Outside of diehard horror fans, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone that has any love for the classic “Leprechaun” franchise. Of course, “classic” is relative, as the series of films doesn’t have the same cultural significance of “Halloween” or “Nightmare on Elm Street.” However, there’s no denying its staying power, as the “Leprechaun” franchise has spawned eight films, including the infamous “Leprechaun in the Hood” from 2000. And honestly, you can probably thank Jennifer Aniston for that.
You see, well before Aniston was delighting NBC viewers and inspiring millions of women to go to the salon, thanks to “Friends,” the actress got one of her first big breaks in the original “Leprechaun” film from 1993. While it’s probably not a performance that will be listed in the actress’ most remembered roles, there’s no denying the charm she had even then. And according to the actress, she looks back fondly on the role but agrees that it’s a bit cringe-worthy.
“I really thought I arrived when I did ‘Leprechaun,’” Aniston said on The Howard Stern Show (via People). “It was with Warwick Davis, the guy from ‘Willow‘ was in it. It was a big deal!”
She added, “I watched [‘Leprechaun’] like, 8 years ago with our mutual friend Justin Theroux for shits and giggles. We were dating. It was one of those things when I tried to get that remote out of his hand and there was just no having it. He was like, ‘No, no, no, no, this is happening.’ I just kept walking in and out, cringing.”
You have to hand it to Theroux, who is a mighty fine talent in his own right. Forcing Aniston to watch “Leprechaun” had to be one of the most hilarious moments in their relationship. A clip of her cringing while seeing her young self fight a Leprechaun in a cheesy horror film would be worth the price of a movie ticket alone.
However, even though you won’t be able to enjoy Aniston watching the film, you can enjoy her performance in “Leprechaun,” whenever you want. In fact, you can see some of Aniston’s work in the horror classic below: