Jennifer Aniston, the iconic actress who captured hearts as Rachel Green on Friends, has long been celebrated as a Hollywood beauty standard. Now, a recently unearthed video from the mid-1990s, when Aniston was at the height of her Friends fame, is reminding fans—and introducing a new generation—to the surreal beauty that defined her early career.

The clip, which surfaced on social media this week, showcases the then-26-year-old actress in a way that has left viewers in awe, sparking renewed conversations about her timeless allure.

The video, originally part of a behind-the-scenes featurette for Friends Season 2, captures Aniston during a casual moment on set in 1995. Dressed in Rachel’s signature look—a fitted sweater, high-waisted jeans, and her famous “Rachel” haircut—she’s seen laughing with co-star Matthew Perry while adjusting her hair.

The natural glow of her sun-kissed skin, her radiant smile, and her effortlessly chic demeanor are on full display. Fans on X quickly dubbed the moment “surreal beauty personified,” with one user writing, “This is what they mean when they say someone lights up a room—Jennifer Aniston in the ‘90s was unreal.”

Aniston, now 56, has often reflected on her Friends days with fondness but humility. In a 2022 Allure interview, she admitted she didn’t fully grasp the cultural impact of her beauty at the time, saying, “I was just a girl from the Valley trying to make it.

I didn’t think about ‘beauty standards.’” Yet, her look became a global phenomenon. The “Rachel” haircut, a layered, shoulder-length style with face-framing highlights, inspired millions of women to visit salons, with stylists reporting in 1995 that it was the most requested cut worldwide. Her wardrobe, a mix of minimalist ‘90s staples like slip dresses and tailored trousers, remains a Pinterest staple even today.

The resurfaced video highlights what made Aniston’s beauty so captivating: a blend of approachability and ethereal charm. Her expressive blue-green eyes, often accentuated with minimal makeup, conveyed warmth and relatability, while her athletic yet feminine frame—she was a dedicated yogi even then—set her apart in an era of waifish supermodels. Renowned makeup artist Gucci Westman, who worked with Aniston in the late ‘90s, once told Vogue, “Jen had this glow that was almost otherworldly. You didn’t need much to enhance her—she was a natural beauty with a megawatt smile.”

Beyond her physical attributes, Aniston’s charisma in the video underscores why she became a cultural icon. Her playful banter with Perry and her unguarded laughter reveal the down-to-earth personality that endeared her to millions. Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004, averaged 16 million viewers per episode in its early seasons, and Aniston’s role as Rachel made her a household name. By 1996, she was earning $75,000 per episode, a figure that ballooned to $1 million per episode by the show’s final seasons, reflecting her star power.

Social media reactions to the clip have been overwhelmingly nostalgic. “This video takes me back—Jen was the beauty of the ‘90s,” one fan posted. Another added, “Surreal beauty is the perfect way to describe her. She looks like a dream.” The video’s timing aligns with renewed interest in Friends, as the show continues to dominate streaming platforms like Max, where it consistently ranks among the top-watched series. Aniston herself has leaned into the nostalgia, often sharing throwback photos on Instagram, where she boasts 40 million followers.

While Aniston’s beauty remains striking today—her skincare line, Lolavie, launched in 2021, is a testament to her enduring glow—the video serves as a time capsule of her at her peak. It’s a reminder of why she was, and still is, Hollywood’s golden girl: a rare blend of surreal beauty and relatable charm that continues to captivate, 30 years after Friends first aired.