Jennifer Aniston reflected on former husband Brad Pitt’s guest appearance on ‘Friends’ during a conversation with Lisa Kudrow in Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’, released on June 3.
More than two decades after Pitt’s appearance on the hit sitcom, Aniston shared fond memories of the episode while discussing the programme’s long list of celebrity guest stars.
“When Brad was on, that was hilarious,” Kudrow told Aniston during the interview.
“I know. How funny,” Aniston replied before recalling some of the other high-profile names who appeared on the series.
“The movie stars that came on Friends. Brad, Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts. Isabella Rossellini. We had so many. Sean Penn.”
The discussion then turned to the experience of working with guest stars on the show.
“They were always nervous. Remember? I always found it fascinating how nervous they were,” Aniston said.
Kudrow agreed, explaining that many guest actors were unsure how to approach the show’s unique style and tone.
“Yes. Nervous. Well, because what’s the tone? It’s not theatre; it’s for TV. It’s not a movie. What the hell is this? And it’s a good question,” Kudrow said.
She recalled advising guest performers: “Oh, just talk louder. Same intention, just—”
“Just louder!” Aniston interjected.
Pitt appeared in the eighth season Thanksgiving episode titled ‘The One with the Rumor’, which aired in 2001. He played Will Colbert, a former schoolmate of Ross Geller, portrayed by David Schwimmer. The character famously belonged to an “I Hate Rachel” club alongside Ross during their school years.
At the time of filming, Pitt and Aniston were married. The couple remained together for five years before divorcing in 2005.
In a separate interview with Vanity Fair in August 2025, Aniston reflected on the end of the marriage and the intense media attention that surrounded it.
“I just remember the experience of doing it, which was kind of jarring,” she said. “It was also such a vulnerable time. But yeah, that was one for the memoirs.”
Aniston also described the media environment of the period as particularly difficult.
“Journalism back then felt more like a form of a sport,” she said. “There’s obviously some PTSD we all have, which is why interviews scare me.”
