David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston had crushes on each other while on Friends

The Friends reunion was released online and on apps ahead of the Thursday night airing on television.

And during the much awaited special, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer confessed that they had crushes on each other. 

‘I mean, the first season, I had a major crush on Jen. At some point, we were crushing hard on each other,’ David revealed.

David, 54, explained: ‘But it was like two ships passing, because one of us was always in a relationship and we never crossed that boundary. 

Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribbiani, jokingly said: ‘Bulls**t.’ 

David played Ross Gellar who was the love interest to Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel Green.

Jennifer, 52, said that she had a conversation with Ross prior to their character’s first kiss.

‘Honestly, I remember saying one time to David, ‘It’s going to be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is going to be on national television,’ Jennifer said. ‘

‘Sure enough, first time we kissed was in that coffee shop,’ Jennifer noted.

Adding: ‘So we just channeled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel.’

David and Jennifer also spent time together during breaks from rehearsal, with David recalling that they would ‘cuddle on the couch.’

‘We would spoon and fall asleep on the couch,’ Jennifer said. 

During the reunion special, footage of their characters snuggling aired, with David adding: ‘How did not everyone know we were crushing on each other?’

However, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry both said they ‘knew’ about David and Jennifer’s attraction to each other.

 In the end, David said it ‘was a situation we couldn’t do anything about,’ with Courteney adding that it was for the best: ‘How great though, ultimately. Because if you had [acted on it] and it didn’t work out, it would have not been as great [on the show].’ 

 The Friends cast had an ‘unspoken rule’ not to date one another.

Although Jennifer, David, Matt, Matthew and Courteney all saw their sitcom alter egos hook up with one another at various times on the show, the group – along with castmate Lisa Kudrow – insisted their chemistry never spilled over into real life because they were determined not to ‘mess with’ the bond they had on screen.

Matthew said: ‘There was a rule, it was really important to the six of us, that we kept a friendship. Hooking up could have caused a strangeness that might mess with things. And we are really good friends to this day.’

David added: ‘We didn’t want to jeopardize any of the great relationships and friendships we had established. It was kind of an unspoken rule.’

But Courteney insisted it was never a subject she’d spoken to anyone about.

She told Access Hollywood: ‘It’s a smart idea, but I don’t remember talking about it.’

Meanwhile, Jennifer admitted her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, was one of her favorite guest stars on the show thanks to his 2001 appearance in the sitcom’s Thanksgiving episode, The One With the Rumor, in which he played Will Colbert, who joined his former classmates Rachel, Monica and Ross for dinner, with the fashionista unaware he hates her and starts the ‘I Hate Rachel Green’ club.

Discussing their favorite guests, the stars mentioned Tom Selleck, Giovanni Ribisi, Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin and Charlie Sheen as among the best.

Lisa said: ‘I was blown away by so many. Ben Stiller was really funny. I thought Reese [Witherspoon] was fantastic… Paul Rudd was great.’

Jennifer then said of her then-husband: ‘And Mr Pitt was wonderful.’

Lisa agreed: ‘He was fantastic!’

The reunion special aired early on the apps and online with it set to hit TV screens Thursday night on HBO Max.