Jennifer Aniston’s Only Golden Globe Win: ‘FRIENDS’ Star Had To Face Sarah Jessica Parker and Jane Kaczmarek for It

Jennifer Aniston turned laughter into gold with her emotional Golden Globe win. Proof that Rachel Green was always destined for glory.

Jennifer Aniston has been in the industry for quite a while now, and for obvious reasons, we aren’t over her just yet. From her defining role as Rachel Green to taking over the rom-com industry, she has come a long way, and she has the receipts to prove it, including a Golden Globe win.

The Golden Globe Awards, as we know, are a huge feat for actors who give their best in roles that will be remembered for a lifetime. You can click here to find out who struck gold this year at the ceremony.

Coming back to Aniston, the actress has a total of eight nominations at the Globes, with the first one being in 2002 for ‘FRIENDS‘, and the most recent one being in 2024 for ‘The Morning Show.’

Out of the eight, Aniston has bagged the trophy only once in 2003 at the 60th Golden Globe Awards for ‘FRIENDS’ under the category, Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.

The competition was pretty tough for her back then, as she was nominated alongside ‘Sex and the City’ star Sarah Jessica Parker and ‘Malcom in the Middle’s Jane Kaczmarek, two unstoppable forces in the industry.

Bonnie Hunt and Debra Messing were also nominated in the category for ‘Life with Bonnie’ and ‘Will & Grace’, respectively.

Jennifer Aniston’s Heartwarming Golden Globes’ Speech

Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green | Credits: NBC

As she sat in the hall at the 60th Golden Globe Awards, Aniston was surrounded by the people she loved – all five of her ‘FRIENDS’ co-stars and her then-husband, Brad Pitt.

When Kiefer Sutherland and Jennifer Garner announced Aniston as the winner, the actress was visibly stunned and over the moon. She got on stage to deliver her acceptance speech (via YouTube), and her eyes gave away the fact that she was getting a little emotional.

Calling the moment “surreal”, Aniston admitted that she “never expected this to happen.” She then thanked her five co-stars, stating,

OK, I have to thank these five people: Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc. I love you guys. You started out as my colleagues and you’re my friends and you’re my family, and this wouldn’t even be happening if it weren’t for what I learned from you guys every day.

Lastly, she thanks the producers and writers of the show. Pitt and the ‘FRIENDS’ squad seemed genuinely proud of Aniston at that moment as they watched from the crowd below.

Which Friends Cast Members Have Won Golden Globes?

The cast of ‘FRIENDS’ | Credits: NBC

For a show as iconic as ‘FRIENDS’, it’s no surprise that its stars have found themselves in the spotlight over and over since. From Aniston’s emotional win to Matt LeBlanc’s surprise post-FRIENDS recognition, let’s take a look at how each of the OG cast members has fared at the Golden Globes over the years.

Starting off with everyone’s favorite, Matthew Perry. Perry had one Golden Globe nomination in his entire career, and it wasn’t for ‘FRIENDS’, but rather, ‘The Ron Clark Story.‘ He was nominated in 2007 but lost to Bill Nighy (‘Gideon’s Daughter‘).

His on-screen love interest, Courteney Cox, also has one Golden Globe nomination to her name. She was nominated for Best Actress for ‘Cougar Town’ in 2007, but lost to Toni Collette (‘United States of Tara‘).

Again, Lisa Kudrow has a single Golden Globe nomination to her name for Best Supporting Actress, ‘FRIENDS.’ She was nominated in 1996 but ended up losing the trophy to Shirley Knight (‘Indictment: The McMartin Trial‘).

As for David Schwimmer, the actor may have tons of Primetime Emmy and SAG nominations under his belt, but not a single one at the Golden Globes.

Last but certainly not least, Matt LeBlanc has five nominations at the prestigious award ceremony. He was nominated in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, and 2013. He won the award in 2012 for ‘Episodes’.

To sum it all up:

Actor
Nominations
Wins
Title

Jennifer Aniston
8
1
FRIENDS (2003 win), Cake, and The Morning Show

Courteney Cox
1
0
Cougar Town

Lisa Kudrow
1
0
FRIENDS

Matt LeBlanc
5
1
FRIENDS, Joey, Episodes (2012 win)

Matthew Perry
1
0
The Ron Clark Story

David Schwimmer
0
0
–

And there you go. Clearly, LeBlanc and Aniston have the best Golden Globe success stories out of the OG 6.

With just two wins across the board, the cast may not have swept the event away, but their cultural impact significantly outweighs the number of trophies. While awards are one thing, their legacy continues to shine brighter than any statue ever could.

Let us know in the comments section below if you think either one of them was snubbed in the past!

Stream ‘FRIENDS’ on HBO Max.