Friends alum Matthew Perry reveals that he had a crush on co-star Jennifer Aniston, and that his attempt to ask her out did not go well. Still enjoying immense cultural relevancy across the globe almost two decades after its last episode, the enduring success of Friends can be attributed to the chemistry of its six leads. Their easy dynamic and quick interplay always had a way of making even the simplest storylines work incredibly well.
That was on display during HBO Max's recent Friends reunion special, which saw the actors gathering to reflect on the legacy they helped to create. One of the big takeaways from the special, though, was the admission that Aniston had a crush on David Schwimmer that she never acted on. Considering that the pair played iconic couple Ross and Rachel, of course, it was a big moment for fans of the decade-defining sitcom. However, as it turns out, Aniston wasn't the only Friends cast member harboring a crush.
In his new memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, which will be released on November 1, Perry writes about how he knew Aniston long before his time as Chandler Bing on Friends. The two actors had met three years earlier. In the excerpt from The Times, which can be read below, Perry recalls an awkward phone conversation with Aniston and how he might have sensed something that wasn't exactly mutual. Still, once they started to work together, a true friendship did form.
We sat around the table and all met each other for the first time. That is, except me and Jennifer Aniston. Jennifer and I had met through mutual acquaintances about three years earlier. I was immediately taken by her (how could I not be?) and liked her, and I got the sense she was intrigued too – maybe it was going to be something. Back then I got two jobs in one day – one was Haywire, an America’s Funniest Home Videos-type show, and the other was a sitcom. So I called Jennifer and I said, “You’re the first person I wanted to tell this to.”
Bad idea. I could feel ice forming through the phone. Looking back, it was clear that this made her think I liked her too much or in the wrong kind of way… and I only compounded the error by then asking her out. She declined (which made it very difficult to actually go out with her), but said that she’d love to be friends with me, and I compounded the compound by blurting, “We can’t be friends!”
Now, a few years later, ironically we were friends. Fortunately, even though I was still attracted to her and thought she was so great, that first day we were able to sail right past the past and focus on the fact that we had both gotten the best job Hollywood had to offer.
Friends Wasted The Chemistry Between Aniston & Perry
Perry would grow to have a much more robust friendship with Aniston, even later candidly discussing how she helped him during a dark period in his life. This was rarely reflected on Friends, as Chandler and Rachel have comparatively few stories together over the course of ten seasons. In its early years, the sitcom seemed to building up their unique interactions. He kind of annoys her, and he doesn't fully understand her, but they're supportive of each other and get into a few hilarious mishaps.
With the exception of the cheesecake episode of Friends, which is considered an underrated classic, the later seasons abandon this build-up. Like a lot of shows that find success with certain pairings, Friends sticks to what is most familiar and becomes less willing to bring in old recurring guests and smaller dynamics that fans enjoyed. Ross and Rachel reigned supreme, while Rachel's friendship with Chandler fell to the wayside. Still, Perry's story does go a long way in explaining why the few Rachel and Chandler moments did tend to come with a little added spark.
Source: The Times