Jennifer Aniston surprised fans by making a rare public reference to former husband Brad Pitt while reminiscing about Friends alongside co-star Lisa Kudrow. The actresses reunited for Variety's Actors on Actors series, where they reflected on their decade starring together in the hit sitcom and discussed some of the show's most memorable guest appearances.
During their conversation, the pair looked back on the many Hollywood stars who appeared on the series, including Aniston's ex-husband Brad Pitt, whose guest role remains one of the show's most talked-about celebrity cameos. Pitt appeared in the eighth season of Friends in 2002, playing Will Colbert, a former high-school classmate of Ross and Monica Geller who harboured a deep dislike of Rachel. The appearance came while Pitt and Aniston were still married, several years before their split in 2005.
Discussing some of their favourite episodes, Aniston asked Kudrow: 'Did you like the Thanksgiving episodes? Those were fun.' Kudrow replied: 'Yes. Those were great, the Thanksgiving episodes. When Brad was on, that was hilarious.' Aniston then reflected on the calibre of stars who appeared on the sitcom over the years, saying: 'I know. How funny. The movie stars that came on Friends. Brad, Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts. Isabella Rossellini. We had so many - Sean Penn. They were always nervous. Remember? I always found it fascinating how nervous they were.'
Kudrow agreed, revealing many guest stars were uncertain about how to approach the unique style of the sitcom. 'Yes. Nervous. Well, because what's the tone? It's not theater; it's for TV. It's not a movie. What the hell is this?' she said. 'And it's a good question. And I remember someone asked one time. I didn't know how to explain it, so I said, "Oh, just talk louder. Same intention, just -"'
The exchange caught the attention of fans, as Aniston rarely speaks publicly about Pitt despite the pair maintaining an amicable relationship in recent years. Their romance began in 1998 and they married in a lavish Malibu ceremony in 2000 before announcing their separation in January 2005. Today, Pitt is in a long-term relationship with jewellery executive Ines de Ramon, while Aniston is dating wellness expert Jim Curtis.
