Jennifer Aniston is surely no stranger to imitation. Ever since Aniston first showed up as Rachel Green on the classic sitcom Friends back in the ‘90s, people have been trying to perfect her hair, her style (hello, mock turtleneck), and everything else. But TikToker "she_plusthree" seemed to nail it, going viral with a video of her lip-syncing to a Rachel rant from the former NBC series, and the doppelgänger's effort actually made its way back to her muse.
Jennifer Aniston revealed in a recent interview with InStyle that she has seen the TikTok video, and while she has mixed feelings in general about people claiming they look and/or sound like her, Aniston said she was shocked by her TikTok twin.
A friend sent that to me — I watched it, and it freaked me out. She's not exactly like me, but of all the people who have said, ‘I look just like you,’ she was pretty close. Sometimes you say, ‘Thanks?’ And other times it's, ‘Wow, thank you.’
Validation from Rachel Green herself! That reaction had to be exciting for “Not Jennifer Aniston,” as the TikToker’s profile reads. The doppelgänger had the enviable Rachel-like haircut, complete with highlights, as well as beautiful blue eyes, which already put her well on her way to positive lookalike reactions, and it definitely sounds like Aniston has seen her share of bad impersonations to compare it to.
There’s no doubt Jennifer Aniston can’t interact with fans without getting Rachel Green’s lines thrown back to her, since Friends fans are rabid about being able to quote the iconic show. It must be strange for Aniston and the other actors to hear so many people try to mimic their voices and mannerisms. Aniston touched on that subject, saying that former Saturday Night Live cast member Vanessa Bayer did the best impression of her, to the point that it possible hit too close to home for pure comfort.
They played it for me and [gasps], 'That is so not the way I sound.’ Then I was like, ‘Uh, oh. Oh, I see.’ Everyone said it was a compliment, but I had to really get my brain around that and tuck my little tail between my legs, thinking I'm being made fun of. That's always the gut instinct: ‘They're making fun of me.’
The obvious difference between the professional impersonator and the lip-synched TikTok video is that the doppelgänger obviously didn’t have to try to capture Rachel’s voice on top of the look. It’s all in good fun anyway, as Jennifer Aniston said she appreciates self-deprecation, which seems like an important and wonderful attitude to have when dealing with the immortality of a highly replicated series like Friends. Being able to laugh about the parts of the show that fans hold dear is something Aniston seems to be pretty good at, as evidenced by her recent social media post that reignited the debate over whether or not Ross and Rachel were on a break.
All ten seasons of Friends, as well as Friends: The Reunion are available for streaming on HBO Max, which means fans can continue to relive their favorite Friends moments while new fans are still being created. So it’s unlikely that Jennifer Aniston and the rest of the Central Perk gang will see an end to the imitations of their legendary characters. At least it is the sincerest form of flattery. Before you go, check out our 2021 Summer TV schedule to stay up to date on your favorite shows.
