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Long before Friends became a global phenomenon, Jennifer Aniston faced a harsh reality check from a TV producer. The warning? Friends wouldn’t make her a star. During her struggle between the two shows, she got unsolicited advice that would ultimately shape her career.
Back in the day, Aniston was juggling some severe TV drama. She’d already filmed a few episodes of Muddling Through, which was in a head-to-head battle with her role as Rachel Green on Friends. Things got so heated that producers were even thinking about recasting her. In a recent chat with Gayle King, Aniston confessed that she knew Muddling Through wasn’t her vibe: “I love this other show that I’m doing,” she told the producers, basically asking for a get-out-of-jail-free card.
But here’s where it gets interesting—Aniston walked up to the Muddling Through producer and asked to be let go. The response? Unexpected. “I’ve seen that show Friends. I saw that show. I saw the pilot. That’s not going to make you a star. This show will make you a star.” Well, you can guess what happened next—Friends became a freakin’ legend, and Aniston went on to become one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood.
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Looking back, it’s wild to think that a show like Friends—now regarded as one of the most successful sitcoms ever—was once doubted by those who were supposed to make the big calls. Fast forward, and Aniston’s career in films flourished, with notable projects like Murder Mystery 2 on Netflix, but her Friends roots remained at the core of her stardom.
And yet, Friends didn’t come without its controversies. Aniston recently opened up about how comedy, particularly the humor of Friends, has evolved over the years. “Comedy has evolved so much that it’s tricky these days,” she explained. “You could joke about a bigot and laugh—it was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were.” But as Aniston pointed out, these kinds of jokes aren’t easy to make anymore, and a whole new generation is returning to Friends and finding it offensive.
Aniston acknowledged that there were moments that, with today’s sensitivity, might not have aged well. She emphasized the importance of humor in today’s world, saying, “Everybody needs funny! The world needs humor!” Still, the fact remains that Friends was a product of its time, and its lack of diversity—something that has been called out in recent years—continues to spark conversations. Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay, explained that the show’s creators had no business tackling stories about people of color, given their backgrounds.
Though Friends was undoubtedly groundbreaking in many ways, it’s a show that will forever be tied to the complicated dynamics of its era—and Jennifer Aniston, despite those early doubts, remains a star because of it.
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