Jennifer Aniston Picks the ‘Friends’ Moment She’ll Never Forget

Jennifer Aniston recently shared her favorite moment from her time on Friends, the show that made her a household name as Rachel Green. While fans often remember Rachel for her messy trifle or her complicated relationship with Ross, Aniston’s favorite scene was a funny and chaotic one featuring guest star Ben Stiller.

In the episode, Stiller ends up in a ridiculous screaming match with a couple of farm animals. Talking about it, Aniston said, “An episode with Ben Stiller and the chick and the duck, me exploding with anger when I was pregnant and waiting to give birth and everyone else was going before me. There really are so many funny moments and so many amazing memories of that show. I’m very lucky.”

Rachel’s personality often leaned toward snappy and aggressive moments, especially when dealing with Ross. This gave the show plenty of humorous and salty interactions, with the rest of the gang tiptoeing around her.

Meanwhile, Phoebe’s mood swings while pregnant became another source of comic tension, highlighting the different ways the show used humor.

Although Friends was considered “only a TV show” by its producers, psychologists and researchers studied its cultural impact while it was on air. Aniston’s hairstyle, famously called “The Rachel,” was copied worldwide. Joey’s catchphrase, “How you doin’?”, became a part of everyday English, often used as a greeting or pick-up line.

A study by the University of Toronto found that the show influenced how people used the word “so” to emphasize adjectives, and Chandler’s habit of leaving sentences unfinished to add sarcasm also affected viewers’ speech.

Friends continues to reach new audiences thanks to streaming services. In 2018, it made up 4% of all Netflix views, introducing the show to a younger Gen Z crowd. Jennifer Aniston shared that her daughter’s friends even saw Friends as a “period piece” about the 1990s. One young fan described it as “aspirational … [kids hope] that when they’re that age … they’ll have those friends.”

The sitcom has also helped non-English speakers learn the language. A 2012 poll by Kaplan International English Colleges found that over a quarter of students said Friends was the best show for improving English. Notable figures like Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, BTS member RM, and golfer Thomas Pieters have all credited the show with helping them learn English.

Friends also changed the way people thought about family and friendship. It showed young people living unconventional lives, forming families through choice, and supporting each other. According to a pop-culture expert at the University at Buffalo, Friends is “one of those rare shows that marked a change in American culture.” The show highlighted friendships as a central part of life, showing how friends can become a family while navigating challenges together.

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