James McAvoy revealed that his initial meeting with his celebrity crush, Jennifer Aniston, didn’t go as planned, describing the encounter as ‘not great’ during a recollection of the awkward moment involving the Friends star.
It’s common to feel nervous when talking to someone you have a crush on, but the pressure undoubtedly increases when that person is a major celebrity.
Jennifer Aniston has been in the spotlight for decades, largely due to her iconic role in Friends. Therefore, it’s no shock that McAvoy, like many others, admired her when he was younger.
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, the now 45-year-old actor confessed to having had a ‘childhood crush’ on Aniston. Cohen then inquired whether McAvoy had ever met the actress.
Recalling the awkward encounter, McAvoy shared: “I did meet her and it wasn’t great. Not because she’s not great.”
The incident took place at a party in Los Angeles over 20 years ago, where McAvoy first encountered Charlie’s Angels actor, Lucy Liu.
“Lucy Liu was really, really nice to me and she was like, ‘Come meet my friends,'” McAvoy recounted.
One of Liu’s friends happened to be Jennifer Aniston, and McAvoy found himself ‘parked right beside Jennifer Aniston’.
Continuing the story, he said: “And just as [Liu] was like, ‘Hey, guys, meet my new friend James,’ instead of saying that, she got pulled aside by a guy she went to high school with…
“She went away and I was just left standing with all these people going, ‘Hey, what’s up, I’m new in town’.”
At the age of 22, McAvoy tried to make an impression by stating the obvious to Aniston, saying: “So you’re Jennifer Aniston and you’re in Friends.”
McAvoy’s reveal of his comment made Cohen cringe, as it wasn’t the most engaging way to start a conversation, given that Aniston knew she starred in Friends.
Reflecting on the moment, McAvoy admitted: “It was rough.”
Fortunately, Aniston didn’t hold the awkward encounter against him, with McAvoy emphasizing that she was ‘lovely’.
Since then, Aniston’s fame has only grown, with roles in productions like Murder Mystery and The Morning Show. McAvoy has also carved out a successful career in the entertainment industry.
He has appeared in numerous films, including the X-Men series, M. Night Shyamalan’s Split series, and IT Chapter Two. His latest project is the psychological horror movie Speak No Evil.