Jennifer Aniston surprised fans with a rare comment about her ex-husband Brad Pitt during a reunion with her Friends co-star Lisa Kudrow for Variety's Actors on Actors series.
Aniston and Kudrow Reflect on Guest Stars
Aniston, 57, who played Rachel Greene alongside Kudrow's Phoebe Buffay on the iconic sitcom from 1994 to 2004, praised Pitt, 62, as the pair discussed the show's best guest stars. Pitt made a memorable appearance in 2002's season eight as Monica and Ross's former high school friend Will Colbert, who hated Rachel. At the time, he and Aniston were still married; they split in 2005.
Aniston asked Kudrow, "Did you like the Thanksgiving episodes? Those were fun." Kudrow, known for The Comeback, responded, "Yes. Those were great, the Thanksgiving episodes. When Brad was on, that was hilarious." Aniston replied, "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 added, "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? 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 —'"
Aniston and Pitt's Relationship History
Aniston and Pitt had one of Hollywood's hottest romances, which began in 1998. They married in a lavish Malibu ceremony in 2000 but announced their split in January 2005. Pitt was later linked to Angelina Jolie after working together on Mr. & Mrs. Smith, confirming their relationship shortly after his divorce from Aniston was finalized. They welcomed their first child, daughter Shiloh, in May 2006, and twins Vivienne and Knox two years later. Pitt and Jolie married in 2014 and filed for divorce in 2016.
Aniston and Pitt have been on good terms in recent years. Pitt attended her 50th birthday bash in 2019, and at the 2020 Actor Awards, they were seen hugging and laughing together backstage, delighting fans. Pitt is now in a nearly four-year romance with Ines de Ramon, 34, while Aniston is dating wellness expert Jim Curtis.
Friends Cast and Residuals
Aniston and Kudrow starred on Friends alongside Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and the late Matthew Perry. The cast famously negotiated their salaries together, rising from $22,500 per episode in the first season to $1 million each by the final two seasons. They reunited for a one-off special on HBO Max in 2021, reportedly earning $2.5 million each for their reprisals.
Speaking to The Times recently, Kudrow said she has only recently been able to "appreciate just how great" the show was. "There was a genius at work. And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again," she told the publication. Kudrow also revealed the cast still makes around $20 million a year in residuals from the show.
