Jennifer Aniston is opening up about how her real-life heartbreak shaped one of her most memorable movie roles.

In a new Vanity Fair interview released Monday, the "Friends" alum shared that making the 2006 film "The Break-Up" helped her process her own divorce from Brad Pitt.

"I might have just gone through a separation — that little separation, I'm sure nobody remembers that," the 56-year-old actress joked, clearly referencing her highly publicized 2005 split from Pitt. "It was kind of cathartic to go right from that [into filming]."

Aniston and Pitt were married for five years before calling it quits in early 2005.

Just a year later, she starred alongside Vince Vaughn in "The Break-Up," a romantic comedy about a couple fighting over who gets to keep their shared apartment, US Magazine reported.

For Aniston, it was something far deeper than just another acting job.

"When they came to me with the offer, they were a little nervous," she recalled. "They thought, 'Is it insensitive? Is it inappropriate?' But I actually thought it was a great opportunity."

How "The Break-Up" Became Therapy for Jennifer Aniston

Aniston shared that working on the film helped her process her emotions in a healthy way, benefiting her personally while also adding depth to the story and her character.

While filming, Aniston and Vaughn teamed up with the writers for weeks, using real conversations to help shape the story.

"A lot of this movie was Vince and I," she explained. "We'd improv scenes, and the writers would rewrite on the spot. That's why it felt so real."

According to People, in the interview, Aniston spoke candidly about her divorce, describing it as an especially vulnerable time in her life.

She noted that the heavy media coverage only added to the difficulty, as it fueled public fascination and tabloid headlines.

Two decades after that painful chapter, Aniston is in a new relationship with hypnotherapist Jim Curtis. Meanwhile, Pitt is dating Ines de Ramon. But Aniston hasn't forgotten the impact of that time in her life.

"I don't regret any of it," she once said. "I'll love [Brad] for the rest of my life. He's a fantastic man."

Despite her fame, Aniston admitted, "We're human beings, even though some people don't want to believe we are."

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Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt