Jennifer Aniston turned down the lead role in 'Serendipity' because she felt being on 'Friends' was like doing a rom-com 'once a week,' says director

• Director Peter Chelsom revealed to Insider that Jennifer Aniston met with him to be in the movie.
• He said Aniston felt she does "a romantic comedy once a week" on "Friends."
• The role eventually went to Kate Beckinsale.

Though Kate Beckinsale is perfect in the classic rom-com "Serendipity," it turns out the movie's director Peter Chelsom almost went with another star.

"I distinctly remember Jennifer Aniston coming in to meet us," Chelsom told Insider in an interview, celebrating the movie's 20th anniversary on October 5.

"I remember when she came in, she said, 'I do a romantic comedy once a week,' her being on 'Friends' at the time," Chelsom explained, "so she clearly had other things on her plate and it was her decision not to do it."

But Chelsom admitte that if Aniston was game he would have made the movie with her.

"She had come to meet with me in good faith without an offer, but we definitely would have made her an offer if she wanted to make it."

Instead, Chelsom went with the lesser-known Beckinsale to star opposite John Cusack in the New York City-set rom-com in which the two play strangers, who after hanging out one night decide to let fate decide if they will ever meet again.

However, Chelsom made a change to the role of Sara, which was originally written as an American.

"Kate Beckinsale came in and she did her first reading in an American accent. It was good," Chelsom said. "Her accent is fine, but for me, I like it when people play close to home."

"So I felt to get the most access and warmth out of Kate and for it to be more personal she had to just go British," he continued. "She reread the scene in her British accent and it was great. So that was the decision I made at that audition. It felt right."

Chelsom also revealed a few other actresses whom he considered for the Sara role.

He told Insider that "Gunpowder Milkshake" star Carla Gugino came "extremely close" to getting the role along with "Meet Joe Black" star Claire Forlani.

Despite passing on "Serendipity" in 2001, Aniston did her fair share of romantic comedies after that, including "Along Came Polly" in 2004, "Rumor Has It..." in 2005, and "He's Just Not That Into You" in 2009.