Filming 'The Morning Show' was '20 years of therapy' for Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon starrer "The Morning Show," which explores the challenges faced by the people who work in morning television, seemed like "20 years of therapy" to Aniston.

In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Jennifer Aniston said that some of the scenes she shot for "The Morning Show" felt so true to her, and dubbed the show "20 years of therapy wrapped into 10 episodes."

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

The 51-year-old described the shooting as "cathartic," and also a way to look at her own behaviour.

"(The show was) interesting for me to look at how I always have tried to normalise being fine and 'everything's great, you know, this is all normal,' and then there are moments where you have your private breakdown or your 'Calgon, take me away' moments," Aniston said, referencing an old bath powder commercial about a stressed out woman who really needs a break.

"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," she added.

Season 2 of "The Morning Show" is currently in the works, after being paused for a few months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis will also be a part of the storyline.

Aniston plays network morning anchor Alex Levy on the "The Morning Show," the flagship series in the Apple TV+ streaming lineup. She has earned the best reviews of her career for the show including an Emmy nomination and a SAG Award for her portrayal of the TV presenter.

"The Morning Show" showrunner Kerry Ehrin would sometimes check-in with Aniston to ask: "Are we pushing it? Are we taking it too far?" But Aniston would always tell her that it was never too far and to "keep it coming."

"I do think I glean emotional structure from people," Ehrin says, "and after spending time with her, I felt certain instincts about writing the character. And it's hard to say whether that comes from a conversation or something I saw 20 years ago that she did."