She's the A-lister all the guys would love to date, and the girls would love to gossip with over a margarita. We got the lowdown on Jennifer Aniston's style tips, how she feels about getting older and how she unwinds after a hard day on a film set

What do you enjoy most about fashion?

Jennifer Aniston: I love it. Well, I love when people put me in it. And I'm slowly getting better at putting stuff together myself. I'm not one of those people who are all about the new season though. I try to stay up on it, but I just don't like being ruled by it. I do almost resent the whole fashion thing, never wearing the same thing twice and all of those things - it's a pain in the ass! I don't like feeling that every time I walk out of the house I'm going to be ridiculed or put on trial, so often I just wear flip-flops and jeans because that's just safe.'

Do you ever feel insecure about the way you look?

Jennifer Aniston: Of course! You don't hit some level and just coast! I take care of myself, that's first and foremost. You're damned if you're too thin, and you're damned if you're too heavy. According to the press, I've been both. It's impossible to satisfy everyone and I suggest we all stop trying. There are times when I don't take as good care of myself and times when I do. But it just feels good to be healthy and with that comes physical exercise and keeping yourself in shape.

What is your workout regime these days?

Jennifer Aniston: I run and sweat and feel it. You get addicted to the euphoric feeling of getting up and having a good sweat. It wakes your body up. I also do yoga, I run, and I eat well.

Tell us more about the yoga

Jennifer Aniston: I do hatha yoga three or four times a week. It keeps my body strong, and if my body is strong it keeps me able to sleep better, function in the day better and I can do my job better. It's been wonderful for me.

What is your beauty routine?

Jennifer Aniston: I wash with the same soap that I have since I was a teenager, which is Neutrogena. And that's it!

What about the famous hair?

Jennifer Aniston: I just cut it and I condition it. Just L'Oreal. The fancy stuff always seems to not work.

What is your secret to looking so healthy?

Jennifer Aniston: I drink lots of water - water, water, water. The one thing I notice in my skin is, if I stop drinking water, I dehydrate badly and get crepey. Water is important. And sleeping.

How do you relax and get away from it all?

Jennifer Aniston: A combination of things. Travelling, that's what I look forward to doing; experiencing different places and cultures. The world is such a huge place and so interesting and it would take lots of lifetimes to get to know it all. You just have to do your best in the time you've got. At the moment I'm having time off for the first time in about 15 years and it's fun trying to figure out what you want to do. I have an easy time relaxing, actually. I love to go and visit my friends. I love being in my home. I like to watch movies and I like to take hikes. I'm pretty boring.

What sort of films do you watch?

Jennifer Aniston: I love old movies and I'll still watch classics like Wuthering Heights and get emotional every time, even though I have seen it so often. I like old TV shows too and Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore are among my heroes. I think they are fantastic and stand the test of time. Their shows are still funny, mostly because they were so good at what they did.

What makes you happy?

Jennifer Aniston: A sunset makes me happy. Really silly things make me happy, like being with my friends with a bottle of wine and some nice cheese. And simple things too, like people being kind. Being in love makes you happy.

What makes you unhappy?

Jennifer Aniston: I hate arguments. I don't like bad feeling between people. I hate negativity. You have to have a positive approach to life. There are some people who just seem to spend their lives telling everyone else how difficult things are or are going to be.

What are your dreams and goals?

Jennifer Aniston: Just to keep doing what I want to do. Find peace. Family. Simple things that everybody wants.

Is there a down side to your fame?

Jennifer Aniston: I would like to be able to go shopping without being followed for hours. I would like to go in, do my job, come home and enjoy being out and about without being looked at, pointed at, having photos taken without being asked and all that stuff. Some people love all that. I don't. I know it goes with the job but I would be just as happy as an actor without taking the lead role so that I don't get so much attention. I also have to fight with the guilt, the inner voice going, "Well, I don't have a right to be complaining." I can live with it. I just have to be careful to avoid places where people are allowed to mob. I think it's so silly that we draw so much attention to one person just because they're on a TV show. I'm just a regular girl.

Do you see yourself as a funny person?

Jennifer Aniston: I like to think I am a fun person. I enjoy comedy and I enjoy looking back at the crazy things I have done such as sleeping outside a hotel in New York simply because Simon Le Bon and Duran Duran were staying there. I was just 12 at the time but I look back with a blush and a giggle because it was a fun thing to do. I like being crazy and being with crazy people so long as it is always fun and nothing that really hurts.

Do you think it's getting easier to be an older woman in Hollywood?

Jennifer Aniston: Don't we have Demi Moore to thank for that? It's almost too much to even take, she's so gorgeous. I'm not afraid of growing older - my grandmother was the centre of it all. I would love to be that person. The grandmother of the family, the godfather of the clan, sure.