Selena Gomez, a longtime fan of Friends, has revealed that a memorable scene from the hit sitcom inspired her preparation for the upcoming 2024 Emmy Awards. As Gomez gears up for her nomination as Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Only Murders in the Building, she’s taken a page from Jennifer Aniston’s Friends playbook—practicing her “gracious loser face.”
Gomez’s nod to Friends became evident during her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. While jokingly practicing her “losing face” alongside her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Martin Short and Steve Martin, fans quickly noticed the similarities between her expressions and an iconic moment from Friends.
The moment Gomez mirrored was from Season 7, where Aniston’s character Rachel teaches Joey (played by Matt LeBlanc) how to graciously lose at an award ceremony. In the scene, Rachel advises Joey to perfect his “gracious loser face” in case he doesn’t win. Fans immediately picked up on the likeness between Gomez’s performance and Rachel’s advice to Joey.
After fans began speculating about the resemblance, Gomez confirmed the influence on her Instagram Stories. Sharing a clip from the Tonight Show, she captioned it: “Facts. @jenniferaniston taught me too lo’,” acknowledging that the Friends star had indeed inspired her.
Selena Gomez, who has openly expressed her admiration for Friends and her friendship with Aniston, didn’t shy away from her superfan status. She even admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020 that she grew up watching Friends religiously. “Rachel was my life,” Gomez confessed, referring to Aniston’s beloved character. Aniston, in turn, praised Gomez for being a “genuine fan.”
Though both Gomez and Aniston are nominated in major categories at the 2024 Emmy Awards—Gomez for Only Murders in the Building and Aniston for The Morning Show—they won’t be competing directly against each other, much to fans’ relief. This marks Gomez’s first-ever Emmy nomination, an achievement she celebrated with a cake inscribed with “Congratulations Emmy Nominee!” on her Instagram Stories.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gomez expressed her excitement and disbelief over the nomination, describing it as “crazy” and adding, “I feel so lucky… to even be considered, to have an opportunity like this, is such an honor.”
While Gomez prepares for the Emmy night, her co-stars Short and Martin have already shown their support by sending her flowers. The trio, who are based in different cities, plan to celebrate the nomination once they reunite.
With Aniston’s classic “gracious loser face” firmly in her toolkit, Gomez is more than ready to face the Emmys, win or lose—with a smile.