Jennifer Aniston Reveals Why A-List Guest Stars On Friends Were Always 'Terrified'

Jen's ex-husband Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts were among the Hollywood stars who had cameos on the US sitcom.

After filming 236 episodes of Friends, Jennifer Aniston got very used to what was required from her during her ten year tenure on the show.

But the actor has revealed that the A-list film stars who put in guest appearances on the hit US sitcom, which included her ex-husband Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller and Bruce Willis, were left ”terrified” by the experience.

In a new interview between Jen and fellow actor Sebastian Stan in Variety for the publication’s Actors On Actors series, the Rachel Green star explained the big difference between making a TV show and filming a movie.

Brad Pitt appeared opposite his then Jennifer Aniston in 2001's Thanksgiving episode.
Brad Pitt appeared opposite his then Jennifer Aniston in 2001's Thanksgiving episode.
NBC

When Sebastian asked her if she found anything different about filming Apple TV’s The Morning Show, Jen said: “Well, Friends was — half-hour was so easy compared … I mean, you had an audience.”

“That sounds like the most terrifying thing ever,” Sebastian replied.

Jennifer then revealed: “And by the way, every actor who was a film actor who came onto our show, they were terrified. It was like, ‘Who are these people laughing at what I’m saying?’.”

Jennifer Aniston and Sebastian Stan on the cover of Variety
Jennifer Aniston and Sebastian Stan on the cover of Variety
Variety

Jennifer went on to reveal her shock at ever getting any roles because she was “terrified” of auditioning.

“I would walk into that room just shaking,” she said. “It’s a shock I ever got hired.

“I couldn’t get hired for like two years because I was just my own worst enemy walking into a room.”

Sebastian also (once again) asked Jennifer how she found last year’s Friends reunion, with the actor admitting the cast went into the special a little naïve to how tough they’d find it.

Jennifer Aniston: “You would have been a great cast member on #Friends… you would have been a Joey.”

Sebastian Stan: “I always came closest to Chandler.”

Jennifer Aniston: “Chandler?! ... You were a Chanandler Bong.” https://t.co/rRF6CQaKo7 pic.twitter.com/KnVZ81ebqF

— Variety (@Variety) June 9, 2022

“I don’t know we expected for it to sucker punch us as hard as it did in the emotional gut,” she said.

“We just had the idea this is going to be so fun – we’re going back to the sets exactly the way they were. And literally, every single nook on a shelf was the same. It was so creepy.”

Read the full interview here.

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