They stole hearts as baby Emma Geller-Greene on Friends, and now, more than two decades later, identical twins Alexandra and Athena Conley are all grown up — and taking social media by storm.
The 23-year-old sisters, who played the daughter of iconic couple Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) and Rachel Greene (Jennifer Aniston) on the beloved ’90s sitcom, have resurfaced as rising TikTok influencers, much to the delight — and surprise — of longtime Friends fans.
Over the weekend, the twins reminded the internet of their once-famous baby role by sharing a nostalgic post on TikTok. The video began with a present-day photo of one of the sisters, captioned, “told him I was on TV as a baby.” The clip then cut to a throwback image from the episode The One Where Rachel Goes Back To Work, showing one of the girls as baby Emma, held by Schwimmer, with Aniston standing beside them.
The TikTok quickly went viral, with fans flooding the comments to express shock, curiosity, and excitement. Some even chimed in with classic Friends references. One user asked, “Soooooooo do you think they were on a break? Or not?” — referencing the infamous Ross-and-Rachel relationship debate. Another asked, “Is Baby Got Back your favorite song?” nodding to the hilarious moment Ross used the song to make baby Emma laugh on the show.
The twins also revealed that they’ve heard from multiple fans named Emma who were reportedly named after their character. According to IMDb, Alexandra and Athena appeared as baby Emma from January to March 2003, though several other twins — including Noelle and Cami Sheldon, and Genevieve and Elizabeth Davidson — also took turns portraying the character.
Now college graduates, Alexandra and Athena are embracing their next chapter in life, which includes cheerleading, social media influencing, and living it up at music festivals. Athena recently made headlines of her own when she became a cheerleader for the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Her sister Alexandra is her biggest cheerleader — literally — sharing supportive snaps from the sidelines with the caption, “@athena.conley’s #1 fan.”
The twins’ online presence continues to grow, with TikTok and Instagram accounts filled with matching outfits, twin skits, and influencer content. They recently attended the Stagecoach Festival together, posting several twinning moments in cowboy hats and coordinated outfits.
In one notable video, Alexandra shared a plug for Kim Kardashian’s popular shapewear line, SKIMS. Modeling pieces from the sheer cotton collection, she captioned the clip: “Will be wearing this all summer @SKIMS #skimspartner #skims #summerinspo #summerstyle.” It’s clear the sisters are just beginning to explore their careers in digital entertainment and brand partnerships.
The resurgence of interest in baby Emma’s portrayers adds another fun chapter to the legacy of Friends, which continues to captivate audiences more than 20 years after the show wrapped. The role of Emma was introduced during the two-part finale of Season 8 in 2002, the result of a one-night stand between Ross and Rachel that eventually developed into a complex and enduring love story.
The twins’ rise to TikTok fame mirrors the journeys of several other child actors who got their start on Friends. Cole Sprouse, for example, famously played Ross’s son Ben and has gone on to a successful acting career. Dakota Fanning and Daryl Sabara also made memorable appearances on the show as kids before launching into bigger roles.
As for Alexandra and Athena Conley, they may have been cast as babies, but they’re now making very adult moves — proving once again that Friends stars, no matter how small, never really leave the spotlight.