‘Wrote that down on a napkin’: Jennifer Aniston’s ‘Friends’ ‘actor treat’ is the most depressing thing when you find out what her costars got

Jennifer Aniston revealed the incredibly humble “actor treat” she requested from NBC during her peak Friends fame. She didn’t ask for a fancy car, a lavish private jet trip, or any kind of exclusive jewelry to celebrate her rise as Rachel Green, like her co-stars did.

The star wanted one of the most practical (and least glamorous) gifts imaginable: a washer and a dryer. The story came out during an appearance on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, and it really puts her grounded nature into perspective. Aniston, who was experiencing massive success on the hit sitcom, noticed that other Hollywood talent were getting what she called “actor treats.”

Actor Treats are these elaborate, very expensive gifts for their shows. She was slightly caught off guard that nothing like that had come her way, and she had every right to be. According to Fox, the whole thing came to a head when she was at an Upfronts event with NBC executive Warren Littlefield.

Jennifer Anniston asked for so little, and got it

Anniston asked the question that was on her mind, wondering out loud, “Why do [these actors] get these treats for shows and stuff? And I said, ‘treats!’” Shepard, the podcast host, quipped back, “Actor treats,” a term that Aniston then agreed with, nodding to the industry tradition of over-the-top perks.

Littlefield, to his credit, responded by asking her directly, “Well, what do you want?” Aniston confirmed he was being genuine, but she just couldn’t think of anything extravagant.

While other stars were probably listing off luxury sports cars or high-end watch collections, Aniston’s mind went straight to her domestic needs. She said, “I need a washer and a dryer.” The executive’s response was even more casual, as she recalled him just “writing “”wrote that down on a napkin”.

The young woman who would soon become one of the highest-paid actresses on television, pulling in a million dollars an episode, was just trying to solve her laundry problem. To be fair, she did clarify that this wasn’t some high-stakes contract negotiation, just a lighthearted request during her early success. But that’s what makes the story so much more relatable and, in a way, kind of awful for her.

The happy ending is that the executive did deliver, so Jennifer Aniston did end up getting her much-deserved washer and dryer. This story also helps paint a picture of just how different the Friends era was from today. Aniston has actually talked about this before, saying she’s glad the show was filmed when it was, back in the ’90s and 2000s, before it was found offensive.

She went on to describe it as “really an innocent time,” saying, “You weren’t faced with what people are commenting and ripping you apart or whatever.” When you compare that kind of protected, simpler fame to the constant scrutiny stars are under now, it makes her humble request for a washer and dryer feel incredibly fitting for that era. It sounds like a request only someone who wasn’t yet fully immersed in the ultra-lavish, 24/7 celebrity culture of today would even consider.