"Friends" Reunion: Ross And Rachel Almost Happened In Real Life, Giving Hope to Average Men Everywhere
While it's simply not acceptable to make Friends quotes your whole personality in 2021, none among us can say we haven't at one point been sucked down the cozy binging rabbit hole of the hit sitcom.
The beloved NBC show ran from 1994 to 2004, consistently scoring high ratings and becoming a cultural touchstone. Ever since the show went off air, fans have been hoping for a reunion of the six New Yorkers. They finally got their wish last night when HBO Max released Friends: The Reunion special, hosted by James Corden.
The special saw Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry reunited at last and discussing their time on the show.
At one point Corden asked the cast if there had ever been any off-screen romances among the cast members. Aniston spoke up and encouraged Schwimmer to answer the question as the audience laughed.
"I mean, the first season, I had a major crush on Jen. At some point, we were crushing hard on each other," Schwimmer chimed in. Aniston then clarified that the attraction was mutual. "But it was like two ships passing, because one of us was always in a relationship and we never crossed that boundary. We respected that," Schwimmer added.
"Bulls---," Matt LeBlanc then joked under his breath, drawing laughter from the audience.
Apparently, things were romantic enough between the two for Aniston to have discussed the possibility of an offscreen first kiss with Schwimmer. "Honestly, I remember saying one time to David, 'It's going to be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is going to be on national television,'" she said. "Sure enough, first time we kissed was in that coffee shop."
She continued, "So we just channeled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel."
Schwimmer went on the detail the cozy relationship between the pair at the beginning of the show's run. "When we had breaks from rehearsal, there were moments where we would cuddle on the couch," he said.
As the interview continued, both Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox said that they were well aware of the romantic tension between Aniston and Schwimmer.
Cox eventually commented that she thinks it was a good thing that the romance never came to fruition. "How great though, ultimately," she said. "Because if you had [acted on it] and it didn't work out, it would have not probably been as great [on the show]."
If there's anything we can take from this news, its that nothing breeds attraction like proximity. If David Schwimmer had a real life shot with Jennifer Aniston, there's hope for us all.