Jennifer Aniston pens touching tribute to 'Friends' director James Burrows

Jennifer Aniston just paid a touching posthumous tribute to longtime pal and director of Friends, James Burrows.

For those unaware, Burrows passed away at the age of 85 on June 19, 2026. His family confirmed the news of his passing but refrained from revealing his cause of death.

Taking to her Instagram on Saturday, June 20, Aniston penned a lengthy note in memory of the legendary American television director as well as shared a carousel of pictures of herself with him over the years.

She began, “Oh boy… [broken heart emoji] Papa Burrows. The hardest thing about writing this is that you spent a lifetime making people feel loved, and now it feels impossible to put all of that love into a few paragraphs.”

The Murder Mystery star went on to share that he used to call the cast of Friends “kids” and would often say, “Where are the kids?” and “Let’s see if the kids can make the joke work.”

Aniston admitted, “His own incredible children were generous enough to share him with all of us who were lucky enough to experience his unicorn presence. He was a father figure to me. He always checked in on me. He worried about me, celebrated me, taught me, guided me, and held me through the hardest times and the best of times. He spoiled us rotten.”

“Most of all, he taught us — the kids — how important it is to love and respect one another. To take care of each other. To have each other's backs and support each other, no matter what. And we did just that.”

“I miss your voice. I miss your laugh. I miss your brilliance. Wherever you are, I hope someone is asking, ‘Where are the kids?’” Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show actress, concluded.