Actors Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox have paid emotional tribute to legendary television director James Burrows following his death at the age of 85. Burroughs, best known for directing episodes of Friends and co-creating Cheers, was remembered by actors as a mentor, father figure and guiding force who helped shape their careers and the success of the beloved sitcom.

Burroughs died on Friday, June 19, at the age of 85. His family confirmed the news in a statement People. In a career spanning over five decades, the acclaimed director has directed over 1,000 television episodes and worked on many iconic shows. Friends, Will & Grace, The Big Bang Theory, Taxi, Frasier And to encourage.

A day after his death was announced, Jennifer Aniston shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, as well as a collection of photos documenting their relationship over the years, including behind-the-scenes moments, awards show appearances and recent reunions.

In her post, Aniston reflected on the immense impact Burroughs had on her life and the lives of those around her.

He wrote, “Oh boy… Papa Burroughs. The hardest thing about writing this is that you’ve spent your entire life making people feel loved, and now it feels impossible to put all that love into a few paragraphs.”

The actor recalled how Burroughs often referred to the Friends cast as “the kids” and regularly asked, “Where are the kids?” She also recalled his collaborative approach on set, where he encouraged the cast to trust each other and assured them that together they would make every joke work.

Later on Saturday, Courteney Cox also shared a touching tribute, revealing the personal nickname Burrows has given her over the years.

“Jimmy B. called me a cock-n-hammer. I don’t know what it means or what it means, but I just went along with it because he was Jimmy Burroughs. He always referred to us as ‘kids’… He took the artists under his wing and taught us everything we needed to know – whether through his directing or telling us how things were going to turn out in our lives – never sugar-coated anything and he Were always right,” Cox wrote.

Reflecting on his presence on the set, Cox said that everyone loved Burroughs because he made every project better.

“I would beg him to give us more time to direct, but the same happened with all his other shows, because everything was better when he was around. You felt safe and confident and man, what a blast we had!”

He also praised Burroughs for remaining humble despite extraordinary success and influence in television.

“I’m not sure how someone with so much talent, knowledge and adoration could be so egotistical. Making the best of anything meant so much to Jimmy, his amazing kids, and his beautiful wife Debbie. I loved watching them fall in love.”

Burroughs leaves a notable legacy in television. As an 11-time Emmy winner, he played a key role in shaping some of the most successful sitcoms in television history and influenced generations of actors, writers, and directors through his work.