Rachel's sisters on Friends made memorable appearances on several episodes, but there was a belief that the original sister was cut, causing a second sister to be introduced. The sisters, portrayed by Reese Witherspoon and Christina Applegate, each had two appearances on the series, but Jill and Amy Green were never on-screen at the same time — leading many to wonder if there was a controversial reason Reese Witherspoon never returned as Rachel's sister. Here's what played out for Jennifer Aniston's on-screen sisters and how the situation changed toward the end of the sitcom.
Friends had its share of relatives, both good and bad, who would pop up throughout the series. Though, except for Ross and Monica being siblings, the focus was never on the family members of the main characters. The exception would be when one appears for a guest run in the narrative, such as Chandler's Dad, Phoebe's brother Frank, or Jill and Amy Green. Rachel's sisters on Friends managed to make more of an impression due to the big-name stars in the roles and their funny storylines, but they never appeared together.
Rachel Green's Two Sisters In Friends Explained
Rachel's youngest sister, Jill Green (Witherspoon), made her first appearance in Friends season 6 with the episode "The One With Rachel's Sister." She came looking for Rachel after their father threatened to cut Jill off from his finances after buying a boat. Jill was also in hot water since she continued using her dad's money after memorizing his credit card numbers. Her arc only lasted two episodes, but she briefly entered a relationship with Ross to spite her older sister. When Jill made her first on-screen appearance, Phoebe specifically mentioned that Rachel had two sisters.
Rather than have Witherspoon back to reprise her role, the series introduced Rachel's second sister, Amy Green (Applegate), in Friends season 9. Amy was argumentative and extremely unlikeable, which made sense why Rachel made it clear that Jill was her favorite sister. She constantly called Emma by the wrong name and was greatly offended after she learned that she wasn't the child's godmother. Neither of Rachel's sisters was intended to have a huge part in Friends, but it was still noticeable that Jill never returned or was mentioned after her arc, and many noted that Rachel had never mentioned Amy by name prior to her episode.
Reese Witherspoon's Friend's Role Wasn't Cut Because Of A Feud
There was speculation that the writers created Amy's character as time went on because there was tension between Aniston and Witherspoon. They wanted to include Rachel Green's sister in the plot to add drama, but the on-set issues seemingly put an end to Witherspoon's return. There was already fuel added to the fire when it came to Aniston and Witherspoon's rocky relationship due to the fact that Witherspoon signed on for a six-episode arc in Friends season 6. This situation was cleared up, explaining that the episodes following her initial appearances were the alternate reality two-parter. Jill's presence wasn't necessary which was why the showrunners cut her arc short.
The tension between Aniston and her on-screen sister has also been denied by both actresses. There was interest in having Witherspoon return in season 9, but she had a scheduling conflict, so Applegate joined the series instead. It's not uncommon for long-lasting sitcoms like Friends to have plot holes such as Rachel's two sisters. It's also important to note that the show's creators wanted Jill to come back in season 10, but Witherspoon was pregnant and unavailable at the time, so they again went with Applegate.
After years of denying the supposed dislike for one another, Aniston and Witherspoon have squashed any remnants of the rumors. The two actresses are good friends and even co-starred together in a new show, leading the cast of 2019's The Morning Show. In fact, while promoting their forthcoming project, the actresses recreated one of their old scenes from Friends. The nostalgic moment was then shared by Witherspoon on her Instagram account. Instead of a Friends revival, maybe the network should investigate a spinoff featuring the Green sisters so that Aniston, Witherspoon, and Applegate could star together at the same time.
Playing Rachel's Sister Meant A Lot To Both
Along with Rachel's sister on Friends, the sitcom saw so many famous faces stopping by for quick appearances, from Brad Pitt to Julia Roberts to Bruce Willis to Jennifer Coolidge. Certainly, Reese Witherspoon and Christina Applegate rank among the best Friends guest stars, and even though they both have massive careers of their own, they remember their time on the show fondly. When on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Witherspoon proved she still knew her favorite line as Rachel tells Jill she can't have Ross, and Jill retorts, "The only thing I can't have is dairy."
The short but notable role wasn't just memorable for Reese Witherspoon though. Playing Rachel's sister on Friends was also ain important role for Christina Applegate. Even after starring in the likes of Married with Children, Anchorman, and Dead to Me, Applegate still looks back fondly on the guest starring role on Friends. She ended up winning an Emmy for her performance, though Applegate is quite humble about the accolade, saying (via Today.com) "it didn't feel like I was doing anything special in any way. I was just having so much fun."