Friends is one of the best sitcoms of all time, and it's brought comfort to its fans. A major part of the show's success has been the chemistry of the cast, who forged tight bonds that have endured since the show ended over two decades ago. One such long-lasting friendship to surprisingly result from the show is the one between Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. Witherspoon recently gushed over the lovely way they first bonded on set, and the support she’s felt from Anison ever since.
Witherspoon was starting to gain some serious momentum when she appeared as Rachel Green’s sister, having just come off a year with two hit movies, Cruel Intentions and Election. She was still very young, though, (only 23) when she guest starred on Friends, and her life was already moving really fast. The Legally Blonde actress told The New York Times that being a public figure, while also navigating early marriage and motherhood was tough. However, she really leaned on her on-screen older sister after meeting her on the set of Friends:
As I got a little bit older, Jennifer Aniston was really helpful for me, navigating personal life and tabloid curiosity and also shutting out all the noise. We played sisters on ‘Friends.’ I remember I brought my baby, Ava. Ava was only three months old when I was on ‘Friends’ in 1999. And I remember Courteney [Cox] and Jen coming to my dressing room and knocking on the door and going, ‘We heard you have a baby!’ I was like: ‘I do. I have a baby!’ They were like: ‘Can we see it? Oh, my God, this is so cool.’
I imagine that hearing that reaction from Aniston and Cox must have been so heartwarming. At least, that's the feeling I get, given the Big Little Lies actress told NYT that a lot of people told her having kids so early would hinder her acting career. I honestly can’t imagine having an acting career take off while also parenting a newborn.
Reese Witherspoon got married to Ryan Phillippe in 1999 (but divorced in 2008), and the couple had their daughter three months later. It sounds like the Sweet Home Alabama actress had to grow up pretty quickly. I'd be tempted to think it must've been nice for Witherspoon to have another actress a few years older to help her navigate the Hollywood of it all. After that guest spot on Friends, the Aniston/Witherspoon friendship just blossomed, according to the latter:
And I just remember them being so kind about it. That kindness opened a door for me to ask Jennifer a lot of questions when I went through breakups or a really public divorce, and she was just always very generous with advice and care.
Isn’t that what friends (and surrogate older sisters) are for? Hearing Witherspoon talk about her bond with the We’re The Millers actress makes me wish we had seen them play sisters on Friends for more than two episodes. Perhaps, similar to the other Green sister, played just as excellently by Christina Applegate, Jill could have returned in a later season. Check out a clip of Rachel and Jill together:
Witherspoon did admit the producers asked her back on Friends but that she was so terrified the first time by the live studio audience. With that, she hasn’t performed in front of one since. However, it seems clear that she has no regrets about her short stint on the hit show, saying it was surreal to sit on the famous Central Perk couch and hear Matt LeBlanc ask her, “How you doin’?”
Of course, Reese Witherspoon also gained a firm friend in Jennifer Aniston as a result of the experience, as the two are still going strong well into their 40s and 50s. Luckily, these two BFFs have worked together again since then. They're currently starring on the Emmy-winning series The Morning Show. This time around, they play frenemies but, according to an executive producer, we will get to see the pair's characters, Alex and Bradley, bring out the best of each other as their relationship develops.
This bond all started with Friends, of course, and I remain grateful that it resulted in Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston becoming close friends. You can stream all 10 seasons of the comedy series now using an HBO Max subscription. Also, check out Aniston and Witherspoon on The Morning Show Season 4, as new episodes drop for Apple TV+ subscription holders on Wednesdays.
