In the treasured time capsule of the ’90s, the legendary sitcom Friends melted the hearts of millions with captivating narratives of friendship. Among the ones portraying the endearing personas of the Central Perk six on screen were equally adored actors Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry. Together, Aniston’s sassy style as Rachel and Perry’s witty sarcasm, as Chandler created innumerable humorous moments on the NBC show. However, even before, they teamed up to infuse laughter into the fabric of Friends, these two stars had crossed paths years ago. 

In Aniston’s words, here is the story of what transpired between them before Friends. 

The tale of Aniston and Perry’s first meeting

During an Actors on Actors segment by Variety in June 2020, Aniston and Kudrow discussed their initial days on the show extensively. One thing that Aniston delved into was the “magical moment” Friends’ cast first met each other. While revealing which actor she had met when, the now 54-year-old revealed having “known Perry forever” before meeting him at the first reading of the script.

Some diehard Friends fans may have already known this fact since Matthew Perry also mentioned it in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. According to Perry’s statements, the two Friends stars had met three years before through mutual friends before crossing paths again through the NBC sitcom. Not only did Perry reveal their meeting, but also an intriguing exchange that occurred between them during it!

The now-deceased actor shocked fans by revealing that he was infatuated with her after their first encounter.

When Matthew Perry wanted to date Jennifer Aniston

In his unabashedly honest tell-all memoir, the 17 Again actor had confessed the truth of his relationship with Aniston from the first moment they met. The actor took a liking to the Murder Mystery actress the moment he set eyes on her. However, when he asked her out on a date, she rejected his proposal. Still, this did not diminish Perry’s feelings for her. 

When they reunited on the sets of Friends years later, Perry confessed that his crush re-ignited. Well, he even began to wish she would one day notice him and return his love. Although his love stayed unrequited, the Fools Rush In actor continued to wonder if she was ‘the one’ for years before moving on. Despite the muddled beginnings, the two actors would go on to become close friends until the day Perry tragically passed away. 

Did you know that Aniston and Perry shared history before meeting on Friends? Let us know your answers in the comments.