Rachel Green

Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character from the American sitcom Friends (1994–2004). Portrayed by actress Jennifer Aniston, she was created for the show by its creators, David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and appears in all 236 episodes across 10 seasons. Introduced in the pilot as a naïve runaway bride, she relocates to New York City, where she moves in with her childhood best friend, Monica Geller. Over the course of the series, Rachel evolves from a sheltered daughter into a single mother and fashion executive. Her on-again, off-again relationship with Monica's brother, Ross, forms a central storyline of the series.

Rachel was the most difficult character to cast. Several actresses were considered, including Courteney Cox, who preferred the role of Monica, while Aniston had also been considered for the role ultimately given to Cox. Aniston had previously appeared in several unsuccessful sitcoms, and her contract for the CBS sitcom Muddling Through initially cast doubt on whether she would be able to remain on Friends, until the series was cancelled shortly before Friends premiered. Her $1 million per episode salary for seasons nine and ten established her as one of the highest-paid television actresses of all time, which was recognized by Guinness World Records.