Jennifer Aniston Reveals She and Jennette McCurdy “Had Very Similar Moms” Ahead of Filming I’m Glad My Mom Died TV Adaptation
Jennifer Aniston has always been drawn to stories that blend humor with heartbreak, and her latest project might be one of the most emotionally personal ones yet. The beloved Friends star is set to portray a fictionalized version of Jennette McCurdy’s mother in the upcoming Apple TV adaptation of McCurdy’s best-selling memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died. And as Aniston revealed in a recent interview, she immediately said yes to the role — not just because of the story’s depth, but because it hit remarkably close to home.
When McCurdy’s memoir was first released in 2022, it stunned readers with its raw honesty. The former iCarly star detailed her painful upbringing under a controlling and abusive mother, exploring how fame, trauma, and identity intertwined throughout her childhood. It was darkly funny, brutally candid, and incredibly human — exactly the kind of story Aniston says she has long been waiting to tell from a different lens.
Speaking about the upcoming series, Aniston explained that reading the book brought back memories of her own difficult relationship with her late mother, Nancy Dow. “Jennette and I had very similar moms,” Aniston said in an exclusive comment shared with People. “There was so much of her story that I understood immediately — the pressure, the perfectionism, the complicated love.”
Aniston’s openness gives even more emotional context to why she was drawn to the project. Throughout her career, she’s occasionally spoken about her strained relationship with Dow, who was a model and actress. The two had years of distance before reconciling later in life, and Aniston has admitted that growing up under a mother who cared deeply about appearances shaped her in ways she still reflects on today. “She was very critical of me, but she also loved me deeply. I think that’s what made it so confusing,” Aniston once told The Hollywood Reporter.
For McCurdy, having Aniston onboard seems almost poetic. The two actresses come from different generations of television fame, but their experiences — the pressure of public image, the struggle for independence, and the lasting effects of a parent’s control — overlap in ways that make this collaboration feel natural. Insiders close to production say that Aniston’s casting has brought both authenticity and tenderness to the adaptation.
McCurdy, who wrote and will executive-produce the series, reportedly wanted the show to reflect both the dark humor and fragile humanity that made her memoir such a phenomenon. She described Aniston’s involvement as “a gift,” noting that the actress understands the emotional terrain of the story on a level that goes beyond performance.
Apple TV’s I’m Glad My Mom Died is expected to dive deeper into McCurdy’s personal journey while expanding the narrative to explore broader themes of healing and self-forgiveness. Early discussions suggest the adaptation will balance McCurdy’s signature sharp wit with the emotional honesty that made the book impossible to put down.
For Aniston, this role also marks a continued shift toward emotionally complex projects. After The Morning Show, where she portrayed a news anchor navigating professional chaos and personal loss, this new series seems like another step in her evolution as an actress willing to face difficult truths. “It’s not about playing a villain,” Aniston said. “It’s about understanding why someone becomes who they are, and how love can sometimes come out in the wrong ways.”
Both actresses have spoken about the importance of confronting the parts of their pasts that once felt too heavy to name. In a way, their partnership symbolizes something bigger — two women from different eras of fame finding common ground in shared pain, using storytelling as a way to turn that pain into connection.
As filming begins later this year, fans are eager to see how Aniston and McCurdy’s real-life empathy translates on screen. What started as a deeply personal memoir for one woman is now becoming a collaborative act of healing for two.
