Friends actor Lauren Tom has revealed her daughter is fighting bone cancer, telling fans: “We have a long journey ahead of us.”
The actor played Ross Gellar’s girlfriend and fellow palaeontologist Julie in series two of the hit HBO comedy.
In a post on Instagram, Tom shared a photograph of herself with her daughter, who she shares with actor husband Curt Kaplan, alongside the caption: “I wanted to share some tough news today...
“This is my beautiful daughter, Ellie. She is currently battling osteosarcoma, (bone cancer) and my family and I are doing everything we can to aid in her healing.
“I am reminded of the Fred Rogers quote, ‘When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’.”
The star then thanked their friends and family as well as “the incredible doctors and nurses at @cedarssinai [hospital] for their ongoing boundless support, love, and care”. She added: “It is truly humbling to see how willing people are to reach out and help.
“Ellie is an amazing, deep, sensitive, wise, strong, brave, intelligent, and funny soul. Beautiful inside and out,” she wrote. “We have a long journey ahead of us.”
Tom then asked her followers to keep Ellie “in your prayers for a complete recovery” and directed them to her account to send a message of support.
Plenty of fellow actors, friends and fans have since commented, with The Hangover star Ken Jeong writing: “Sending all our love and prayers for Ellie. Anything we can do let us know. Love you.”
One fan added: “I was [diagnosed] with osteosarcoma when I was 21. Had a grapefruit sized tumor in my chest that also spread to my spine.
“The amazing docs and nurses at UCSF Children’s Hospital saved my life. I’m now 43 with two beautiful sons. Sending your family all the hugs, love and good juju your way.”
Tom, now 64, began acting on stage in the early 1980s, before landing her first TV role in the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life in 1992, and starring in Friends from 1995 to 1996.
Her character Julie began dating Ross (David Schwimmer) at the start of season two, but their relationship ended when Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) confessed her feelings for the future father of her child in a voicemail machine message.
In the years since, she’s mostly pivoted to voice acting, long-running gigs in King of the Hill and Panorama, and popping up in Rick and Morty, as well as the preschool series Iron Man and His Awesome Friends.
Tom has also made on-screen appearances in the 2003 film Bad Santa, Netflix drama Pretty Little Liars (2015) and Natasha Lyonne’s hit series Poker Face (2025).
