The Subtle Way Friends Paid Tribute To 9/11 Firefighters Will Make You Love The Show Even More
It's been nearly fifteen years since the finale of Friends graced our television screens, and we're still obsessed. The show practically defined a generation of young adults and has cemented itself in pop culture history. It's one of those television series you can watch over and over again and never get bored, and that's because there are always new things to notice.
Even the most die-hard Friends fans don't know why this Die Hard actor made a FREE cameo on the show. Read on to see if you noticed these hidden Friends easter eggs.
Arquette Took Over The Credits
Between seasons five and six, Courtney Cox married David Arquette and became Courtney Cox Arquette.
As a nod to one of their stars, the producers changed the opening credits in the season six premiere, "The One After Vegas." Every cast member got an "Arquette" added to the end of their name.
The Wedding Minister Has A Connection To Jennifer Aniston
In "The One With Chandler And Monica's Wedding: Part 2," Rachel has to go find a last-minute stand-in minister for the ceremony. She ends up finding a Greek priest at a wedding for that "Anastassakis" family.
The name is a nod to Jennifer Aniston's family name before they moved to the United States and changed it.
The Show's Creators Have Made Their Fair Share Of Cameos
Before the reserved sign, there was an episode in season three when the gang walks into Central Perk to find people already sitting on the couch. The people taking up their precious space? The show's creators, David Crane and Marta Kauffman.
The two creators make multiple other cameos in over the ten seasons.
There's A Reason They Always Had The Best Spot
Any millennial that frequents a coffee shop knows it's hard to consistently land your favorite spot. The cast always gets that perfect spot at Central Perk because there's a reserved sign on the table.
Gunther must know that these six will spend half their paychecks there if they can grab a spot.
The Apartment Numbers Change
In season one, Monica's apartment is #5, and Joey and Chandler live in #4. After the season, the producers got feedback that the numbers were way too low for an apartment so high up.
Once they realized the oversight, they changed the apartments to #19 and #20 for season two.
Joey's ATM Pin Is His Name
In "The One In Vegas: Part 1" Joey has to call Phoebe because he forgot his PIN number for his credit card, and she reminds him that it's 5639.
If you're from the T9 generation that had to press numbers to get letters, you'd know that 5639 spells out "Joey."
The Central Perk Chalkboard Has The Latest News
Most people keep an eye out on the Magna Doodle in Chandler and Joey's apartment, but the chalkboard in Central Perk is just as juicy.
If you pause the frame you can often see different drink recipes, drawings of King Kong, and even Phoebe's name on open mic night.
Matthew Perry's Dad Made A Subtle Cameo
Unless you're a super fan who knows what each actor's parents look like, you probably didn't notice when Matthew Perry's real dad has a five-minute cameo. Perry's dad played the father of Rachel's boyfriend Joshua.
In "The One With Rachel's New Dress," he walks in for a perfect comedic moment right when Rachel changes into a sexier dress for Joshua.
The Iconic White Dog Was Actually Owned By Jennifer Aniston
The ugly big white dog figure was an iconic part of Chandler and Joey's apartment. It actually is a personal belonging of Jennifer Aniston's.
A friend of her's gave it to her as a good luck present when she started acting, and she passed it on to the show when they hit it big.
They Were On The Hunt For Marcel While Dining At Marcel's
In "The One After The Superbowl: Part 2" Ross is frantically searching for his pet monkey, Marcel. Eagle-eye viewers would notice that mid-search, Ross, Chandler, and Joey go on a triple date at a restaurant called Marcel's.
Maybe he was in the back cooking their meals without anyone knowing.
Moving Boxes Finally Reveal Monica's Towel Categories
It's a running joke throughout the series that Monica is so crazy about her organization that she has eleven different towel categories. It's even the question that Chandler and Joey win the trivia game with.
In the episode after when the girl's move apartments, you can see the boxes in the back have the towel categories labeled.
The Secretly Paid Tribute After 9/11
Since the show is based in New York, the writers wanted to show solidarity following 9/11 but they didn't want to break the fourth wall.
As a subtle way to pay tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives, they chalkboard some of the cast members wearing FDNY shirts and wrote "FDNY" on the Magna Doodle.
The Show Secretly Reveals The Gender Of Ross And Rachel's Kid
In "The One Where Joey Tells Rachel," Ross and Rachel both agree they don't want to know the gender of the baby, but still argue over names.
Ross wears a blue sweater for the entire episode as a subtle way to reveal to audiences that they were having a boy, Ben.
Rachel's Last Name Is Spelt Wrong On The Wedding Invite
You'd think if Ross was really in love with Rachel, he'd know how to spell her name. You can see when Rachel mails the letter back that her last name is spelled with an extra "E."
Die-hard fans also love this freeze frame because it's the only glimpse of Monica and Rachel's complete address.
Bruce Willis Lost A Bet, So He Made A Free Cameo
The only reason we have an episode where Bruce Willis makes a cameo is that he lost a bet in real life to Matthew Perry while the two were filming The Whole Nine Yards.
As payment, he had to appear on Friends for free, and donate his fee to charity.
Joey's Embarrassing Ad Keeps Coming Back
In "The One Where The Underdog Gets Away," Joey goes in for a modeling gig only to have his image end up on an advertisement for sexually transmitted diseases.
The ad ends up coming back multiple times in the season in the background of scenes. Sorry, Joey, you'll never live that one down.
The Beloved Magna Doodle Held All The Easter Eggs
One easter egg that's as recognizable as Stan Lee in a Marvel film was the Magna Doodle on the back of the door in Chandler and Joey's apartment. The doodle board often hel little drawings, messages, and reminders.
It started out as a fun detail, and turned into a full time job for one person on the production crew!
Jennifer Aniston's Real-Life Dad Was A Doctor On Days Of Our Lives
John Aniston played Victor Kiriakis on the real Days Of Our Lives, and we all know Joey's biggest acting gig was playing Dr. Drake Ramoray on the fiction Days Of Our Lives.
It's not clear whether this connection inspired Joey's character arc, but John Aniston could have given some great acting tips for the role!
Gunther Doesn't Have A Line Until His 33rd Episode
Gunther, the creepy yet lovable barista at Central Perk, doesn't have a speaking line until his 33rd appearance when he says "Yeah."
It's also interesting to note that James Michael Typer was only cast as Gunther because he was the only extra who knew how to operate an espresso machine.
An Air Force One Cameo
In "The One Where Paul's The Man" Joey is trying desperately to get his headshot on the wall of his dry cleaners. The owner refuses because he says Joey's show is offensive to Russians.
Joey argues, saying he has a photo of Harrison Ford, despite Air Force One being equally offensive. The catch is that the actor playing the owner of the dry cleaners was also in Air Force One!
