Jennifer Aniston - Jennifer Aniston Turned To Comedic Acting To Deal With Parents' Divorce

The former Friends actress has starred in a slew of romantic comedies throughout her career, but Aniston reveals she actually developed her funny side as a way to escape the sadness of her mum and dad's failed marriage and distract them from their pain.

Speaking for the first time about her parents' divorce, during an appearance on Inside the Actors Studio - which aired in America on Monday (11Jul11), Aniston recalls learning of their marital problems and sudden split when she was a young girl.

She says, "It was pretty crappy. I came home from a birthday party and he was moved out. It was pretty abrupt."

And, although the star was devastated, Aniston admits acting helped her deal with the situation.

She adds, "Sure, your dad leaves and disappears for a while, that's pretty brutal. But that's sort of the beauty of it. Like I said, I would never exchange any of it... Me making people laugh, finding the humour in things, trying to lighten up the mood between disgruntled parents, getting attention... It sort of was a survival technique."