The Friends stars who hooked up in real life – sad splits to snogging on the street

It’s difficult to believe that it’s been 27 years since Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox , Matt LeBlanc , David Schwimmer , Lisa Kudrow , and Matthew Perry were first sat in Central Perk, barreling onto screens with instant success.

The first episode of Friends aired on September 22, 1994. From the moment Rachel Aniston – Rachel Aniston – walked into Central Perk dripping wet in a wedding gown and veil, the show was instantly embraced by sitcom fans.

It’s no secret that during the show’s 10-year-run there were numerous hookups – and near hookups – between the characters, from the on-off relationship between Ross and Rachel and the famous Ross, Rachel and Joey love triangle, to the marriage of Monica and Chandler.

According to the Mirror, 2016 was a TV tribune with James Burrows. The cast suggested that all romances were fictional. This suggests that there had been a few misunderstandings between the cast.

Host Andy Cohen asked if the cast had signed contracts “saying that you wouldn’t sleep with each other?”, followed by an awkward silence from the cast, before Kudrow encouraged Schwimmer to explain.

The actress, who played quirky Phoebe on the show giggled, “David, say something!”, to which Schwimmer, who played Ross on the show, said, “Well, that was broken!”

The cast clearly hooked up while filming, but who actually got it on in real life?

Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer

Aniston and Schwimmer played on-screen sweethearts, and according to various sources he’s said to have been smitten with her in real life too.

It was rumored that Aniston was in fact dating Schwimmer, her onscreen love interest after her divorce from Brad Pitt in 2005.

Although rumors were rife, the couple never married and divorced. Aniston wed actor Justin Theroux, while Schwimmer married Zoe Buckman in 2010.

However, according to recent rumours, after his seven-year marriage to Buckman ended, and with Aniston being single again following her split from her husband, Schwimer is ‘keen to reconnect’ with Aniston.

According to the Mirror, a source recently told New Idea Magazine that, “David’s always held a candle for Jen and has never stopped loving her”.

The source then explained that, “It was a case of never being the right time as one of them was always in a relationship after their fling all those years ago.”

However, Schwimmer’s rep denied these claims and told Gossip Cop that the rumours were in fact fake.

Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc

Back in 2016, Cox and LeBlanc were seen sharing a kiss outside of Central Recorderset Tower in Los Angeles after the NBC reunion show.

Both actors were single at the time. However, since then, Cox has reunited with Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid and reinstated their engagement, after it was temporarily called off.

When pictured together, Cox and LeBlanc seemed to be close, as LeBlanc’s arm was wrapped around her waist. Both actors later denied that they were in a relationship.

Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry

A few months before that, Cox was linked to on-screen husband, Perry – who played Chandler Bing.

A source revealed to Perez Hilton that, “It’s no surprise that Matthew was one of the first people Courteney called after Johnny left her. They’ve leaned on each other before.”

The source also said, “There isn’t any pressure to put a label on it just yet, but they’re excited to see where this might go.”

However, both Cox’s and Perry’s reps shut the rumours down, with Perry later stating that he had never slept with any of his main co-stars on the show.

Perry said, “I think there was no sex between any of them, or else I was really missing something, I [personally] did not.”

Matthew Perry and Julia Roberts

Perry did, however, get it on with Friends guest star, Julia Roberts, who portrayed makeup artist, Susie ‘Underpants’ Moss in a 1996 episode from the show.

Her character played an old school friend of Chandler’s who he had humiliated during a childhood prank. Her character pretended that he was in a relationship with Chandler and encouraged him to wear her pants to dinner. Then, she enticed Chandler into the bathroom, stole his clothes, then left him to walk home in only her underpants.

Off screen, things between the pair were a little hotter, with one source saying that, “They have fun together.” With another source explaining that the relationship between the pair was a “casual” one.

Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston

After LeBlanc’s father Paul claimed that the pair had an onset fling, both actors denied these claims.

OK! USA that, “[Matt] got on good with Jen. He told me about it – they would make out in the dressing room,”.

However, both stars’ reps denied these claims, with Aniston’s publicist stating that, “Jennifer has never had a romantic or sexual relationship with Matt LeBlanc.”

Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry

Aniston was also reported to have been close with Perry in 2006, following her divorce from Brad Pitt.

The claims were not supported and later it was claimed that Aniston was simply supporting Perry’s recovery from alcohol and prescription drug abuse.

Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd

While Paul Rudd joined Friends as Phoebe Buffay’s love interest, Mike Hannigan, it was Aniston and Rudd who hooked up in real life.

It was rumoured that the pair had shared a ‘brief’ fling, just before the star met Brad Pitt. Rudd and Aniston first met in 1998 on set of The Object of My Affection. The two were best friends.

Aniston and Hannigan were the stars of Wanderlust in 2012, after Friends was over. When the pair were asked if it was strange to kiss on screen, Aniston quipped, “Nah. I’ve kissed him for years,” and Hannigan replied, “we’ve made out for decades.”

Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan

Aniston and Donovan were engaged prior to his stint on the show. Unfortunately, he joined the show just as their real life relationship ended, when Tate joined the cast as Rachel’s Bloomingdale’s client.

Tate told the Huffington Post that, “We were broken up and producers were like ‘Hey would you wanna do six episodes of the show?’ And I was like ‘Maybe it would be good to work through this breakup’”.

Tate was determined to end the relationship, but he said that Tate did not want to. “It was horrible. It was so tough, man. I remember just getting back to my dressing room and just weeping.”