have gotten their start on social media — a trend that Jennifer previously said is “diluting the actor’s job.”

By
Ellen Durney
by Ellen Durney

BuzzFeed Staff

Yesterday, Variety announced the highly anticipated lineup for this year’s “Actors on Actors” conversation series. And as usual, several of the pairings have sparked some reactions online.

Natalie Portman and Paul Mescal smiling at a Variety event; Natalie in a sophisticated outfit and Aaron in a casual blazer
Variety / YouTube / Via youtu.be

Away from the controversy surrounding Chloë Sevigny’s pairing with Kim Kardashian, fans have also raised eyebrows over Jennifer Aniston and Quinta Brunson’s matchup.

Jennifer Aniston poses on the red carpet, wearing a shimmering, sleeveless gown, with a Netflix backdrop at an event
Monica Schipper / FilmMagic,

First off, it’s fair to say that the actors do share some things in common. With Friends and Abbott Elementary between them, Jen and Quinta both have experience starring in beloved sitcoms — and, in Quinta’s case, writing them, too.

Quinta Brunson in a strapless white gown, smiling at a formal event
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

Jennifer and Quinta have both previously won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Friends and Abbott Elementary, respectively. In 2022, Quinta also took home the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the Abbott Elementary pilot episode.

But, even though they’re both sitcom powerhouses, their come-ups in the industry couldn’t be more different. While Jennifer shot to fame for her role in Friends, Quinta rose to prominence on social media after starting her career as an internet meme.

Quinta Brunson holds an Emmy award, wearing a stylish dress, while posing for a photo at the Emmys
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

For some context, Quinta has been hustling in the world of sketch comedy for quite some time now. She first garnered attention from her viral Instagram sketches in 2014, and that same year, she scored a residency with BuzzFeed, where she pioneered the company’s then-new video branch.


Quinta wrote, produced, and starred in many sketches for BuzzFeed Video, quickly building a major fan following. After leaving BuzzFeed in 2018, she worked on several different shows before hitting the big time with Abbott Elementary, which was picked up by ABC in 2021 and has since earned four Emmys.

To make matters a little awkward, Jennifer has been vocal about her disdain for the changing nature of fame and success. Appearing in the 2022 “Actors on Actors” series alongside Sebastian Stan, Jen expressed that people in Hollywood who got famous from social media are “diluting” actors’ work.

Jennifer Aniston, in a strapless dress, speaks at a microphone on stage during an event
Rich Polk / NBC via Getty Images

“I always say I feel lucky that we got a little taste of the industry before it became what it is today, which is just different — more streaming services, more people,” she said during a conversation about “people becoming famous for basically doing nothing.” “You’re famous from TikTok. You’re famous from YouTube. You’re famous from Instagram. It’s sort of almost like it’s diluting the actor’s job.”

Jennifer Aniston in a black outfit sits on an armchair speaking during a Variety interview, with "Variety" branding in the top right corner
Variety / YouTube / Via youtu.be

Soon after this, Jennifer doubled down during an interview with Allure, agreeing that the “mass-fame phenomenon” spanning from “a generation of TikTok dipshits” is destroying the power of stars in Hollywood.

Jennifer Aniston on the red carpet wearing a stylish strapless dress
Lionel Hahn / Getty Images

“I feel like it’s dying. There are no more movie stars,” she said. “There’s no more glamour.”

So, being that Quinta is one of the most famous and successful stars to get their start on social media, fans couldn’t help but find it intriguing that she’d been paired with Jennifer.

Quinta Brunson at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, wearing a strapless black gown with diamond and emerald jewelry, smiles for the camera against a branded backdrop
Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images

“This is a choice lol,” one user wrote on X in response to the pairing, garnering over 13,000 likes.


“wasn't aniston shady a few months back about how the internet era was ‘changing’ who becomes famous,” someone else replied, echoed by another user who suggested Quinta should “remind jennifer of that interview and put her in her place.”


“Very much ‘we need to gatekeep’ Hollywood energy,” someone else wrote, describing Jennifer’s stance on internet fame. “I need this to come up bc Quinta has used social media perfectly to bust down doors for herself.”

Well, we’ll stay tuned for that conversation. Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series premieres with a new video every day for 12 consecutive days, from June 3 through June 14. You can find the rest of the pairings here.

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