Jennifer Aniston, the popular American actress, recently announced the tragic news of her father’s death on November 11, 2022. She posted a set of photos on her Instagram account and wrote, “Sweet Papa… John Anthony Aniston”. In a heartfelt post, she mentioned that her dad was one of the most beautiful humans she ever knew. Fans are pouring condolences and sending love and strength to Jennifer Aniston as her father passed away recently.
The actress is extremely popular all across the world thanks to her sitcom “Friends’ where she played the role of Rachel. It was quite a tragic time for Jennifer as her beloved dad passed away at the age of 89. The actress revealed this tragic news on Instagram as she posted a heartening collection of memories with her family, which left fans teary-eyed.
Just like his daughter, John was a popular star in Hollywood and also had quite a sparkling career on TV. Last year he was awarded the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Hollywood. Jennifer, who was present in the ceremony, stated that John’s a great and well-respected actor, who also happens to be her dad.
John Aniston’s Illustrious Career
John was born on July 24, 1933, in Greece. John and his family left Greece to settle in America in 1935. John’s last name was shortened from Anastassakis to Aniston. John and his family settled in Pennsylvania. His parents shortly opened a restaurant named Rialto. John and all his siblings would remain engaged in the restaurant work and help their parents.
John did his graduation from Penn State University with a degree in theatre arts. John even had a military background. He joined the Navy and soon served as a Naval Intelligence officer. Later he climbed to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. John’s acting career commenced in the 1960s. He had a small role in the series “New Man in the Precinct.”
Since he had no background or connections in Hollywood, he had to struggle to get recognition. John appeared in a few soap operas during the 60s. Some of the notable shows where he appeared in minor roles include Days of Our Lives, Love of Life, and Search for Tomorrow. John attained maximum fame and attention when he grabbed a plump role in NBC’s series Days of Our Lives.
He played the role of the dreaded crime lord Victor Kiriakis. The drama set in the small, fictional town of Salem was quite popular. John’s character earned immense publicity and a fan following. He remained part of the series for several years and garnered a dedicated fan following. Apart from being part of this long-running series, John also made regular appearances on other shows like The West Wing, Star Trek: Voyager, Mad Men, etc.
John Aniston’s Wife
John Aniston married twice. His wedding with the popular actress Nancy Dow lasted for 15 years (1965-1980). Nancy starred in several small films and television dramas. She was known for her roles in series like The Beverly Hillbillies and The Wild Wild West. Nancy gave birth to Jennifer in 1969. John also had a stepson (John T. Melick), as Nancy had a son from her previous marriage.
Not much is known about Melick as he didn’t enter Holywood and went on to pursue a career as a musician. The couple took a divorce in 1980. John left home and, in 1984, married another actress Sherry Rooney. Sherry starred in some popular movies like Search for Tomorrow, Love of Life, and Who Is Harry Kellerman. John and Sherry have been in a relationship since 1984.
They have a child together- Alex Aniston. Rooney and John crossed each other’s paths while shooting for Love of Life. They instantly fell in love with each other. The couple maintained privacy and secrecy about their relationship for years. Both the media and the public were keen to know more about them, but since their relationship was marked with too much drama, they had to keep mum for a long.
Media and people speculated that their relationship wouldn’t last too long. But Rooney and John’s love story continues to date. They have been in a relationship for 38 years and were together even during the final days of John.
In 2022 Jennifer accepted the prestigious Daytime Emmy Award on her father’s behalf. The words she spoke for her father showed that she had let go of all the past issues and was now keen to begin a new phase of her relationship with John.
Jennifer said that it was truly a great moment for her. It wasn’t just an opportunity to pay tribute to one of the icons of the daytime television world but also the chance to acknowledge the achievements of a well-respected actor who also happens to be her dad.
Jennifer’s turbulent relationship with her parents
John tied the knot with popular actress Nancy Dow in 1965. Nancy gave birth to Jenifer and her brother Alex. John and Nancy’s relationship went downhill, and the pair took a divorce in 1980. The divorce had a huge impact on Jennifer.
She loved her mother dearly and was upset with the separation. Also, John remarried soon. According to reports, Jennifer had to seek therapy as she felt lonely and abandoned as her dad left home when she was hardly nine. She was too fragile to understand the way everything changed so soon.
Then Jennifer’s relationship with her mother, Nancy, too, turned bitter when Nancy released a memoir, ‘From Mother and Daughter to Friends. Perhaps Jennifer didn’t want the details of her relationship with her mother to be public. Moreover, Jennifer held the opinion that her mother didn’t really bother to take care of her. Both the mother and daughter remained silent for a long.
Finally, Jennifer mentioned in an interview that her mom didn’t even know who her husband was (referring to Jennifer’s ex Brad Pitt). In 2018 she was part of a movie titled Dumplin, which was similar to the complex relationship Jennifer shared with her mother.
Jenifer and John’s relationship always had friction, but during the Covid pandemic in 2020, the bitterness in their relationship reduced. The father-daughter duo spent a good amount of time together and decided to forget the past issues. It was reported in 2020 that Jennifer had finally forgiven her father for abandoning her mother and desired a reconciliation now.
Jennifer and John decided to reconcile
John and Jenifer did go through many ups and downs in their relationship. John left Jennifer’s mother, Nancy, when Jenifer was just 9 years old. She didn’t speak to her dad for years as she could not get over the betrayal. But in 2020, when the whole world was ravaged due to the pandemic, Jen decided to move on and reconcile with John. Perhaps she felt that life was too short to let the grudges and bitterness persist for so long. Jennifer started talking to her father almost daily during the pandemic.
Tributes pouring in for John
Ever since Jennifer announced the death of her father, tributes have been pouring in from all corners. Fans were well aware that Jennifer had forgiven her father, and both were sharing a close bond now. Days of Life posted a heartfelt tribute to John on their Twitter account, stating that their hearts were shattered over the loss of their beloved family member, John Aniston.
Kristian Alfonso, John’s co-star from the show, and his good friend shared a photo on her social media, stating that it was a heartbreaking loss. Well, losing a parent is one of the most feared and worst moments in anyone’s life, yet death is inevitable, and no one can escape it. We send all our love and strength to Jennifer during this tragic time.