Jennifer Aniston Turned Down 'Serendipity' Because She Did 'a Romantic Comedy Once a Week' on 'Friend' s

Jennifer Aniston has had her fair share of romantic comedy experience.

However, the Golden Globe winner, 52, turned down the starring role in 2001's Serendipity, according to director Peter Chelsom. "I distinctly remember Jennifer Aniston coming in to meet us," Chelsom told Insider for the film's 20th anniversary.

"I remember when she came in, she said, 'I do a romantic comedy once a week,' her being on Friends at the time, so she clearly had other things on her plate and it was her decision not to do it," he added. "She had come to meet with me in good faith without an offer, but we definitely would have made her an offer if she wanted to make it."

Chelsom noted that Mallrats actress Claire Forlani also auditioned for the role, while Carla Gugino "came extremely close." He later ended up casting Gugino in his 2017 movie The Space Between Us.

Kate Beckinsale ultimately landed the role of Sara, a 20-something who has a fateful night out in New York City with a handsome stranger (John Cusack). After 10 years go by, they find destiny calling them to each other during pivotal moments in both their lives.

Last year, Beckinsale shared photos of herself from the New City premiere dressed in a loose-fitting white pantsuit, as she opened up about an alleged terrifying experience with Hollywood mogul and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, who distributed the movie through Miramax Films.

"These photos were taken at the premiere of Serendipity on October 5, 2001. We all refused to go because holding a premiere mere weeks after 9/11 with the city still smoking felt like the most insensitive, tone deaf, disrespectful idea possible. But Harvey insisted," she wrote at the time.

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Beckinsale recounted that Weinstein, 69, invited her to bring her daughter Lily Mo, now 22, over to his house for a playdate with his daughter the next day. "I went to go with them and he said 'No, you wait here,'" she recalled. "The minute the door closed he started screaming, 'You stupid f------ c---, you c---, you ruined my premiere.'"

"I had no idea what he was talking about and started to shake," Beckinsale added. "He said, 'If I am throwing a red carpet, you get in a tight dress, you shake your ass, you shake your tits, you do not go down it looking like a f------ lesbian you stupid f------ c---.'"

Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison in March 2020, after he was convicted on charges of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape.