The 1970s had Farrah Fawcett's feathered flip. The 1980s had Madonna's wave-making bows. And the 1990s had "The Rachel," the shag sported by Jennifer Aniston's character on the hit sitcom Friends. Her hairstylist Chris McMillan created the look that not only stuck with Rachel Green for two seasons, but also left an impression on the thousands of women who tried to emulate it. But on Tuesday, Aniston put a crimp in the beloved style when she cited the style as a moment she'd "rather not re-live" to Allure magazine. The actress continued: "I love Chris [McMillan, her hairstylist], and he's the bane of my existence at the same time because he started that damn Rachel, which was not my best look. How do I say this? I think it was the ugliest haircut I've ever seen. What I really want to know is, how did that thing have legs?"
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From rough games of ping pong and Pictionary to the quest for the "Geller Cup," Rachel's childhood best friend Monica Geller has never faced a competition she didn't like. Perhaps that's why the actress who played Monica, Courteney Cox, also simulated her other half's haircut shortly after it became a massive success. Eventually, the two went their separate ways in terms of coiffures after Friends' third season, which unfortunately worked out worse for Cox's character on many occasions.
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Though this British starlet was a mere 4 years old when Friends first premiered, Harry Potter star Emma Watson long sported a more refined version of Rachel Green's signature shag throughout her young adult life. But in November, the 20-year-old actress and model—freed from the film franchise's clutches—chopped off her hair and went with a pixie. Seemingly, like Aniston, she wasn't a fan of "The Rachel" either. "Cut my hair off a few days ago," Watson wrote to her fans on Twitter and Facebook. "Feels incredible. I love it. I've wanted to do this for years and years; it's the most liberating thing ever."
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As the consummate California girl, actress Cameron Diaz was a natural beauty when she burst onto the scene in the The Mask in 1995. But shortly after she made her debut, Diaz chopped her tresses and sported what seemed to be the product of a Jackie O bouffant and "The Rachel." She's since gone back to waves—inspired by Kate Moss—and proven that "The Rachel" has been replaced.
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As Rachel and Ross debated whether or not they were "on a break" on Friends, American politics was infiltrated by the did-they-or-didn't-they relationship of then-President Bill Clinton and his former intern Monica Lewsinky (not to be confused with Rachel's aforementioned best friend). Her heavy eyeliner, bold red lipstick, and pouffy hair were practically a uniform throughout the scandal, until Lewsinky's highly anticipated 1999 interview on 20/20 gave her the opportunity to alter her public image. "Her hair needed a lot of taming," veteran hairstylist Harry King told Entertainment Weekly of Lewinsky's locks.
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After five years as stereotypical head cheerleader Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen left the Bayside Tigers behind in 1994 and also ditched the latter half of her hyphenated name and her long, flowing brunette locks. Seemingly inspired by TV's hottest actress that year, Thiessen highlighted her hair, accurately emulating "The Rachel," and signed up for a more grownup role as well on Beverly Hills, 90210. Arguably anything would have been better than the mountain of teased hair covering her forehead that Kelly called "bangs."
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Hollywood's leading lady has been known for the cascading curls she sported in Pretty Woman and Mystic Pizza. But as Julia Roberts moved up the ranks in show business, her hair simmered down. In the second season of Friends in 1995, after "The Rachel" had already made waves, Roberts made an appearance with a longer take on the look as Chandler's old classmate, who was seeking revenge for a fourth-grade play prank gone awry. Two years later, Roberts was looking blonder and even more Rachel Green-like, before returning to the auburn shade she's seemingly since decided suits her best.
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Plain Jane Tina Fey likely never imagined she'd be the envy of Jennifer Aniston. Though the 30 Rock star's hairstyle has become the symbol of geek chic—whether due to lettuce mishaps or trim mishaps—Fey long channeled "The Rachel" when it came to her personal style. But in 2009, when Aniston was nominated for an Emmy for her guest stint on 30 Rock against Fey for her portrayal of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, the claws allegedly came out. "Jen doesn't deal with competition well, she likes to be the top dog. She's not happy that Tina is likely to outshine her on the night," a source told Radar Online. "She's really disappointed to be going up against Tina. She realizes it's going to be near to impossible to win now." Fey wisely went with an updo for the ceremony and did end up winning the category.
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Model-turned-talk-show host Tyra Banks has made over hundreds of girls on America's Next Top Model and gone through dozens of looks herself. Though she garnered attention in 2009 for going on-camera for The Tyra Show with "no wigs, extensions, no nothing," "The Rachel" is one of the looks she sported in 1996 at the height of the Rachel-Greenification of America. Clearly, this stylized look came before Banks deemed Sept. 8, 2009, " National Real Hair Day."
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Although 2012 presidential hopeful Sarah Palin is largely known for her librarian updo, her more relaxed brown bouffant and wispy bangs are certainly emblematic of Rachel's look from nearly two decades prior. And surprisingly, there is an A-list connection between the two. At the Oscars gift lounge last March, Palin reportedly stocked up at the swag suites and, as the Los Angeles Times reported, "Palin's middle child, Willow, got her hair styled, receiving a blowout from Erick Orellana of the Chris McMillan Salon (Jennifer Aniston's longtime hairstylist)." Now we know some are still seeking "The Rachel" and every Willow wants to whip her hair back and forth.
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Though she played Rachel's spoiled and vain younger sibling Jill in two Friends episodes in 2000, Reese Witherspoon must have admired her small-screen older sister. In June 2003, pregnant with her son Deacon, the Southern starlet made an appearance on MTV, looking like a very blond elder Green.
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The choppy aesthetic of "The Rachel" clearly inspired Melrose Place star Heather Locklear to layer her look in 1995. With the heavily tinted Yoko Ono sunglasses and jean jacket, Locklear could not have looked more 1990s or more Rachel at the grand opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland.
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Before she found a rabid fanbase with Mean Girls or became the envy of others as the on-and-off screen object of Ryan Gosling's affection after The Notebook, Rachel McAdams was just another sexy blond aspiring star. In the 2002 comedy The Hot Chick, she played Jessica, the most popular (and bitchiest) girl at school who finds herself trapped in Rob Schneider's body. As herself, Jessica's hair was essentially a Rachel Green replica—and seemingly, McAdams is not ready to shake the shaggy, side-swept bang look, considering her most recent appearance promoting Morning Glory.
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Jon Bon Jovi's hair is legendary. The wild New Jersey mane was once synonymous with his 1980s rock star image and when he tamed the bouffant beast, he made headlines. As Bon Jovi's former Ally McBeal co-star Calista Flockhart quipped, "Each hair must have its own stylist." In 1995, as women (and apparently men) all over the world showed their stylist pictures of Rachel Green as cutting guidance, this layered aesthetic could have earned Bon Jovi a role as Aniston's stand-in. And though he's now approaching the 50-year mark, the rock star says his tonsorial excellence is 100 percent authentic. "Looks good, huh?" Bon Jovi recently asked Larry King of his tresses.
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