Despite its premiere over two decades ago, Friends continues to be an integral part of daily entertainment for many, thanks to streaming services like Netflix which keep the beloved sitcom accessible.
As September approaches, Friends is on the brink of celebrating a major milestone — its 30th anniversary, with its debut back in September 1994.
The upcoming anniversary is tinged with sadness for the cast following the unexpected passing of Matthew Perry last year, who famously played Chandler Bing.
Recently, Jennifer Aniston discussed these emotions during Variety’s annual ‘Actors on Actors’ series, where she was paired with Quinta Brunson from Abbott Elementary.
Brunson, taking the lead in the conversation, asked Aniston about her current feelings towards watching Friends. Aniston, visibly moved, responded, “Don’t make me cry,” even as she began to tear up.
Seeing Aniston’s reaction, Brunson offered a pause, saying, “Do you want a minute? We don’t have to talk about [Friends].”
@varietymagazine Jennifer Aniston gets emotional when asked about “Friends.” #ActorsOnActors
Aniston, gathering herself, mentioned she was reminiscing about a particularly touching memory which was the reason behind her tears, clarifying, “It’s happy tears.”
She humorously added that it was a ‘coincidence’ that both she and Friends were hitting the 30-year mark, to which Brunson humorously responded, “When you were a baby on that show, you were so advanced.”
Aniston expressed amazement at the show’s age, reminiscing about the day Friends first aired. “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 [Kudrow] was getting her hair colored,” she recalled.
Aniston shared a playful memory from that day, “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.”
Although the Friends cast reunited for a special episode in 2021, it’s still uncertain if they will come together again to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the show.