Uh-Oh.

Don’t look now, but I think Jennifer Aniston is in trouble. Whenever an actress starts taking off her clothes, it’s usually an ominous sign that her career is in decline. Remember Meg Ryan In The Cut? Sadly, the nudity is more depressing than erotic because you can see the naked desperation underneath the bare skin. This time around, it’s Jennifer’s turn. In Wanderlust, her upcoming movie directed by Judd Apatow, Jennifer plays a wife who goes to a hippie commune and winds up smoking pot, doing threesomes, and taking off her clothes a lot. As I said before, uh-oh.

Oddly enough, I have to point out that the most unusual aspect of this decision is that it’s the only predictable turn that Jennifer’s career has taken in years. In a cutthroat business that doesn’t give women too many second chances, the fact that Jennifer was able to get away with making so many bad movies for so long is not only unprecedented, it’s amazing. After all, her former “Friends” didn’t do as well.

When a popular television series ends (“Friends”, ”M*A*S*H*”, “Married With Children”, ”Star Trek” and its subsequent spin-offs, “Seinfeld”, etc.) the careers of the actors follow predictable conclusions. Jennifer’s ex-costars certainly weren’t any different.

What usually happens is: a) they do quirky independent films that nobody sees (Lisa Kudrow); b) they quickly move into the ‘b-list’ Hollywood ghetto and make bad movies and/or lousy TV shows (Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry); c) they disappear into the void, never to be heard from again (Matt LeBlanc); or d) they enjoy a quiet retirement, laughing all the way to the bank as they cash those big fat royalty checks.

Incredibly, Jennifer created a brand-new category just for herself: e) “Hey, even though I’m not a box-office juggernaut like Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon, you’ll keep on giving me blank checks anyway, no matter how bad my movies do.” What’s more, she kept getting away with it. Usually, after flops like Along Came Polly, Rumor Has It, and The Bounty Hunter, some actresses would have been damned lucky to find a spot on an episode of “Celebrity Rehab”, but not Jennifer. Why? Beats the hell out of me.

Sure, Jennifer kept working, but people have never stopped thinking of her as Rachel Green. In spite of all those movies, Jennifer hasn’t found a strong identity apart from her iconic television character. And it doesn’t help that although it happened years ago, the lurid Brangelina debacle is still more interesting to talk about than most of the pap Jennifer’s been in.

But after The Switch (unfunny, dull, a reprehensible premise), it appears the ticket-buying public has finally given up, don’t ask me why. Honestly, I think that’s a good thing, because Jennifer has made enough money to leave the dumb romantic comedies behind and start taking risks. In spite of all the bad movies, I believe that she’s an underrated actress who’s ready for more challenging roles.

For example, The Good Girl was a brave departure for her. The quirky neo-noir thriller Derailed took some nerve. In Office Space, Jennifer revealed an disarming vulnerability and sweetness. Friends With Money was smart, had a great cast (Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand), actually had something worthwhile to say, and was sensitively directed by Nicole Holocene (Lovely and Amazing). It was the best movie she‘s appeared in so far.

Jennifer’s got talent, and I want to see it before it’s too late and she forgets how.

Go ahead, Jennifer, take a chance. You want to do something controversial? Don’t do a striptease, take a part in the next Todd Solondz film.