Jennifer Aniston: 'I'm not a big fan of dating'

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Jennifer Aniston told Red magazine she's single and 'extremely relaxed' about it.

Believe it or not, Jennifer Aniston doesn't like to date.

The 42-year-old actress opened up about life and love in the May issue of the U.K.'s Red magazine saying, "I'm not a big fan of dating. I have dinner with male friends and it's instantly, 'that's the new man.' "

Aniston knows all too well how quickly the rumor mill can spin a story about her romantic life: she watched her relationships with Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn and John Mayer all make headline news.

But now she is single and "extremely relaxed" about it.

What gets Aniston out of bed is knowing "that I get to do what I love to do, which is entertain. It's essential to me."

It's not surprising then that the actress hasn't taken an extended break since "Friends" ended nearly seven years ago, and has managed to turn a successful television run into a long-lasting film career.

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"The real core of everything is the work, and I will protect it - and myself - like a momma lion protects a cub," she told the magazine.

But as for fame, Aniston is still weary.

"Fame is an odd beast. Because it's not real," she said. "There's nothing real about it. Sometimes you wake up and think, 'I don't know if I'm as big as this beast. Will today be the day when it gets me?'

"Because you're only one person like everybody else, with veins and a heart," she said, "and yet you're projected as almost superhuman."

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