The classic NBC sitcom Friends has given fans a lot of laughs over the years. Even for those like myself, who have seen every episode multiple times and can quote entire chunks of dialogue, the antics of Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Joey and Chandler don’t ever really get old. If the actual show wasn’t funny enough, we’ve been blessed with tons of bloopers from the cast’s decade of filming, and one involving Jennifer Aniston accidentally answering her cell phone in the middle of filming a scene has been going viral on Facebook and Instagram again recently, entertaining fans anew.
In the Season 7 episode “The One With Joey’s New Brain,” Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) argue over who gets to go out with the cute guy who left his phone at Central Perk. At one point, Rachel calls the guy’s phone to prove Phoebe had stolen it from her, dealing Aniston quite a big surprise. Check out the hilarious outtake:
It turns out Jennifer Aniston was using her own cell phone during shooting (God bless the early aughts flip phone), and somehow as she grabbed her phone during the scene, she either dialed out or answered a call, because when she held the phone to her ear on set, there was someone on the other end of the line! The actress said:
Whoa, somebody’s actually here. Hello? Hi! Let me call you right back, I’m doing a scene.
Who was on the other end of the call? I’m not sure Jennifer Aniston has ever said — or if she’d even remember at this point, given the episode first aired over 20 years ago. However, I’d love to imagine it was Brad Pitt, the actress’ husband at the time. Even though Pitt did make a cameo a year later in Season 8’s “The One With the Rumor,” it’s kind of fun to imagine he might have a place in Friends lore even before that.
The bloopers that have come out over the years make it look like the six main actors had such a blast on set. Lisa Kudrow’s laugh is especially infectious — which Courteney Cox referenced in her and Jennifer Aniston’s birthday posts honoring the Phoebe actress — and it’s so funny to watch the actors set each other off and then struggle to collect themselves enough to finish the scene. That would have been an amazing live audience to be a part of.
Friends aired its last episode in 2004, but the cast reconvened in 2021 for an emotional reunion special, in which they reminisced about classic scenes, their spectacular ‘90s fashion and whether or not Ross and Rachel were on a break. Even though it was a huge hit with fans, Courteney Cox has shot down the idea that another reunion could happen down the road. Friends: The Reunion, as well as all 10 seasons of the series, is available for streaming with an HBO Max subscription.
