Jennifer Anistonsays she didn’t fully realize the pressure costarMatthew Perryfelt while makingFriends.During HBO Max’sFriends: The Reunionspecial, which debuted last month, the sitcom’s central cast of Aniston, Perry,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,Matt LeBlancandDavid Schwimmersat down at the original soundstage in Burbank, California, to reminisce.At one point, when asked about their experience taping in front of a live studio audience every week, Perry, 51, made a candidconfession to his former costars: “To me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn’t laugh. And it’s not healthy, for sure. But I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and just go into convulsions. If I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get, I would freak out.“When Kudrow, 57, said, “You didn’t tell us that, though. I don’t remember you ever saying that,” Perry, who played Chandler, replied, “Oh, yeah. I felt like that every single night.“Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesSpeakingwithTodaylast week, Aniston, 52, said she wasn’t aware of Perry’s “self-torture” while they filmed the hit series. She said, “I didn’t understand the level of anxiety and self-torture [that] was put on Matthew Perry, if he didn’t get that laugh, and the devastation that he felt. Which makes a lot of sense.“Ron Davis/Getty ImagesWant to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.Aniston, who played Rachel, recalled her time filming the comedy as “just the greatest time in my life.““I’ve had so many gorgeous times in my life, but that was such a specific experience as an act creatively [and] how it affected all of our careers,” she toldToday. “We didn’t understand in those four walls of stage 24 the impact that it was having on the world, which was also, that was crazy. Talk about emotions.““To have an opportunity to land on people’s hearts all over the world, that’s kind of incredible, whether it was helping them with grief, mental illness, illness of any kind of disease, learning how to speak English,” added Aniston. “It’s just sort of a very … you can’t really explain it.“RELATED VIDEO: The ‘Friends’ Cast Is the Ultimate Cast Goals: “We’re Connected No Matter What"Perry, whostruggled with substance abuse, previously opened up about some of the challenges he faced while filmingFriends, which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. During a radio show appearance in 2016, he said his memories of the time between season 3 and season 6were foggy, admitting, “I was a little out of it.“Last month, co-creators Marta Kauffman, David Crane and Kevin Bright plus reunion director Ben Winstonspoke withThe Hollywood Reporterabout Perrysaying “he was great.““I loved working with him. He’s a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show. I felt just happy and lucky to be in his presence and directing him on something like this,” said Winston.“I talked to him. It was great seeing him again,” Bright said in a separate interview with the outlet. “And what people say is what people say. I don’t have any to say about that, except it was great to see him. And I think he’s very funny on the show.““But yes, I think he’s okay,” Bright added of Perry. “He seems stronger and bettersince the last time I saw him and excited about going forward.”
Jennifer Anistonsays she didn’t fully realize the pressure costarMatthew Perryfelt while makingFriends.
During HBO Max’sFriends: The Reunionspecial, which debuted last month, the sitcom’s central cast of Aniston, Perry,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,Matt LeBlancandDavid Schwimmersat down at the original soundstage in Burbank, California, to reminisce.
At one point, when asked about their experience taping in front of a live studio audience every week, Perry, 51, made a candidconfession to his former costars: “To me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn’t laugh. And it’s not healthy, for sure. But I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and just go into convulsions. If I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get, I would freak out.”
When Kudrow, 57, said, “You didn’t tell us that, though. I don’t remember you ever saying that,” Perry, who played Chandler, replied, “Oh, yeah. I felt like that every single night.”
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
SpeakingwithTodaylast week, Aniston, 52, said she wasn’t aware of Perry’s “self-torture” while they filmed the hit series. She said, “I didn’t understand the level of anxiety and self-torture [that] was put on Matthew Perry, if he didn’t get that laugh, and the devastation that he felt. Which makes a lot of sense.”
Ron Davis/Getty Images
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
Aniston, who played Rachel, recalled her time filming the comedy as “just the greatest time in my life.”
“I’ve had so many gorgeous times in my life, but that was such a specific experience as an act creatively [and] how it affected all of our careers,” she toldToday. “We didn’t understand in those four walls of stage 24 the impact that it was having on the world, which was also, that was crazy. Talk about emotions.”
“To have an opportunity to land on people’s hearts all over the world, that’s kind of incredible, whether it was helping them with grief, mental illness, illness of any kind of disease, learning how to speak English,” added Aniston. “It’s just sort of a very … you can’t really explain it.”
RELATED VIDEO: The ‘Friends’ Cast Is the Ultimate Cast Goals: “We’re Connected No Matter What”
Perry, whostruggled with substance abuse, previously opened up about some of the challenges he faced while filmingFriends, which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. During a radio show appearance in 2016, he said his memories of the time between season 3 and season 6were foggy, admitting, “I was a little out of it.”
Last month, co-creators Marta Kauffman, David Crane and Kevin Bright plus reunion director Ben Winstonspoke withThe Hollywood Reporterabout Perrysaying “he was great.”
“I loved working with him. He’s a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show. I felt just happy and lucky to be in his presence and directing him on something like this,” said Winston.
“I talked to him. It was great seeing him again,” Bright said in a separate interview with the outlet. “And what people say is what people say. I don’t have any to say about that, except it was great to see him. And I think he’s very funny on the show.”
“But yes, I think he’s okay,” Bright added of Perry. “He seems stronger and bettersince the last time I saw him and excited about going forward.”
source: people.com
