Despite thirty years passing since Rachel Green “got off the plane”, Jennifer Aniston remembers the exact day the hit NBC sit-com Friends premiered like it was yesterday. In a new interview with Abbott Elementary creator and star, Quinta Brunson, the 55-year-old actress emotionally opened up about the beloved series’ three-decade milestone, her relationship with her co-stars and the continued “gift” starring in one of the most popular shows of all time allowed her.
However, the most tender moment of the exchange came when Aniston teared up over the late Matthew Perry, who tragically passed away in a surprise drowning in early 2024. When asked what it’s like watching the show now, Aniston was overcome with emotions and began tearing up.
“Oh god, don’t make me cry,” the Morning Wars actress said. Lovingly, Brunston replied by saying, “We won’t make each other cry”. “Do you want a minute? We don’t have to talk about it,” Brunston added, giving Aniston the comfort and grace to process her grief.
“I’m sorry,” Aniston said while wiping her eyes. “I’m just thinking about…” she trailed off, obviously referencing Perry. “I’m ok, it’s happy tears!”
You can watch the tearful moment here.
After regaining her composure, the comedy veterans continued the interview, with Brunston acknowledging the celebratory anniversary. “Friends is turning 30,” Brunston said, to which Aniston jokingly responded, “And I’m turning 30!”
“It’s so strange to even think that it’s 30 years old. Because I remember the day that it was going to premiere on television,” she added, reflecting on that pilot airing in 1994. “Matthew Perry and I were having lunch somewhere, and we knew Lisa [Kudrow] was getting her hair coloured. So we ran into the hair salon, and I snuck up — she was in the sink — and I took the nozzle from the guy that was supposed to be doing it and just started washing her hair,” she said.
“It definitely flew out of control, and that was unfortunate. But the excitement we had, it feels like yesterday.
“The fact that it’s had this long, wonderful life and it still means a lot to people is one of the greatest gifts I think all five of us — all six of us — we never could imagine.”
Anniston also confirmed that she and the entire ensemble cast, whom she refers to as her family, are still in contact. “I talked on FaceTime with Court last night for an hour, and Lisa and the boys, and we just have a really — it’s a family forever,” she said.
Anniston and her on-screen, on-again-off-again boyfriend David Schwimmer (who portrayed her ‘lobster’ Ross Geller), recently reunited for an UberEats commercial. The last time the Friends cast shared the screen was in 2021 during the Friends: The Reunion special.
If you too are in the mood for a bittersweet walk down memory lane, watch the heart-tugging reunion trailer, below.
