I’ll Be There For You, Secrets About the TV Show Friends
Friends, you can't live with them nor without them. Strictly speaking about the six from the classic TV series of course. Do what you will with your own personal friends. This show was a staple back in the late '90s and early 2000s. Even if you did not watch it, you knew about it.
10 Seasons Were Not Enough
For ten seasons, the show brought laughter and joy to the hearts of viewers everywhere and at times would bring a tear or two to your eye. The show allowed you to get lost in what it could be like to live in New York and have a close group of comrades. Now is your chance to get lost in this list of interesting Friends facts every fan should know but might not be aware of.
Reserve the Couch!
Have you ever wondered why the group always had dibs on the couch at Central Perk? New York is a big city filled with millions of people so how is it that the gang always had the same spot? You could have crossed it off as one of those TV things that just happens for whatever reasons but there was something you may have never noticed.
On the counter, at Central Perk there is a reservation sheet! Someone obviously must have been reserving it and seeing that many of them lived right upstairs it was a fairly simple task to do so.
Almost Left Out of the Main Cast
In the beginning, it was only meant to be about Monica, Rachel, Joey and Ross. The dynamic group of six was originally only going to be four. Phoebe and Chandler were meant to be secondary characters, only there to provide a comedic boost. The thing that made them become mainstays were their talents in comedy.
Just imagine what it would have been like without Chandler daring Joey to fit inside of the living room furniture or the crazy antics of Phoebe! Could the show have been better without those two always on screen? Our guess is no.
What Could Have Been
As great as Ross and Rachel ending up together turned out to be, what about Joey and Monica? It was originally supposed to be the latter two who ended up being the end game love couple. The producers wanted the two to come together, an idea they had before they started writing but as the show progressed, the idea was dropped.
Producer David Crane said, "Initially we thought the big love interest was Joey-Monica. This is before we wrote the script, when we were just pitching the series. We didn't know, when we pitched the show, the idea of Ross and Rachel. That was something we discovered writing it."
Jennifer Aniston was Almost Replaced
Is Friends really Friends without Jennifer Aniston? Well, it would have been because Aniston almost was replaced due to her commitment to another CBS show called Muddling Through. She was all for Friends but was already started on Muddling Through and if that show had become a hit then there would have been no way for her to do Friends.
“Friends came when I was off doing Muddling Through,” Aniston explained referencing CBS’s short-lived 1994 sitcom. “So there was a period where I had to stand out of the photographs for the group shots, and I had phone calls from girlfriends saying, ‘I’m auditioning for your part in Friends.’ ”
Courteney Cox could have been...
Someone that was originally offered to play the role of Rachel Green was Courteney Cox. That would have shaken things up for sure. Fortunately for Aniston, Cox wanted to do the role of Monica instead. Turns out that was a perfect fit for both of the actors.
“We originally offered Rachel to Courteney Cox,” said producer Kauffman, “but she said she wanted to do Monica, not Rachel.” Kauffman and Crane initially had a different vision for Monica. “When we originally wrote the role, we had Janeane Garofalo’s voice in our head,” explains Crane. The cast could have been really different, just wait until you see who someone else could have been.
Schwimmer the Director
Ross Geller might not be the most popular character on the show. He had some qualities about him that made him hard to love like every other character. He was a bit whiny and somewhat of a Debbie downer but true fans learned to look past that and see what makes him great.
His talent extends behind the scenes as well. David Schwimmer was responsible for directing ten of the episodes on the show. If you had to guess which ones you might guess correct because in most of them he is somewhat of the focal point and he engages in over-the-top comedy.
Negotiate to $1 Million
When the show first started, the main cast members were making $22,000 an episode. Not bad at all for the beginning of a new show. As the show became more popular a demand for higher pay came to to the table, but these six handled it differently. Instead of going about it individually, each of them came together and negotiated for a higher and equal salary. By the last two seasons, they had come to the amount of one million per episode.
Matt LeBlanc was asked if they were worth that kind of money and he said, "Were we worth $1 million? To me, that’s such a strange question," LeBlanc told The Huffington Post.
Ellen as Phoebe?
Some people have to audition, well Ellen Degeneres was simply offered the role of Phoebe. That probably explains why she was originally going to be just a secondary character. Ellen turned down the offer obviously, and the true Phoebe emerged. Now with a monumental show like Friends, you could easily say that was possibly the biggest mistake of her life.
Luckily, it wasn't because Ellen turned out to do pretty well for herself. She has adoring fans and the person who was meant to play Phoebe ended up playing her. Everything turned out just fine in the long run.
No One Wanted It
Relationships were a thing in this show. Everyone was always in one, but there was one that the cast and even the viewers did not want to see. The Rachel and Joey relationship was the one that was despised by the cast. And why would one of your friends get with the woman you used to love anyway?
"It felt wildly inappropriate," Matt LeBlanc admitted to Vanity Fair in 2012. "Everybody got super-defensive about the whole thing." In a later slide, we will explain why the relationship even came about. Believe it or not, there was a good reason for it.
The Snub of her Life
Courteney Cox was arguably one of the most important characters of the show. She had wit and humor and was serious at all the right times. It's no surprise that Jennifer Aniston was nominated for an Emmy, but Lisa Kudrow did as well. Some viewed the character of Monica as more important than Phoebe. Cox was a bit hurt she was never nominated for an Emmy.
“The only time I was like, ‘Whoa!’ was [in 2001, when Kudrow and Aniston] were both nominated and not me. That’s when it’s like, ‘I have a lesson to learn here,’ ” Cox, 46, tells TVLine. “I had a hard time not taking it personally."
She Hated "The Rachel"
There was a hairstyle from the show that made plenty of women who watched go out to their hairstylist so they can try and duplicate it. That haircut was "The Rachel." While fans all loved it, Jennifer Aniston hated the short cut for many reasons but mainly because it was so hard to manage.
When talking about her hairstylist and the cut she said, "I had to see him every six weeks to keep this darn thing up, though, because it was a "hairdo". It was a pain in the butt, to be honest, one of the hardest hairstyles to maintain unless Chris did it."
They Couldn't Drop It
Remember the episode where Phoebe thought her mom was reincarnated as a cat? Possibly one of the weirdest storylines in a TV show, but you kind of went along with it because Phoebe is a weird individual herself. Well, there is a reason the writers decided to air the episode, even though there was talk about cutting it.
After the death of her mother, the idea was thrown out there by co-creator Marta Kauffman. The writers were going to deny it at the table read, but because of the recent passing of her mother they felt bad and couldn't say no.
She Wanted it all Along
Out of the people who are in your group of friends, you probably have that one you would want to "do" if the opportunity would arise. Now don't think about that now, this is about Courteney Cox. Apparently, she wanted Monica and Chandler to be together from the start of the show.
In a revealing interview back in 1997, Cox said that Chandler would be the friend she'd "do" if she was forced to choose. She got what she wanted, clearly. Monica and Chandler hooked up while in England and we are willing to bet Cox loved every moment of it.
Don't be Duped
Every fan knows the iconic opening theme song. You know all too well the cast playing in that fountain like it is the best thing to do in the middle of the night. That opening credit scene has probably inspired plenty of friends to try and emulate that. Feel free to get soaking wet at night for one minute of fun.
The only thing is, we hope you didn't think that the fountain is located in New York. They really shot that scene on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank California. A whole coast away from New York. Don't go to New York looking for it.
Joey Was Meant Another Way
If you are really good at something, you can sway how something else was meant to be. That applies to generally a lot of things in life. Michael Jordan did not have to run the play the coach told him to because he could easily just go and score himself. He changed how it was supposed to be.
With the character Joey, Matt LeBlanc did the same. We perceive Joey as a half-witted character who always does something that makes you scratch your head. Well, Joey was not written that way at all. LeBlanc just auditioned him that way and they stuck with it.
Jon Could Have Been Chandler
There were several actors who auditioned for the role of Chandler, but we think this is the most high profile actor who turned down the role. Jon Favreau was originally offered the part of Chandler but he turned it down before Matthew Perry was even cast. We did get to see him appear later in the show.
Favreau could have kept the offer but who knows where his career as a director or writer would have gone. Favreau is more of the Joey type cast, so it would have been odd to see him play out somebody like Chandler anyway.
Matthew Perry is Chandler in Real Life
It seems as though Matthew Perry has a tough time with the ladies in real life. If you ever picked up on how awkward Chandler is with the women in the show then you have seen a glimpse into Perry's (poor) game. The writers got their inspiration on how to write Chandler from Perry's real life experience.
Here is a telling quote from Perry. “One of the producers came up and asked me one Monday how a date had gone over the weekend,” he says. “I said, ‘It went great. We went out for dinner, then for a nice walk on Melrose and back to her place, where we shared a nice kiss good night. And I’m pretty confident that I’m going to die alone.’ ”
Why Joey and Rachel Happened
When the writers have the power, they can change the show in whatever creative direction they please. Even though the cast and fans didn't want it to happen, the writers needed something as a filler. That is how they came up with Joey and Rachel getting together. They needed something to delay Rachel getting back with Ross.
This idea didn't come around until halfway through the season. As a last minute idea, it clearly showed just that. All that backlash would not have been the case if it were a good idea. We're just happy that they did not stick with it.
The Title Could have Been Many Things
The journey of how the show finally became Friends, is a long one. The creators of the show had a seven-page pitch for what it was originally called, Insomnia Café. That was not the only thing that was different, the plot also took a different path as well.
Soon, NBC purchased the pilot and that is when the name turned into Friends Like Us. That didn't stick well with the president of NBC who suggested Across the Hall. When they started shooting the name became Six of One. It wasn't until the show premiered that it was finally called Friends.
How Could You Think That of Chandler?
It was widely assumed that Chandler's sexual orientation was not that of the straight alliance. Lisa Kudrow was shocked when she heard Matthew Perry's way of reading Chandler at the first table read. She admitted that when she read the script, she thought Chandler was gay. When the first few seasons were out, fans thought the same thing.
It took an interview in 1997 from producer David Crane to finally set the record straight. Crane told Entertainment Weekly, “No, Chandler isn’t gay. Nor will he be gay.” Is it safe to say that we know where one could be confused, yes?
That Darn Duck
The show had its fair share of animals guest starring throughout the series. Ross had a pet monkey at one point. A bunch of dogs appeared as well. All the characters appeared to love these animals, but did it ever cross your mind that in real life, these people were not fond of these animals?
Joey and Chandler had a pet duck during one of the seasons and the duck was a part of several episodes. The only thing about this duck is that Lisa Kudrow was horrified of the duck. That is good acting on her end to deal with it.
Bruce Willis Gave his Pay to Charity
Bruce Willis made an appearance on Friends. That is a huge star to have on your show. Not only did he appear on the show, he did it for free. Yep, for free and it was all thanks to Matthew Perry. Perry and Willis were in a film together, The Whole Nine Yards and a bet was made on the set.
Perry knew the movie would be number one but the pessimistic Willis disagreed. They made a bet and Perry was the victor. Willis had to donate his pay for appearing on the show to charity, so everyone wins.
Matthew Perry Needed Help
Mathew Perry was on Friends while he was in his 20s and 30s. It seemed like the greatest time in the actor's life. Making all that money and being able to do things most people only dream about doing. However, behind the scenes, he was suffering from a problem at one point during those years. Perry fell into a trap that sometimes destroys many others.
"I was on Friends from age 24 to 34. I was in the white-hot flame of fame. The six of us were just everywhere all the time," Perry told People. From an outsider's perspective, it would seem like I had it all. It was actually a very lonely time for me because I was suffering from alcoholism."
The Huddle
Those who are close make their bond tighter when they perform a group ritual. Sports teams pray together before games. The same goes with musicians and their bands before they do a big show or when they are on tour. For the cast of Friends, they did a huddle before each show and wished each other good luck. When the finale was approaching, David Schwimmer would get emotional.
"And that was the moment I was dreading for a long time because I knew that moment of just looking at everyone in their eyes, and saying ‘Have a good show,’ and knowing that was the last time we were going to be able to be in our little circle.”
She Almost Didn't Come Back
Jennifer Aniston became one of the most popular stars to emerge from the series by the time it was over. She had done big time movies and even began dating Brad Pitt. The new found fame stirred rumors that she would be the reason the show was going to end early.
In an interview back in 2004 she admitted she "had a couple issues that I was dealing with,” she said. “I wanted it to end when people still loved us and we were on a high. And then I was also feeling like, ‘How much more of Rachel do I have in me?’”
Lisa Kudrow could have been on Frasier instead
Here is yet another interesting chain of events involving Phoebe. Apparently, Lisa Kudrow was cast as another character on Frasier and would have never been Phoebe at all. It is a great thing that her funny characteristics is what cost her that role on Frasier and those same characteristics is what got her more screen time on Friends.
A Frasier creator wrote about the casting process and put, "Lisa didn't exactly fit the mold of what we were looking for in terms of a strong-willed character, but she was really funny," Peter Casey writes. "Her quirkiness made lines that weren’t intended as jokes hilarious."
They Get Around!
As we mentioned earlier, the characters in the show had plenty of relationships. With relationships often times comes the possibility of hooking up. A super fan of the show actually went through and calculated just how many people the characters slept with. The numbers are not that high except for maybe one character. The fan assigned one point to a situation that was either for sure a hookup or it was strongly suggested and a .5 to a maybe situation.
The tallies are as follows:Phoebe: 32.5 partners Joey: 51.5 partners Rachel: 15.5 partners Monica: 14.5 partners Ross: 14 partners Chandler: 10.5 partners
She Had to Hide It
Here is some irony for you. The whole storyline of how Monica could not get pregnant was around the same time Courteney Cox got pregnant in real life. What type of tom foolery is that, Courtney! This was during the final season so that made things a smidge easier, but it was still ironic that it happened.
How they did it was just by putting Monica in baggy clothes and props. They tried hard to conceal it, but there were some episodes when fans could still notice the baby bump. It would have worked more to their advantage if they did not already write her as unable to have kids.
You are a Friends Expert
Now that you have the ability to watch every episode at your leisure since it is available on Netflix, you are in paradise. The show will go down as one of the most loved shows in history. Even if you are the most hardcore fan, something on this list was new to you if not everything.
You should now be wanting to go back and try and find that reservation paper found at the cafe so you can try and spot it yourself. There were plenty of things behind the scenes that were going on and during the show that people had no idea about but now you do.
Why There Will Never Ever Be a Reunion
To some fans, 10 seasons is just not enough. Loyal followers of the show would be thrilled to see their favorite cast members join together for a reunion show. But according to Marta Kauffman, co-creator of Friends, that will never happen.
She told Deadline, “Friends was a show about that time in your life when your friends are your family, and in a weird way, this isn’t that different. Once you start having family of your own it changes, and the show was over. A show has a lifespan I believe, it has a lifespan like anything else, and there’s no reason to continue doing it just because people miss the characters.”
The Lost Episode
There's one episode of Friends that never aired. How can that be? It's because fans took to making their own episode. Taking various clips, reactions, and b roll from different episodes, fans pieced together enough video to create an episode on its own. And what exactly happens in the episode? Chandler dies.
That's right, in the "lost episode" named "The One Where Chandler Dies," Chandler is actually struck and killed by an ice cream truck, while the rest of the cast mourns his death. Why exactly fans chose to kill off Chandler is unknown, but pretty cruel.
One Last Night Of Anonymity
Friends director James Burrows felt strongly that the show was going to be a huge hit. And when the show became popular, the cast was going to be famous. Burrows was so sure of this that he gave the cast members a special gift before the show ever even aired.
He sent them all to Las Vegas so they could enjoy their freedom for (probably) the last time. Full circle: Ross and Rachel later got married in Vegas in the fifth season finale.
Some Episodes Weren't Filmed In Front Of A Live Audience
Most of the time, the Friends cast loved the thrill of performing in front of a live studio audience. But some episodes were filmed behind closed doors.
The show's producers didn't want any spoilers being released to the public about cliffhanger episodes. For this reason, audiences weren't allowed to watch the filming of any episodes where suspenseful cliffhangers were revealed. We can think of several of those...like when Rachel's pregnancy was announced!
Two Cast Members Share The Same Favorite Episode
Hey, maybe playing siblings created a brother-sister mental connection between Courtney Cox and David Schwimmer! The actors both say that the episode called "The One With the Blackout" is their favorite.
The episode, which aired during the show's first season, is the one where Ross tried to confess his romantic feelings for Rachel. Unfortunately, a stray cat jumped on him and started attacking. Director Burrows was supposed to yell "stop" to let Schwimmer know when to stop pretending the cat was viciously attacking him, but the cue never came. That's why Ross' freakout looks so genuine!
The Ladies Had Lunch Together Every Day
In a 2016 television special with Andy Cohen, the cast of Friends revealed some sweet behind-the-scenes tidbits about their time on the show. One of those details was that Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow all ate lunch together on the daily.
"The three girls, we had lunch together every single day, and we ate the same food—a Jennifer salad," said Cox. Unfortunately, she didn't reveal exactly what a Jennifer Salad is. Inquiring minds want to know!
Jennifer Aniston's Favorite Episode(s)
It turns out that Jennifer Aniston has a hard time selecting just one favorite episode. She might be the show's biggest fan! She especially enjoyed any episode featuring flashbacks.
In that 2016 Andy Cohen special, she told him "I always loved the flashbacks. I always loved when we would flashback to fat Monica and Rachel pre-nose job and Ross with his Afro." Sounds like she might have liked the extra costuming and makeup that went into creating those episodes. And there were plenty of flashback episodes to love...
Elle MacPherson Made Five Appearances On Friends
The Australian supermodel Elle MacPherson appeared in five episodes of Friends. She played Joey's roommate/girlfriend Janine Lecroix. There have been rumors over the years that Elle regretted appearing in the show, but she cleared that up during a 2018 Comedy Central interview.
“I never said I regretted appearing in Friends. What I said was, had I known how successful it was before going, I think I would have chickened out because it was such an iconic show and I probably wouldn’t have felt up to the job," she explained. “But fortunately I went, I took a risk, I didn’t know how big of a risk I was taking, and I had the most incredible experience.”
That Time Brad Pitt Was On The Show
2001's Thanksgiving-themed episode was called "The One with the Rumor" and featured Brad Pitt as a guest star. At the time, he and Jennifer Aniston were still married.
In the episode, Pitt's character Will Colbert confesses that he and Ross had been members of an "I hate Rachel" club while they were in high school. He further revealed that the two of them had spread a rumor about her. One of Pitt's most memorable lines in the episode was "Look at her holding those yams. Those are our two worst enemies, Ross — Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates."
The Apartment Numbers Played Musical Chairs
The apartment numbers on both Monica and Chandler's apartment doors changed throughout the show's run. Initially, Monica's apartment number was 5. But the producers realized that she needed a much higher number than that since she lived higher up in the building. So the number was changed to 20.
Chandler's apartment number was also updated, from 4 to 19. These are the kinds of details that only the most eagle-eyed fan would notice, but we're glad someone did!
