Jennifer Aniston has said that reprising her Friends character Rachel Green would be physically impossible after the death of her co-star, Matthew Perry.
Discussing the prospect of a Friends sequel, Aniston was adamant that it could not go ahead without Perry, who died in 2023 from accidental drowning following a ketamine overdose.
“It would be literally, physically impossible,” Aniston said in a new interview.
Aniston, one of the six leads in the sitcom that ran from 1994 to 2004, said that Perry took refuge in laughter and comedy while he was dealing with depression and addiction.
“It’s heartbreaking that he had so many demons,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “But boy, for someone who had that much inner turmoil, he sure got to laugh a lot, and that was everything to him.”
Aniston said she looks back fondly at her time with her co-stars, who also included Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc.
“It completely formed who I was. It was pure joy,” she said. "I looked forward to it every day. I couldn't wait to get to work. I couldn't wait to see those people. I couldn't wait to read the scripts – we'd shoot the show every Friday night, and right after we wrapped, we'd find the new script for Monday morning in our dressing room. I was just as excited to find out what was going to happen as I'm sure the audience was.”
While a reboot isn’t on the cards, Aniston said that a new generation of viewers have embraced the show and found comfort in it.
“People will say that they go back and watch episodes to help their mental health – that if they’re stressed about the news or the world, they’ll just sit down and watch a Friends episode. And that’s the ultimate compliment,” she said.
Aniston revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair that the final time the entire group was all reunited was in 2021 for an official event, Friends: The Reunion.
“We did everything we could when we could,” Aniston said. “But it almost felt like we’d been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight.”
“As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better. I’m glad he’s out of that pain."
An investigation was launched into Perry’s death, with two doctors and a dealer known as the “ketamine queen” among five people charged in relation to his overdose.
Perry was open about his three-decade-long struggle with addiction, which resulted in him visiting rehab 15 times over his lifetime, and having a number of near-death experiences.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
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