The number of A-list guest stars on Friends is extremely impressive, featuring renowned names like Paul Rudd, Ben Stiller, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis and Danny DeVito, to name a few. The roster of cameo appearances seems never-ending. Notably, Brad Pitt's visit stands out as one of the most memorable performances among them. In the Friends season 8 episode titled The One with the Rumor, Brad Pitt took on the character of Will Colbert. This episode was a Thanksgiving special and revolved around the tensions and conflict between Will and Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel Green. Around the time of the Friends reunion special, Aniston spoke quite a bit about sharing screen space with her now ex-husband.
According to Harper Bazaar, David Schwimmer referred to Pitt as "your fella, Brad," while discussing notable guest stars with Aniston and the rest of the cast on Friends: The Reunion. Jennifer Aniston nodded and acknowledged that Brad Pitt had indeed made a memorable appearance on the show.
During the promotion of the Friends reunion special, Aniston expressed praise for her ex-partner. When speaking to Access Hollywood and reminiscing about her favorite guest stars on Friends, Aniston described Pitt as "wonderful" and "fantastic." At the time of filming the episode, Pitt and Aniston were married. They had been married for five years before their divorce in 2005. As per Screenrant, since Rachel was a significant character on the show, Pitt frequently visited the set of the series to be with his wife. Initially, he tried to stay out of sight of the audience to avoid creating distractions. However, the team working on the show eventually decided to cast him in a special episode.
In a 2019 interview with Access, Pitt, who received an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Colbert, reflected on his experience on the show and praised the "excellent cast." "I mean, they laughed and really had a great time with each other, I flubbed my first line, we had to stop and start again," Pitt recalled.
Introduced by their respective managers, the actors initially had a secret romance before getting married in a lavish ceremony in 2000. However, they eventually decided to end their relationship in 2005. Despite going through one of the most widely publicized breakups in Hollywood, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt have managed to maintain a friendly relationship more than 15 years later.
As noted by People, in 2020, Aniston and Pitt had the pleasure of reuniting not once, but twice, causing a great deal of enthusiasm among their fans. The initial occasion was a touching backstage embrace at the SAG Awards, which swiftly became viral. Additionally, they joined forces for a virtual table reading of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, intensifying the buzz surrounding their re-established bond.
While appearing on Howard Stern's eponymous SiriusXM show in 2021, Aniston confirmed that their virtual reunion in September was, in fact, "truly enjoyable" and not awkward. "Brad and I are buddies, we're friends. And we speak and there's no oddness at all, except for everyone that probably watched it and was wanting there to be, or assumed there to be. We had fun, and it was for a great cause, [Sean Penn's community relief nonprofit] CORE," Aniston said.