By Christina Radish

Jennifer Aniston & Owen Wilson at the premiere of "Marley & Me" held at the Mann Village Theater in Westwood, Calif. on December 11, 2008.

In Marley & Me, John Grogan (Owen Wilson) is married to the girl of his dreams, has become a successful newspaper columnist, gotten a dog and had three wonderful children. He’s loyal and hardworking, and he loves his family dearly, but no one told him just how hard real life could be. John’s wife, Jenny Grogan (Jennifer Aniston), is a talented journalist in her own right. Sassy, sweet and devoted, Jenny helps John navigate through the newfound responsibilities and obstacles that come from cultivating a career and starting a family, all while trying to control the chaos created by their Labrador Marley.

Co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson spoke to MediaBlvd Magazine about the joys and challenges of working with dogs.

MediaBlvd Magazine> What were the challenges of working with a dog, in varying ages? Did having dogs of your own help you in the process?

Jennifer Aniston> I think it helped only because I wasn’t afraid of dogs. But, honestly, he was so easy to work with. I would say the younger Marleys were tougher. To hit their mark, it was a little bit more challenging for the trainers. We had a ball. We never had a hard time.

MediaBlvd> Was there any scene that was difficult or took a long time to get?

Jennifer> The scene where we were taking him to get neutered. That was definitely a challenging scene in the car ‘cause we also had Matilda, the trainer, in the back seat, who was fantastic. It was just a lot of action for the dog.

Owen Wilson> Clyde was always good at getting his stuff. Getting the puppy to imitate like he was going to the bathroom took a long time ‘cause he had a little stool that he had to sit on that they were going to green screen out.

MediaBlvd> Did you guys ever consider adopting one of the dogs from the film?

Jennifer> I didn’t adopt a dog. I have an adopted dog. Both of my dogs are adopted, but that was years ago. I almost adopted the dog that’s in the poster.

Owen> There were so many dogs playing Marley that it was like doing a Vietnam movie, where you didn’t want to get to close and you didn’t want to bond because you knew that that dog might not be there the next day.

Jennifer> Yeah, they would grow up, literally. It’s so true.

Owen> And then, some of the people that did adopt some of those puppies, called saying they were having behavioral problems.

MediaBlvd> Jennifer, why did you want to do this role, playing a wife and mother?

Jennifer> I wanted to be in the movie. I have been pregnant in so many movies, it’s ridiculous.

Owen> It’s like Lady Madonna.

Jennifer> The reason I wanted to be in this movie was because it wasn’t the girl trying to get the guy, or the guy trying to get the girl, or the chase, and then you end the movie where they ride off into the sunset. This is sort of the sequel to that. You basically get to see the ins and outs of a relationship, over 15 years, and have this human thread that takes you through, that is funny just because life is funny and dramatic. I just loved it. I responded to the material.   

MediaBlvd> Owen, the reason this movie worked so well was because of the chemistry between you and Jennifer. Was there a moment in the filming where you realized that was there?

Owen> We didn’t really know each other before the movie began. We had just met in passing. I think it happened in rehearsal, early on. We felt like were on the same page with the way that we felt things should go.

MediaBlvd> Do you have a favorite dog movie?

Jennifer> Benji.

Owen> I like Sounder, and Where the Red Fern Grows.

MediaBlvd> How did you get into the roles and the relationship between the two characters? Did you spend time with the Grogans, or was everything just on the page for you?

Jennifer> That material was on the page. That was something that was extremely important to us because this book has such an audience and such a fan base. They are two people that are actually here on the planet, and you want to honor their story.

Owen> They came and visited, early on, and it was very strange. It was a little bit nerve-wrecking. I was like, “I wonder what he’s thinking about me playing him.”

Jennifer> They were so sweet.

Jennifer Aniston at the premiere of "Marley & Me" held at the Mann Village Theater in Westwood, Calif. on December 11, 2008.

MediaBlvd> What do you think the appeal of this massively best-selling story is? What’s the key appeal of Marley?

Jennifer> It’s a hard one to put your finger on.

Owen> It’s strange because it does seem that it’s not just America. We were talking to John Grogan and they love the book in Argentina. I guess there’s just something in the story that has a universal appeal that people are able to connect with.

Jennifer> And, it’s a very true and very simple story. People go to movies and they escape with these big crazy plotlines, and here is a movie where people are actually going, “That’s me!,” or “I did that. I walked through that.” Even if you don’t have a dog, if you’ve been in a relationship, and it doesn’t even have to be a married relationship, but just partnered, you can relate to the simplicity of it. Less is more.

Owen> It’s just this wanting to connect.

MediaBlvd> One of the greatest things about dogs is not just their unconditional love, but also the fact that they live in the present. Have you guys learned to do that yourselves?

Jennifer> It’s a work in progress, yeah.

Owen> I think that’s the great thing about having a dog. It forces you to be in the present because that’s definitely where they’re spending their time.

MediaBlvd> This film is being marketed as a family film, but there is some content in it that makes it a little more adult. Do you think that kids should be seeing this film?

Owen> I would think its okay to tell them that there are real life issues in it. We’re telling the story that the book told, and you hope that people appreciate that story. I guess that’s just something for parents to decide. As an adult, sometimes you underestimate or forget kids’ abilities to deal with stuff, or how much they do soak up.

MediaBlvd> Jennifer, you seem to jump effortlessly from genre to genre, from independent to mainstream. Do you find it challenging to find the kinds of projects and roles that really get you going, creatively?

Owen Wilson at the premiere of "Marley & Me" held at the Mann Village Theater in Westwood, Calif. on December 11, 2008.

MediaBlvd> You said that you’ve been really lucky, being able to jump from genre to genre with your film roles, but you’ve also been really successful in doing that. Are success and luck the same?

Jennifer> I don’t know. I’ve never sat there and plotted out how I was going to become successful or famous. I just really wanted to work, and I wanted to do good work. Ever since I was at the High School of Performing Arts and my Russian acting coach told me I was a disgrace to the Moscow theatre, I was determined to prove him wrong and just do good work. I’ve never had my eye on a prize. I just really wanted to enjoy the passage of time. Before Friends and the success of that, I had a graveyard of sitcoms. I was happy to get a job every year, whether it went on or not. 

MediaBlvd> You’re one of the few TV stars who has ever gone into movies with this kind of success. How do you feel about the success of your post-Friends career?

Jennifer> I got the opportunity to do films while I was on Friends, and I built that up a little bit and somehow was welcomed into the other side. I crossed over.                                                   

MediaBlvd> Do you think there will ever be a Friends movie?

Jennifer> I hope not.

MediaBlvd> What are you doing next?

Jennifer> There’s a movie in the Spring, and I’m in the middle of deciding if I’m going to do that. And, I’m going to be selling three other movies, after this one. You’re going to be sick of me.