All about Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston’s bond: From acquaintances, to co-workers, and lifelong friends

Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry shared quite a close bond over the years after they starred together on ‘Friends’. Their friendship continued over the years up until his untimely passing in 2023. Here is a look at how the two first met and started working together.

The two actually met before being cast as co-stars on ‘Friends’. They met approximately 3 years before through mutual acquaintances. This was also the time when Perry actually developed feelings for her. However, as per his memoir, when he asked her out, she politely declined, but instead pitched that they should remain friends.

The duo reunited once more, 3 years later, when they were cast as Chandler Bing and Rachel Green in the hit American sitcom ‘Friends’. When the two attended the table read, Perry still had feelings for her; however, they quickly moved past it and remained lifelong friends until his passing.

In his book, Perry also touched upon how he got over Aniston. Even though she had declined his offer, he still had feelings for her when they started working on ‘Friends’. However, it was her marriage to Brad Pitt that set things into perspective for him. He wrote that “I had long since gotten over her — ever since she started dating Pitt, I was fine, and had worked out exactly how long to look at her without it being awkward.”

While in conversation with Vanity Fair, Aniston weighed in on how the whole main cast had come together to help him through his struggles. She stated, “We did everything we could when we could, but it almost felt like we’d been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight. As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better.”

After he was found in his home in his tub in 2023, the entire cast of ‘Friends’ had been left in shock, reeling from his passing. Years later, while talking at the Elle’s 2025 Women in Hollywood portfolio, Aniston had touched upon the bond she shared with him and how she had been dealing with her close friend’s passing. While talking about how she got to know of his passing, she added, “It was so alarming and shocking, yet not shocking”

She further shared, “We miss him. He’s missed. He was a brilliant human being and an extraordinary talent, loved deeply, and wanted happiness more than anything. It makes me sad that he never really achieved that, because he deserved it.”