Jennifer Aniston Recalls “Really Intense” Friends Reunion

Back in 2021, fans of the hit sitcom Friends were delighted when the show’s cast reunited for the first time in 16 years in the HBO Max reunion special. Aptly titled Friends: The Reunion, the one-off episode included iconic scene re-creations, a string of cameo appearances, and an A-list celebrity singalong. Speaking in a recent interview, Jennifer Aniston reflected on the HBO Max special, revealing that Friends: The Reunion was more “intense” than she had anticipated.

During an April 2023 appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Aniston — who played Rachel Green throughout the show’s 10-season run — said “no one really expected” just how emotional the reunion episode would end up being.

“It was [a] sucker punch,” the actor recalled. “Because in your mind you’re like, ‘Oh, time travel. That sounds really cool.’ And then you’re there and you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s really intense’ — because so much has happened since.”

This isn’t the first time Aniston has recalled her experience filming the special. Speaking in 2021 on the Literally! with Robe Lowe podcast, Aniston described the episode as “nostalgic in a way that’s kind of also a little melancholy.” She continued: “A lot has changed. We have all gone down different roads. Some easy and some not-so-easy, for each of us.”

Meanwhile, during her Live with Kelly and Ryan appearance, The Morning Show star also touched upon her “crush” on Friends co-star David Schimmer. “We just let it play out on TV,” Aniston said of their feelings towards each other at the time.

The actor went on to confirm that her first kiss with Schwimmer (aka Ross Geller) was on screen, and when asked by host Kelly Ripa if the kiss felt “weird,” Anistion responded: “Well... it was quite enjoyable actually.”