“Friends” Forever: Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox Wish Lisa Kudrow Happy Birthday

In a case of perfect cosmic timing, July 30 – International Friends Day – also happens to be “Friends” star Lisa Kudrow‘s birthday, and her Central Perk pals didn’t disappoint when it came time to celebrate one of their castmates. Both Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox shared candid photos of Kudrow on their Instagram Stories in celebration of their longtime friend turning 59.

Aniston kicked off the lovefest with a photo of her and Kudrow at the 2003 People’s Choice Awards. “The Morning Show” star captioned the photo, “Happy Birthday, @lisakudrow!” She followed the pic up with a “Friends” GIF of Rachel and Phoebe jumping up and down, which she wrote “I love you” below. Finally, she shared a candid photo of herself planting a big kiss on Kudrow’s forehead.

Over on her account, Cox shared a short video of her and Kudrow laughing while sitting on a couch. “Happy Birthday loot! You make everything better! And Funnier!” she captioned the tribute to her friend.

Even though “Friends” ended nearly two decades ago, Kudrow, Aniston, and Cox remain as close in real life as their characters were onscreen. From sharing candid shots of their hangouts on social media to showing up for one another through serious times like the loss of a parent, the trio always have each other’s backs. In a 2021 interview on SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show,” Kudrow shared that Cox and Aniston were there for her during one the hardest times of her life.

At the start of the pandemic, Kudrow’s mother died, and her “Friends” family was quick to surround her with their love and support. “These women came running to support, that was really nice,” she said of Aniston and Cox. “They came to the funeral, it wasn’t a lot of notice, and they were there.”

In the same interview, Aniston shared why she believes her bond with Kudrow and Cox is so enduring. During their time on “Friends,” the cast made a point to stick together through pay negotiations and the perils of fame. As a result, they ended up growing up together. “It was healing,” Aniston said. “We actually kind of parented and healed and loved each other.”

Now, more than two decades later, Aniston, Cox, and Kudrow are still there for one another – especially when it comes time to share sweet birthday tributes.