Jennifer Aniston is mourning the loss of her longtime friend and Friends director James Burrows.
The Morning Show star, 57, shared a lengthy tribute to the famous sitcom director — whom she lovingly called “papa” — on Instagram on Saturday, June 20, one day after his death at the age of 85.
“Oh boy… 💔 Papa Burrows,” she wrote. “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.”
Aniston went on to say that the Cheers co-creator would often call her and the rest of the Friendscast “kids” and would often jokingly say, “Where are the kids?” and “Let’s see if the kids can make the joke work” — which she teased was “no pressure.”
“His own incredible children were generous enough to share him with all of us who were lucky enough to experience his unicorn presence,” Aniston continued. “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.”
The actress wrote, “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?’ ” Aniston concluded her message.
Alongside the tribute, she shared photos of herself and Burrows from over the years, including one showing the pair sharing a hug at an awards show. She also shared the famous picture that Burrows took of the Friends cast on a plane to Las Vegas in 1994 ahead of the premiere of the show’s pilot episode.
The carousel of photos also included a more recent selfie of Aniston and the 11-time Emmy winner reuniting behind the scenes, and a sweet shot of Aniston making a funny face as her Friends costar David Schwimmer posed alongside Burrows at an event.
Another photo showed Burrows posing alongside Friends alum Lisa Kudrow on the set of her show The Comeback as he placed a hand on a chair with his name on it.
Aniston is the latest Friends star to pay tribute to the TV sitcom legend. Kudrow, Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc also posted their own sentimental tributes to Burrows on Friday.
Like Aniston, Schwimmer, 59, described Burrows as a “father figure,” saying, “Jimmy Burrows brought out the best in every actor he ever worked with, and elevated every show he directed, making it funnier and more moving than anyone expected.”
“His warmth, humility and generosity made us feel safe, like family, and I’m sure we weren’t the only cast to feel that way. He looked out for us, on camera and off,” he added.
LeBlanc, 58, shared a photo of himself and Burrows smiling together at a stadium and wrote that the late TV director was a “true icon on so many levels,” adding, “Well wishes in your next act. You will be missed. God Bless.”
