Zoey Deutch on filming with Jennifer Aniston: 'One of the most surreal moments'
Synopsis
Zoey Deutch didn’t just act opposite Jennifer Aniston in their new comedy — she admits she nearly forgot to act at all. Watching Aniston nail every take left Deutch feeling more like an audience member than a co-star, in what she calls one of the most surreal and inspiring moments of her career.
Key Takeaways
Zoey Deutch describes filming with Jennifer Aniston as ‘one of the most surreal moments’ of her life.
The two appear together in the upcoming comedy 'Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass' .
Deutch plays Gail Daughtry , a Kansas hairdresser whose fiancé acts on a celebrity sex pass with Aniston, who plays herself.
Gail then pursues her own celebrity sex pass — Jon Hamm — in what Deutch calls an R-rated Wizard of Oz -style adventure.
The film is directed by David Wain and co-written by Wain and Ken Marino , who previously collaborated with Aniston on the 2012 comedy 'Wanderlust' .
Hollywood actress Zoey Deutch has opened up about reuniting with Jennifer Aniston on the upcoming comedy film 'Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass', describing the experience of sharing the screen with Aniston as among the most memorable of her career. Deutch made the remarks in an interview with People magazine, ahead of the film's release.
Deutch on Working with Aniston
Deutch was candid about the near-overwhelming effect of watching Aniston work up close. “That was incredibly surreal for me. I have met this person and I’ve spoken to them a couple times, and they’re incredibly warm and lovely and funny, but working with them was absolutely one of the most surreal moments of my life and inspiring too,” she told People.
She added that Aniston’s on-set brilliance left her more spectator than co-star. “It’s like when you just see someone who’s the greatest of all time doing it, you’re like, ‘Goddammit’. Every take was just so brilliant and I was probably the worst actor in the world because I was more of an audience than a participant. I couldn’t help myself. It was definitely one of the coolest moments of my life,” she said.
What the Film Is About
In 'Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass', Deutch plays Gail Daughtry, a cheerful hairdresser from Kansas who is engaged to a man named Tom. When Jennifer Aniston — playing a fictionalised version of herself — arrives in their small town for a cookbook signing, Gail discovers Tom has acted on a so-called ‘celebrity sex pass’: a casual agreement that allowed each partner to sleep with one famous person.
Blindsided by the revelation, Gail sets out to even the score before her wedding by pursuing her own celebrity sex pass — Jon Hamm. According to People, the scene Deutch shares with Aniston is brief but reportedly very funny.
The Creative Team Behind the Comedy
The film is directed by David Wain and co-written by Wain and Ken Marino — the duo behind the 2012 comedy 'Wanderlust', which also starred Aniston alongside Paul Rudd. Deutch described the shoot as an R-rated, Wizard of Oz-style adventure. “I had a blast,” she said of making the film.
Why This Reunion Stands Out
The pairing of Deutch and Aniston carries a layer of meta-charm: Deutch has previously worked alongside Aniston, making their on-screen reunion in an absurdist comedy feel like a natural, if surreal, full-circle moment. Notably, the film reunites the Wanderlust creative team with Aniston nearly a decade and a half after that collaboration, signalling continued creative trust between the actress and the Wain-Marino partnership.
Point of View
But the more interesting story here is the creative architecture: David Wain and Ken Marino have pulled Aniston back into an R-rated comedy universe they built together in 2012 with 'Wanderlust'. That film underperformed commercially but earned cult affection — and Aniston’s willingness to play a fictionalised, sexually comedic version of herself suggests she is deliberately leaning into self-aware, boundary-pushing roles. For Deutch, the association is a clear career signal: she is being positioned alongside a generation-defining star in a film designed to travel on word-of-mouth and streaming. Whether the film delivers on its premise is another question, but the off-screen narrative is already doing its promotional work.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass' about?
It is an upcoming R-rated comedy in which Zoey Deutch plays Gail Daughtry, a Kansas hairdresser who discovers her fiancé has slept with Jennifer Aniston — playing herself — under the terms of a so-called celebrity sex pass. Gail then sets off on a comedic adventure to pursue her own celebrity sex pass, Jon Hamm.
Who directed 'Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass'?
The film is directed by David Wain and co-written by Wain and Ken Marino, the same creative pair behind the 2012 comedy 'Wanderlust', which also starred Jennifer Aniston.
What did Zoey Deutch say about working with Jennifer Aniston?
Deutch told People magazine that the experience was ‘absolutely one of the most surreal moments’ of her life, adding that Aniston’s brilliance on set left her feeling more like an audience member than an actor.
Does Jennifer Aniston play a character or herself in the film?
Jennifer Aniston plays a fictionalised version of herself in the film, arriving in a small town for a cookbook signing before becoming central to the plot’s comic premise.
Who else appears in the film alongside Zoey Deutch and Jennifer Aniston?
Jon Hamm is also part of the cast, playing Gail’s celebrity sex pass — the famous person she sets out to find in order to even the score with her fiancé.
