James McAvoy recalls humbling meeting experience with Jennifer Aniston

James McAvoy shared a mortifying tale about meeting his celebrity crush, Jennifer Aniston, on Watch What Happens Live.

The Speak No Evil star revealed that he had a huge crush on the Friends actress as a kid and was thrilled to meet her at a Hollywood party when he was 22.

However, the encounter didn't go as smoothly as he had hoped.

McAvoy explained that he was introduced to Aniston by Lucy Liu, who was being very kind to him at the party.

But just as Liu was about to introduce him to the group, she was pulled aside by an old friend, leaving McAvoy standing alone with Aniston and others.

In an attempt to break the ice, McAvoy turned to Aniston and said, "So you're Jennifer Aniston and you're in Friends."

Unfortunately, his comment didn't go over well. "It was rough," McAvoy admitted. "But she was lovely."

Despite the awkward encounter, McAvoy has spoken highly of Aniston, and it's clear that he still has a lot of respect for her.

McAvoy isn't the only celebrity to have confessed to having a crush on Aniston.

Her onscreen Friends beau David Schwimmer has also admitted to having a "major crush on Jen" during the first season of the show.

During the 2021 reunion special, Schwimmer revealed that they both had feelings for each other, but never acted on them due to their respective relationships.