“Friends” ended more than two decades ago, but Jennifer Aniston marvels at how the classic sitcom still resonates with viewers.
“People will say that they go back and watch episodes to help their mental health — that if they’re stressed about the news or the world, they’ll just sit down and watch a ‘Friends’ episode. And that’s the ultimate compliment,” she told Harper’s Bazaar UK.
Aniston remains grateful for the impact “Friends” had on her own life, pointing out she was equally curious as viewers were to find out what direction the series would go.
“It completely formed who I was,” she said. “It was pure joy. I looked forward to it every day. I couldn’t wait to get to work. I couldn’t wait to see those people. I couldn’t wait to read the scripts — we’d shoot the show every Friday night, and right after we wrapped, we’d find the new script for Monday morning in our dressing room. I was just as excited to find out what was going to happen as I’m sure the audience was.”
“Friends” remains a popular show among viewers to this day.NBC
The “Friends” cast got together for a highly anticipated reunion on Max in 2021, but Aniston says no one should expect any further reboot or sequel.
“It would be literally, physically impossible,” she said.
In 2023, co-star Matthew Perry died of acute effects of ketamine, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Aniston had said previously that she would be interested in revisiting her character of Rachel Green.
“Listen, I’ve told you this, I would do it,” she said on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2019.
In 2018, she also told James Corden on “The Late Late Show” that she, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow would do “a remake of ‘The Golden Girls’ in 40 years.”
However, Aniston told Howard Stern in 2019 that a reboot “won’t be even close to as good as what it was, so why do it? It would ruin it.”
Matt LeBlanc has also closed down the idea of any sort of reboot.
“Like, ‘Old Friends’? Personally, I don’t think so,” he told Steve Harvey in 2018. “I’ve talked to the writers about it. That show was about a very finite period in your life, between 20 and 30, when you’re out of school but your life hadn’t really started yet and your friends are your family, and you’re kind of finding your way. When that period is over, it’s over.”