It's no shocker that Jennifer Aniston and Ellen Degeneres are two of the closest friends in Hollywood - after all, they had a pretty similar start with their acting careers. Aniston famously landed the role of Rachel Berry in NBC's Friends while, just a few years earlier, Degeneres was making the big bucks with her self-titled sitcom, which ran from 1994 to 1998, before she transitioned over to become one of the biggest talk show hosts in the US.
Jennifer and Ellen have been friends since the mid-90s, so it's no surprise that the Horrible Bosses star considers the comedienne one of her closest pals in the industry. From having made plenty of appearances on Ellen to, at one point, sharing the same street address. (Yup, they were neighbors.)
Degeneres was the first person to call Aniston when she experienced a traumatic plane scare en route to Mexico last year, with one of the wheels malfunction right after takeoff. But what else do we know about their friendship? Here's the lowdown.
12 They Used To Be Neighbors
Is this really a shocker? Both Jennifer Aniston and Ellen Degeneres have been vocal about the fact that they have been neighbors in the past. The talk show host is no stranger to moving every few years, so it’s unclear if they’re still living nearby, but at one point, Ellen and Jennifer lived so close, all they had to see one another was was cross the street.
11 They Met At Ellen’s Birthday Party
Jennifer, who was a big fan of Ellen’s sitcom in the ‘90s, revealed how she had been invited to her birthday party, which was the night they would form a lifelong friendship. “I was absolutely in awe of you,” Jen recalled on ‘Ellen’ in 2018. When speaking about Ellen’s witty character on her TV show, she said: “I had never seen humor like that. I laughed so hard. It got me and it always does still to this day. You hit my funny button like nobody else.”
10 Ellen Checked On Jen After Her Plane Scare
In February 2019, a private plane that was headed for Mexico, with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and friends on board, had made an emergency landing after the aircraft experienced landing gear malfunction soon after takeoff. The incident was very scary for Jennifer, who said that the first person that had called her was Ellen after she was able to get off the plane.
During an appearance on her pal’s show, she revealed: “And then ‘Bing!’ You were the first person that was like, ‘Are you okay?’ And I was like, ‘Ellen! I do have someone who loves me!'”
9 Ellen Is Jennifer’s Best Friend
In May 2019, Ellen decided to find out whether she or Reese Witherspoon was closer to Jennifer Aniston by calling the former ‘Friends’ star and putting her on the spot with the million-dollar question. While filming her talk show, Degeneres called the actress and asked whether they shared a closer bond, to which Jen said: “Of course, dear,” indicating that they really are the best of friends.
8 Ellen Did Jennifer’s Makeup For A Sketch
In 2012, Jennifer Aniston and Ellen Degeneres showed just how close they were when the Hollywood actress starred in a skit for ‘Ellen,’ which saw the former comedienne try her best at perfecting her makeup techniques on Jen-An’s face. It’s fair to say that if you let someone apply your makeup, it’s probably somebody you’d trust.
7 They’ve Often Attended Award Shows Together
It’s not uncommon to see Jennifer and Ellen at award shows together. If they’re not seated next to each other, with Ellen’s partner, Portia de Rossi, into, the pals are usually seen posing for photos backstage or on the red carpet.
It’s apparent that if they’re already in the same building, Ellen and Jennifer want to at least have a moment to greet one another.
6 She Helped Orchestrate A ‘Friends’ Reunion
In 2013, Ellen was one of the first people to land a semi-reunion with the cast of ‘Friends’ when she filmed a hilarious sketch for her talk show with Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, and, of course, Jennifer Aniston. It’s believed that Jen’s friendship with Ellen helped the 62-year-old to organize the get-together since there had never been a reunion involving more than two of the former ‘Friends’ cast members.
5 They Are Both Friends With Michelle Obama
Did you know that Ellen and Jennifer Aniston are both pals with former first lady, Michelle Obama? In 2018, Michelle and Jennifer surprised their friend by surpassing her with special appearances on her talk show. Ellen was genuinely surprised to see Michelle at her studio given that she doesn’t roll without security, so the fact that it went under the radar without her knowledge was impressive.
4 They Often Hang Out For Get-Togethers
While they make plenty of public appearances together, Ellen and Jennifer’s friendship is much deeper than that. The actress is no stranger to having dinner at Degeneres’ home or spending some much-needed girls’ time with Ellen and her wife, Portia de Rossi.
Fans mostly see them together on Ellen’s talk show, but they are just as close off-screen than they are when the cameras are rolling.
3 Jennifer Was The First-Ever Guest On ‘Ellen’
When Degeneres landed her popular daytime talk show in 2003, long before every other A-list celeb would make an appearance, it was Jennifer Aniston who became the first-ever guest to be interviewed by Ellen. They were already friends back then, but 17 years later and the famous Hollywood stars are closer than ever before.
2 She’s Made Endless Appearances Ever Since
Jennifer Aniston has made so many appearances on ‘Ellen,’ we’ve lost count of the actual number if you’re also including unannounced surprises and guest-hosting duties, but it’s far higher than any other celebrity since the show’s premiere in 2003. And since ‘Ellen’ sees no signs of going off-air anytime soon, we’re expecting plenty of more appearances from Jennifer Aniston in the future.
1 She Was A Guest Host When Ellen Was Ill
When Ellen told her fans that she would be taking some time off from her show, she announced that some of her famous friends would be filling in her place and take over her studio for the day. She explained in a Twitter post last year: "Throughout the season, I've had wonderful people filling in for me as guest hosts. It's a tradition that dates back to Johnny Carson, he would have guest hosts all the time. And I like to follow tradition, especially if it involves me missing work,"
Jennifer Aniston happened to be one of the celebs who has hosted ‘Ellen’ over the years, showing that even with her busy schedule, Jen always supports her friends when they need her.