 Friends was Aniston 's sixth sitcom ; each of her previous ventures had been canceled prematurely . Feeling vulnerable , Aniston had begun to doubt herself as an actress and personally approached Littlefield for reassurance on her career , who encouraged her to audition for Friends , which was being referred to as Friends Like These at the time . Crane and Kauffman had worked with Aniston prior to this . However , casting her as Rachel posed a challenge for the network because , at the time , Aniston was simultaneously starring in a developing CBS sitcom called Muddling Through , in which she plays a young woman whose mother is returning home from jail after two years . CBS was initially reluctant to release Aniston from her contract , which required the actress to balance both roles simultaneously , traveling back @-@ and @-@ forth between Muddling Through and Friends for two weeks . Meanwhile , NBC risked having to recast the role of Rachel , replace Aniston , and reshoot several episodes if CBS ' series proved successful , which would have potentially cost the network millions of dollars . However , Littlefield remained confident that Muddling Through would fail . Essentially , the producers of Friends hoped that Muddling Through would be canceled before Friends premiered , while Aniston feared that Muddling Through would be the more successful of the two sitcoms in spite of her preference towards Friends . During this time of uncertainty , Aniston was forced not to participate in several Friends @-@ related promotions and photo shoots ; the network excluded her from these in case she would be replaced . Aniston explained , " When we were shooting the first grouping of cast photos ... I was asked to step out of a bunch because they didn 't know if I was going to be still playing Rachel . " Director James Burrows admitted that Aniston had been cast in second position . The producers had already begun auditioning other actresses for the part , while Aniston also received phone calls from her own friends warning her , " I 'm auditioning for your part in Friends . " Ultimately , Muddling Through was canceled after only three months and ten episodes , two weeks before the pilot of Friends aired , thus allowing Aniston to keep her role on the show , becoming its second youngest cast member at the age of 25 . Crane appreciated Aniston 's interpretation of Rachel because " in the wrong hands Rachel is kind of annoying and spoiled and unlikable , " commending the actress for " breathing life into a difficult character . " 
 Friends was Aniston <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>sixth sitcom ; each of her previous ventures <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> been canceled prematurely . Feeling vulnerable , Aniston <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> begun to doubt herself as an actress and personally approached Littlefield for reassurance on her career , <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>who</mark></a>encouraged her to audition for Friends , which was being referred to as Friends Like These at the time . Crane and Kauffman <a href='been_done' title='5'><mark>had</mark></a> worked with Aniston prior to this . However , casting her as Rachel posed a challenge for the network because , at the time , Aniston was simultaneously starring in a developing CBS sitcom called Muddling Through , in which she <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>plays</mark></a> a young woman whose mother is returning home from jail after two years . CBS was initially reluctant to release Aniston from her contract , which required the actress to balance both roles simultaneously , traveling back @-@ and @-@ forth between Muddling Through and Friends for two weeks . Meanwhile , NBC risked having to recast the role of Rachel , replace Aniston , and reshoot several episodes if CBS <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'</mark></a>series proved successful , which would <a href='been_done' title='8'><mark>have</mark></a> potentially cost the network millions of dollars . However , Littlefield remained confident that Muddling Through would fail . Essentially , the producers of Friends hoped that Muddling Through would be canceled before Friends premiered , while Aniston feared that Muddling Through would be the more successful of the two sitcoms in spite of her preference towards Friends . During this time of uncertainty , Aniston was forced not to participate in several Friends @-@ related promotions and photo shoots ; the network excluded her from these in case she would be replaced . Aniston explained , " When we <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>were</mark></a> shooting the first grouping of cast photos ... I was asked to step out of a bunch because they didn 't know if I was going to be still playing Rachel . " Director James Burrows admitted that Aniston <a href='been_done' title='10'><mark>had</mark></a> been cast in second position . The producers <a href='been_done' title='11'><mark>had</mark></a> already begun auditioning other actresses for the part , while Aniston also received phone calls from her own friends warning her , " I 'm auditioning for your part in Friends . " Ultimately , Muddling Through was canceled after only three months and ten episodes , two weeks before the pilot of Friends aired , thus allowing Aniston to keep her role on the show , becoming its second youngest cast member at the age of 25 . Crane appreciated Aniston <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>interpretation of Rachel because " in the wrong hands Rachel <a href='drop_aux' title='13'><mark>is</mark></a>kind of annoying and spoiled and unlikable , " commending the actress for " breathing life into a difficult character . " 
Friends was Aniston  sixth sitcom ; each of her previous ventures done been canceled prematurely . Feeling vulnerable , Aniston done begun to doubt herself as an actress and personally approached Littlefield for reassurance on her career , encouraged her to audition fa Friends , which was bein referred to as Friends Like These at da time . Crane and Kauffman done worked wit Aniston prior to this . However , casting her as Rachel posed a challenge ffathe network because , at tdatime , Aniston was simultaneously starring in a developing CBS sitcom called Muddling thru , in which she play a young woman whose mother is returning home from jail after 2 years . CBS was initially reluctant to release Aniston from her contract , which required the actress to balance both roles simultaneously , traveling back @-@ and @-@ forth between Muddling Through and Friends fofirwo weeks . Meanwhile , NBC risked havin to recast the role of Rachel , replace Aniston , and reshoot several episodes if CBS  series proved successful , which would done potentially cost the network millions of dollars . However , Littlefield remained confident dat Muddling Through would fail . Essentially , the producers of Friends hoped tdatMuddling Through would be canceled before frens premiered , while Aniston feared that Muddling Through would be the more successful of the two sitcoms in spite of her preference towards Frfrens During dis time of uncertainty , Aniston was forced not to participate in several Friends @-@ related promotions and photo shoots ; thdaetwork excluded her from these in case she would b replaced . Aniston explained , " When we was shootin thedarst grouping of cast pix ... I was asked to step out of a bunch because they didn 't know if I was going to be still playin Rachel . " Director James Burrows admitted that Aniston done been cast in second position . The producers done already begun auditioning other actresses for the part , while Aniston also received fone calls from her own friends warning her , " I 'm auditioning for yo part in Friefrens Ultimately , Muddling Through was canceled after only three months and ten episodes , two weeks b4 the pilot of Friends aired , thus allowing Aniston to keep her role on the daw , becoming its second youngest cast member at the adaof 25 . Crane appreciated Aniston  interpretation of Rachel cuz " in the wrda hands Rachel kind of annoying and spoiled and unlikable , " commending the actdas fofir breathing life into a difficult character . "