‘Friends’ Cast Open Up About Their Special Bond: ‘It Was in Our DNA That We Were Family’

It’s been 17 years since Friends aired its final episode. Though the beloved cast has gone in different directions since then, their real-life bond has remained the same.

During a recent interview, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer opened up about their 27-year friendship, sharing how their instant connection turned into a special bond that’s lasted all these years.

The ‘Friends’ cast formed a close bond right away

On May 25, the Friends cast sat down with Entertainment Tonight, where they reminisced about their time on the show ahead of their HBO Max reunion special.

Though it’s been years since the NBC phenomenon’s leads have been able to do an interview together, it seemed like no time had passed at all as they laughed, cried, and basked in the moment of reuniting on-screen.

Of course, the cast’s real-life camaraderie was just as genuine as when they starred on the show together, which Aniston says is something they established when they first became Friends.

“All I can say is that there was something that was laid down at the very beginning that kind of went into our neural pathways that instantly, it was in our DNA that we were family, we were going to take care of each other,” she told the outlet. “And it was without question. There was never competition. If there was ever a conflict, it was instantly addressed and handled. No eggshells.”

The actors considers themselves family

Working closely together during the show’s 10 seasons helped the cast maintain such a close bond. But according to David Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller, the hit sitcom’s success also played a big part in the former co-stars forming a special friendship.

“We really grew close as a family and part of the reason was that initial success of the show was something that no one else could relate to or was going through except the other five actors,” he explained. “So we really got close because of that experience.”  

Though it’s common for co-stars to establish close bonds while working together, the Friends cast has a one-of-a-kind friendship, which they knew right from the beginning.

“We felt from the first table read of the pilot, without having met any of the others beforehand, we all felt kind of an instant chemistry,” Schwimmer said. “I remember being incredibly impressed with the other five actors. I just thought this was the best casting I had ever seen or been a part of.”

“It was just something,” Aniston agreed. “It was unexplainable.”

The former co-stars are still friends today

Although many years have passed since the series finale aired on May 6, 2004, the Friends cast remains close to this day.

While their real-life fame has taken them in many different directions over the years, the former co-stars have continued to stand by each other.

“The bond this group made was very real,” a source told People in 2019. “They still care a lot about each other and are extremely supportive. Whenever anything happens to one of the others — a divorce, a graduation, a new role — they always reach out.”

In 2019, all six actors reunited for the first time since their show wrapped, coming together for Aniston’s Instagram debut.

Now, the former co-stars are back together again for their HBO Max reunion special, “The One Where They Get Back Together.”

Not only does the reunion allow the cast to reminisce about their time on the show, it also gave the actors the opportunity to once again gather together on the Friends set, where their connection initially formed.

“Obviously, filming Friends was such a major part of all of their lives,” an insider shared with People. “They’re forever linked.”

Friends: The Reunion is currently available to stream on HBO Max.