Today, when Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston come up in conversation many think of their streaming Apple TV+ subscription series, The Morning Show. But, if you are familiar with either, you likely know they had a small stint 25 years ago on Friends. Witherspoon played Rachel Green’s kid sister, Jill, and hasn’t been shy in recounting her surreal experience on set and acting for a crowd. Apparently, the 49-year-old revealed a new tidbit not even her current co-star knew.
Without question, Friends is far and away one of the most influential and best sitcoms ever. Between live tapings, the palpable chemistry and talent of the six person cast, the iconic series was big even then, bringing in great guest stars.
And the Big Little Lies actress’ guest appearance came up while the two A-listers interviewed each other for ET (per its Instagram). After sharing that Aniston was sweet then, she couldn’t do more than two episodes because she was terrified of the theater element. With that, Witherspoon asked the Rachel Green actress if she’d ever done it again:
Do you know how many times I've been in front of a live audience since?
After the question was posed, The Morning Show Season 4 co-stars locked eyes with one another in anticipation of the others’ reaction. The 56-year-old confirmed she didn’t know the count and was baffled at the answer after Witherspoon after showing the count with her hands.
No. [Witherspoon makes a zero with her hands] Zero?
It really does showcase how deep this fear went and apparently still is for her. As mentioned, the Legally Blonde star still considers her Friends guest spot as one of her scariest moments ever. So, all of it does make sense, but she explains some of her initial thoughts, including remorse about the gig:
I thought it was so terrifying. I would never do it again. And I kind of regret it cuz they all asked me to come back and do it again. And I was like, ‘I'm too scared.’
Who knew there was something so jarring to Witherspoon? In my mind, I don’t think there are more than a handful of moments for her that are anything less than her signature hopeful sunshine-y self. But, everyone has something they’re at least fearful of including high profile celebs. Although, I’d be lying if the confession doesn’t retroactively make me want more Jill Green episodes, she would’ve been even better with a few more episodes.
For my own good, I won’t dwell on what could’ve been for Witherspoon’s stint on the live Friends stage. Legally Blonde was right around the corner anyway. Plus, we’ve had the pair of actresses behind the Green sisters back on screen together for a few years now. Speaking of, The Morning Show returns today, September 17, with its Season 4 premiere on the 2025 TV schedule.
If you’d like to catch or rewatch Witherspoon as Aniston’s fictional sister on Friends, that classic sitcom can be streamed in full with an active HBO Max subscription.
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