The dream of getting on a hit show is one that is still alive for many performers out there, as there are always new shows coming to the small screen. Now that networks are competing with streaming platforms like Netflix, there are more shows than ever, which means that actors are getting more opportunities to showcase their abilities.
During the '90s, Jennifer Aniston had multiple shows that she was working on, but in order to star on Friends, she had to beg the producers of another show to let her leave.
Let's take a look back at how Jennifer Aniston made her way onto Friends and became a TV legend.
Jennifer Aniston Is A Legend
In the modern history of pop culture, there aren't too many figures who have hit the same level of success that Jennifer Aniston has. While it is nice that she is a successful actress, it's really hard to put into words just how popular she was back in the day. This was, after all, the woman responsible for a hairstyle becoming a global trend years back.
As many people are well aware, Jennifer Aniston became a huge star on television back in the day, but she has also had quite a bit of success on the big screen, as well. Lest we forget that the actress has been in successful movies like Office Space, The Break-Up, Bruce Almighty, and a whole lot more.
Aniston has had a number of triumphs in her career, but when looking at the big picture, it is impossible to ignore her work on Friends.
'Friends' Turned Her Into A Star
1994 was the year that a little show called Friends got its start on NBC, and while the network was already thriving with major offerings like Seinfeld, they were really able to sweeten their prosperity during the 1990s when Friends became a powerhouse on the small screen.
Starring a brilliant cast that featured none other than Jennifer Aniston, the series hit all the right notes from the very beginning and was able to blossom into one of the most successful shows in television history. Simply put, there was no stopping Friends once it took off with fans, and to this day, it remains one of the most popular shows around.
Thanks to the massive success of the show, Jennifer Aniston was able to rake in millions of dollars, and she has yet to stop singing the praises of being on the successful series.
"It was a unicorn of an experience. For whatever reason, we were all at the right place at the right time, and we created something that landed its little flag on a lot of people's hearts around the world," she once said.
It seems like the actress was always destined to play Rachel Green, but shortly before the hit series got off the ground, she had to beg to leave another show that she was on.
She Begged To Leave 'Muddling Through' For 'Friends'
Back in 1994, right before Friends became the biggest show on the planet, Jennifer Aniston still had not found the role that was going to make her a star. During this time, she was being featured on a show called Muddling Through, which, as you can probably tell by the name alone, wasn't really going to be going anywhere.
While on Muddling Through, Aniston begged the producers to let her go from the show so that she could kickstart her journey on Friends, which was the show that turned her into a superstar.
"I just went to the producer and I said, ‘please, please let me out of this show.’ I really love this other show that I’m doing. And because someone said, what could it hurt? Just go in there and ask to be let off. And that’s when he said ‘I’ve seen that show ‘Friends, I saw that show. I saw the pilot. That’s not going to make you a star. This show will make you a star,’” she revealed.
Thankfully, the folks bringing Muddling Through to life were kind enough to let Jennifer Aniston take her leave and make her way onto Friends. Shortly thereafter, Muddling Through failed to catch on with audiences, and it was quickly booted from the small screen. Friends, meanwhile, became one of the most popular shows of all time. Go figure.
Things could have played out a lot differently for Jennifer Aniston had she been unable to play the role of Rachel Green on Friends, but thankfully, everything worked out like it should have.
