Reese Witherspoon admits why she refused to return to Friends

A few beloved Hollywood famous faces guest-starred in the hit show Friends, including Reese Witherspoon.

The Cruel Intentions star made an iconic two-episode appearance in the record-breaking 1990s show, portraying Rachel Green’s (Jennifer Aniston) younger sister Jill. Jill (Reese) was in the episodes titled The One With Rachel’s Sister and The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry. When Reese’s character popped up for a couple of shows in Season 6 of Friends, fans immediately fell in love with her—and her character. Although producers asked for Reese to return to reprise her role on the show after she went over well with viewers, the Fear actress declined.

Years later Reese revealed her choice not to come back to Friends while on a press tour for the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show with co-star Jennifer, with whom she acted in Friends in the early aughts.

The revelation started with Reese first hailing Jennifer’s ability to act in front of a live audience like Friends.

This led Jennifer to say, "You are [good] too. You forget it because you blacked out of fear. She was so good and you were flawless.”

Reese admitted that she’d “never done it again,” before divulging, "Did you know they asked me back and I said, ‘No, I can’t do it.’ I was too scared."

Reese's reasoning was understandable; however, it shocked Jennifer.

"How dare… you say this,” Jennifer said, noting that Saturday Night Live is “terrifying,” which she hosted twice.

Reese’s role on Friends was early on in her career, coming after she starred in American Psycho, and one year before her timeless role as Elle Woods in the Legally Blonde franchise.

“[Jennifer] was so sweet to me. I was really nervous, and she was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, don’t worry about it!’” she explained, reminiscing about her time on the iconic sitcom during an interview with Harper Bazaar US.

"I marvelled at her ability to perform in front of a live audience like that with no nerves. They would change all the lines and she was just so effortlessly affable, bubbly, and sunny. We’ve been friends ever since,” she continued.

She added: "I was 23 years old and had just had a baby. I was nursing [her daughter] Ava on set, and Jen just kept going, 'You have a baby?' I was like, ‘I know, it’s weird.’ I remember her being like, ‘Where are you going?’ And I was like, ‘I’m pumping!"

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