“I’ll be there for you” was what Friends promised in its oh-so-familiar theme song (clap clap clap clap), and 18 years since the iconic NBC sitcom ended, that still seems to be true. The six main characters may not hang out at Central Perk anymore, but the actors who played Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey and Monica have been known to keep in touch. Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox just did that in celebration of Lisa Kudrow’s birthday, and it just makes my little Friends-loving heart so happy that the love between them is still strong.
Lisa Kudrow, who played the flighty Phoebe Buffay on Friends’ 10 seasons, celebrated her 59th birthday on July 30, and to mark the occasion, Jennifer Aniston shared a series of photos to Instagram stories, including a photo of the Rachel Green actress kissing Kudrow’s head and sweet throwback shot of the actresses:
Jennifer Aniston also shared a clip of a classic Friends scene in which Rachel and Phoebe jump up and down in excitement to try to keep Ross from looking out the window and seeing Monica and Chandler (who had some of the cutest moments together) having sex in the apartment across the street.
Lisa Kudrow may not remember much from the filming of Friends, but I love that even the actresses call back to those fun moments from the series. Courteney Cox has also said she doesn’t have a lot of memories regarding the show — which ran from 1994 to 2004 on NBC — but one thing that is absolutely unforgettable is Kudrow’s infectious laugh, which the Monica Gellar actress captured in her own video on Instagram Stories:
The Friends cast took that fabled trip to Vegas nearly three decades ago, and they’ve been close ever since. The six actors — who also include Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry — have been known to reconnect from time to time for dinners or vacations, or to collaborate on one of their projects. But 2021’s Friends: The Reunion was the first time all of them had been on-screen together, and it was easy to see from their emotional reactions when they returned to the set how much they all meant to each other. Aniston even said she had to walk out a few times.
The moments that the actors share showing that they’re still friends in real life after all these years means so much to the fans who have been through multiple rewatches of the series and can quote every episode. They know the series so well, in fact, that in June when Jennifer Aniston appeared in an Instagram photo, wearing one of Courteney Cox’s dresses from the show, fans immediately recognized it and proceeded to go gaga over the wardrobe sighting.
It’s unlikely the Friends will get together for another reunion, so we’ll just continue to find happiness in all of these little moments between the actors. All 10 seasons of the beloved series, including Friends: The Reunion, are available for streaming to HBO Max subscribers.
