Jennifer Aniston shed “happy tears” when she thought about Friends, which is turning 30 this year.
During a conversation with Quinta Brunson for Variety's Actors on Actors, the Hollywood veteran grew emotional when someone off-camera wondered what it was like for her to watch the show after Matthew Perry's tragic death at age 54 on Oct. 28, 2023.
Highlights
- Jennifer Aniston shed "happy tears" while talking about Friends turning 30 with actress Quinta Brunson
- The star was visibly emotional when she thought about Matthew Perry during the conversation
- She also recalled the excitement she felt with her co-stars on the day the hit show premiered on television
- "The excitement we had, it feels like yesterday,” she said
"Oh God, don't make me cry!" the teary-eyed actress said.
Jennifer Aniston became visibly emotional during a conversation with Quinta Brunson for Variety's Actors on Actors
Image credits: Variety / YouTube
"I won't, we won't make each other cry," 34-year-old Quinta said before adding, "But, you're already crying."
"Sorry, I just started thinking about..." The Morning Show actress said, and she was given a tissue to wipe away what she called “happy tears.”
The Golden Globe winner bounced back and continued the conversation about the hit show that ran from 1994 to 2004, starring herself, Matthew, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, and Matt LeBlanc.
The Hollywood veteran shed tears when she was asked about what it was like watching the show now
Image credits: Variety / YouTube
“‘Friends is turning 30,” Quinta said during the conversation.
“And I’m turning 30,” the Marley & Me actress joked.
“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, on NBC: Matthew Perry and I were having lunch somewhere, and we knew Lisa was getting her hair colored. 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. It definitely flew out of control, and that was unfortunate. But the excitement we had, it feels like yesterday,” she said.
"It’s so strange to even think that it’s 30 years old," the Golden Globe winner said about Friends
“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. And we see each other. 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 continued.
The Abbott Elementary star sitting opposite her could relate, as she said, “Being a part of an ensemble like that — I’m part of one now only three years, and those people, they’re family. I can’t even imagine, because that was the ’90s, which is probably different.”
Jennifer Aniston said she and Matthew Perry were together on the day the comedy show premiered on television
Jennifer then mentioned how she and her Friends co-stars were protected from the wrath of the internet at the time.
“It was in the ’90s and 2000s, and we had a luxury of there not being social media or the internet, so we were so isolated and protected,” she said. “You weren’t faced with what people are commenting and ripping you apart or whatever. It was really an innocent time, where we could roam about the world a lot easier. But again, there weren’t phones. It’s not like hundreds of screens telling you what it is.”