Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler have been friends for decades, even sharing the screen as love interests a few times. With the comedy actors running in the same circle, there’s bound to be some overlap when it comes to the talent they’ve worked with over the years, and that includes Disney Channel veterans Dylan and Cole Sprouse. The Just Go With It stars recalled working with the twins at the beginning of their careers, and Aniston had a hilarious reaction to the revelation that her former co-star Cole is now 30 years old.
Back in 1999 the Sprouse brothers played Adam Sandler’s son in Big Daddy, and a year later Cole Sprouse made his debut on Friends as Ross Gellar’s son Ben. With the classic NBC sitcom remaining so prevalent, even nearly 20 years since its series finale, it’s easy to forget just how much time has passed, and Jennifer Aniston’s face when she was informed that the celebrity siblings are now 30 was absolutely priceless:
That bombshell came as Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were promoting Murder Mystery 2 on Access Hollywood, and the actress let out an audible gasp, as Sandler proclaimed that was “hilarious.” Aniston reacted with shock before groaning:
What?! No, no, they're not. Wow, that's so crazy.
Her response is understandable, since Cole Sprouse was just 7 years old when his character reminded Rachel on Friends that she and his dad “were on a break.” The two also proved to be quite the pranksters, with Jennifer Aniston’s character teaching Ross’ son some brutal moves that he went on to use against his parents.
Cole Sprouse appeared in seven episodes altogether in Seasons 6-8, including “The One With the Holiday Armadillo,” which stands as one of Friends’ best Christmas episodes. You can see the full exchange below, with the conversation about The Suite Life of Zack & Cody stars coming around the 1:40 mark:
Even though 23 years have passed, and Cole Sprouse has made a name for himself in other roles — notably as Jughead Jones on Riverdale and Will in Five Feet Apart — the actor said he still gets recognized as Ben from Friends.
Cole Sprouse has spoken candidly about what it was like to grow up as a child actor. He’s made fun admissions about being “so in love” with Jennifer Aniston (who wasn’t?) at the time. But his other acting experiences weren’t all positive, and he has also talked about the “trauma” of childhood fame. He recently opened up about more personal topics on the Call Her Daddy podcast, including his relationship with his brother, his parents’ divorce and losing his virginity when he was 14.
It is amusing to think that the Sprouse twins’ history with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler goes back so far. While Cole and Dylan Sprouse haven’t collaborated with their former co-stars in recent years, fans can revisit their turn-of-the-century projects, with Friends available for streaming with an HBO Max subscription, and Big Daddy can be streamed with an Amazon Prime Video subscription as well as a Netflix subscription.
Netflix is also where you’ll be able to find Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in their latest project, as they have reunited as Nick and Audrey Spitz for Murder Mystery 2, which is out Friday, March 31.
