Why Julia Roberts Was Happy Not to 'Share' the Screen With Jennifer Aniston in 'Mother's Day'

In Hollywood collaborations, few partnerships garner as much attention as the dynamic duo of Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston. The two talented actresses joined forces for the 2016 feature Mother's Day, a film that, surprisingly, saw them not sharing screen time. It's also worth noting that despite their prior camaraderie, Roberts actually expressed her relief at this cinematic arrangement, as per Cheat Sheet.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Aniston admitted to feeling a certain anxiety about working alongside the iconic Roberts. "Because it's Julia Roberts! Oh my gosh!" Aniston exclaimed, highlighting the star-struck nerves that permeated the set. Aniston even confessed to making a few on-set blunders, attributing them to the sheer presence of Roberts. "I even flubbed in the first take and called her Julia!" she revealed.

Roberts reciprocated the admiration, acknowledging Aniston's allure but expressing gratitude for the lack of shared scenes on Mother's Day. In an interview, Roberts playfully remarked, "[Jennifer Aniston is] so hot. I'm glad I don't have any scenes with her in Mother's Day. She's too gorgeous." The actresses' chemistry, evident even off-screen, was showcased at the SAG Awards, where they were photographed holding hands like 'little lovebirds.'

Interestingly, Mother's Day wasn't the first time these two powerhouses collaborated. Fans of the iconic TV show FRIENDS may recall Roberts making a guest appearance as Susie Moss, who dates the late Matthew Perry's character, Chandler Bing. The intriguing behind-the-scenes story was that Perry had to woo Roberts with a written essay on quantum physics to secure her participation in the show. The show’s staff writer, Alexa Junge, also recalled the existence of real-life sparks between the actors behind the scenes. “There was a lot of flirting over faxing. She was giving him these questionnaires like, ‘Why should I go out with you?’ And everyone in the writers' room helped him explain to her why. He could do pretty well without us, but there was no question we were on Team Matthew and trying to make it happen for him,” Junge said.

Despite the several films she’d done before Friends, Roberts had an overwhelming amount of nerves shooting the sitcom. Nonetheless, “Julia Roberts was a joy,” director Michael Lembeck said. “She hadn’t been in front of a live audience since she did Agnes of God on stage when she was 15. The first night, she held my hand so tightly before she went on that I thought she was going to break my knuckles. Her performance anxiety was extraordinary.”

Despite their shared history on Friends and Mother's Day, reports suggest that Roberts and Aniston might reunite for a new comedy, sparking fan anticipation. The details of the upcoming project remain shrouded in mystery, but speculation points to a plot involving body-swapping, as per reports from Vogue. As Roberts continues to captivate audiences with her timeless charm and acting prowess, the prospect of future collaborations with Aniston adds another layer of excitement to their shared Hollywood journey.