Tate Donovan says filming 'Friends' after breakup with Jennifer Aniston was 'very tough'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tate Donovan’s portrayal of Joshua, the oblivious crush of Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel Green in 'Friends', remains iconic for fans of the show, but behind the scenes, his experience was anything but simple.

Cast as Rachel’s love interest in the 1998 episode 'The One with Rachel’s Crush,' Donovan’s character quickly became the first man Rachel ever asked out.

With sandy curls and woolly sweaters, Joshua unknowingly stole Rachel’s heart - but what fans didn’t know at the time was that Donovan and Aniston had been dating for two years before their on-screen romance, and were in the midst of a real-life breakup during the filming.

Tate Donovan on starring in 'Friends' after his split from Aniston

Speaking candidly 26 years later, Tate Donovan reflected on the emotionally charged atmosphere of shooting those scenes.

“I’d been dating Jen for years, and I knew the cast... Then Jen and I broke up, but we didn’t really tell anyone,” he revealed, making it clear that while his character remained blissfully unaware of Rachel’s feelings, his personal life was anything but simple.

Despite the heartbreak, Donovan described the challenge of filming with his ex-girlfriend as an oddly professional turning point. "The producers came to me and said, 'Hey, we want you to do a five-episode arc where you guys are dating and you’re not really that into her.' And I was like, “Oh, so you’re gonna do that thing,” he shared, per Independent.

Donovan shared the post-breakup filming with Aniston made him a 'pro'

While Joshua may have seemed detached from Rachel’s advances on screen, behind the camera, Tate Donovan was struggling with a different reality. He initially thought that working together would help soften the end of their relationship, saying, "(I) thought that maybe working together would ease the breakup. Maybe we’d become friends quicker."

However, Donovan admitted that it was far from easy, likening the experience to being in high school and having to sit next to an ex every day.

"You thought it would change the dynamic in a good way? Yes, but it was very tough. Everyone was so supportive, but it was hard. It’s like going to class when you’re in high school and you’ve broken up with the girl who you sat next to and… argh, it’s tough. But it makes you a pro– it’s like, OK, we got over it. "

Donovan Tate praises Matthew Perry as the 'beating heart' of 'Friends'

Despite the emotional strain, Tate Donovan and Jennifer Aniston managed to keep their personal lives under wraps, delivering seamless performances that gave no hint of their real-life heartache.

Reflecting on his time on 'Friends', Donovan credited his co-star late Matthew Perry as the unsung hero of the set. “Matt Perry was the beating heart of that whole cast. He was the funniest...He was such a champion of mine."

"He was the only one who called me when me and Jen broke up. And we ran into each other throughout the years, and he was always so incredibly supportive. It meant so much to me [that he was kind on set] because I was really heartbroken, and you don’t know how well you’re doing, and you’re just trying to survive at that point. It’s such a tragedy that he had such a difficult time in life because, for me, Matt Perry was just... they all imitated his humour," he claimed.