Jennifer Aniston Calls Working on The Morning Show 'Cathartic': It 'Was 20 Years of Therapy'

Jennifer Aniston's award-winning performance in The Morning Show wasn't just acting — the star showcased her true emotions.

In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actress, 51, opened up about having some very real feelings while starring in the Apple TV+ series as Alex Levy, a new program co-anchor who grapples with her partner Mitch Kessler's (Steve Carell) firing amid a sexual misconduct scandal.

"That show was 20 years of therapy wrapped into 10 episodes,” she revealed. "There were times when I would read a scene and feel like a whole manhole cover was taken off my back."

Aniston — who is no stranger to public scrutiny in her everyday life — said that playing a famous figure in the series was a "cathartic" experience.

"Also interesting for me to look at how I always have tried to normalize being fine and ‘everything’s great, you know, this is all normal,’ and then there are moments when you have your private breakdown or your ‘Calgon, take me away’ moments,” Aniston said. “To actually look at it from an actor brain observing it and acknowledging it, I had to look at it as opposed to pretending it doesn’t exist.”

The actress also reflected on her performance in episode two of The Morning Show, during which Alex has a full breakdown over Mitch's firing in the limo while en route to a gala where she is being honored.

"There have been moments—not to that level of hysteria—but moments of 'I don't want to f— go here,' 'I don't want to walk out onto the carpet,' 'I don't want to be seen,' 'I don't want to be looked at and everyone's going to be talking about me and judging me' ... that's real," Aniston said.

"I just loved being able to walk into it and lean into it and not be ashamed of it," she added.

The Morning Show stars Aniston, Carell, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass. Aniston and Witherspoon, 44, also serve as executive producers.

The series' second season began production in March but has since been delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

For her role on the show, Aniston received a Screen Actors Guild Award in January. In addition, she was nominated last month for an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series.