Lisa Kudrow Had to Face Her Fear of Birds
Acting for a show like Friends requires a lot of skill, but it takes a whole other set of skills to perform while dealing with a phobia. Lisa Kudrow, the actress who played Phoebe, had to confront her fears several times whenever a bird was involved. She has ornithophobia, a fear of birds, which made filming scenes with Chandler and Joey's chick and duck especially challenging. At times, producers were uncertain if they could have Lisa Kudrow and the birds in the same room for certain scenes.
When Rachel's boyfriend Joshua was revealed to have a fear of birds on the show, we had no idea they were drawing inspiration from one of their own cast members!
The Writer's Forgot to Age Ross up for 3 Seasons
With so much backstory for each character on the show, it's not surprising that sometimes the writers failed to tie all the storylines together. Many fans didn't notice a significant plot hole spanning seasons 3 to 5 regarding Ross' age, likely because none of the characters on the show acknowledged it either. If you go back and rewatch the show, you'll find that Ross inexplicably doesn't age up for three whole seasons.
In seasons 3, 4, and 5, Ross claims to be 29 years old on different occassions, despite the aging of the other friends over that period.
They Usually Didn't Want to Eat Lunch Together Off-Camera
Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston are famously best friends both on screen and off. Their friendship appears to have withstood the test of time, as the actresses are still pictured out together to this day. However, apparently, this wasn't always the case for all three leading women of the show. Back when they were filming episodes, they were said to rarely eat lunch together, often preferring the company of themselves or others instead.
Allegedly, they all ate the same thing for lunch every day - Jennifer Aniston's version of a Cobb salad - but even that wasn't enough to get them to sit together.
Reese Witherspoon Hated Performing in Front of a Crowd
The audience always loved it when Hollywood actors and actresses made guest appearances on the show. However, it's easy to overlook the fact that the six famous Friends stars were exceptionally skilled at performing in front of a live studio audience. Not all celebrity guests could handle the stress of acting in front of a large, unfamiliar crowd. In the case of Reese Witherspoon, who played Rachel's sister Jill, she found the experience so difficult that she declined to film additional episodes.
Her character was supposed to return in later seasons, but Witherspoon turned down the offers. She simply couldn't handle the idea of having to perform in front of a live audience again.
Our Favorite Couple Almost Didn't End up Together
Many fans believe that Monica and Chandler's undeniable on-screen chemistry meant that they were always meant to end up together. We were able to breathe a sigh of relief when their friends-with-benefits situation turned into a proper relationship. However, the show's co-creator revealed that the writers didn't actually intend for it to happen, as they had other plans for Monica and Chandler that didn't involve them being together in the long run.
Once the showrunners realized how much audiences loved them together, they decided to create a different storyline for the characters. Thank goodness they went with their gut on this one!
Courtney Cox Is Just as Neurotic as Monica
It's often wondered whether an actor or actress is similar to the character they play in a movie or show. In the case of Courteney Cox, it seems we have our answer, as the Friends star is said to have been as much of a clean-freak as Monica. It's no wonder why Cox was hired to play the role, given their striking similarity. The actress even has her own line of luxury cleaning and household products!
Cox was not only the cleanest among all her co-stars when it came to her dressing room, but she would also go around tidying up everyone else's dressing rooms when given the chance.
Joey and Monica Were Meant to Be More Than Friends
Just like in life, sometimes things don't turn out quite how you expect. This was certainly the case for Monica and Joey's characters, who the writers originally had very different plans for. Instead of Monica ending up with Chandler, the original plan was for Monica and Joey to enter into a long-term romantic relationship. However, somewhere along the way, the showmakers decided that it simply wasn't meant to be.
In one episode, we were given a glimpse into how life could have been if Monica and Joey had ended up together, with Joey gaining weight and Monica waiting on him hand and foot.
They Had to Rewrite Scenes After the September 11 Attacks
The world was in shock following the events of 9/11, and the film and TV industry experienced repercussions just like everyone else. The writers of the show had to rework a particular episode after the tragedy occurred, as it included an inappropriate joke from Chandler about a bomb in an airport. During this sensitive time, with numerous conspiracy theories circulating about the September 11 attacks, it was deemed too risky to make such jokes.
Instead, the writers replaced that airport joke in the episode titled 'The One Where Rachel Tells...' with another joke about Monica feeling jealous over another couple, thereby avoiding the potential to cause offense entirely.
Jennifer Aniston Hated the 'Rachel Bob'
You'd think that Jennifer Aniston would have a soft spot for the hairstyle that became so iconic and synonymous with the nineties. However, the reality is that the actress actually didn't like it at all - in fact, she hated it. While many tried to emulate the style and most of the world thought the Rachel Green bob looked amazing on her, Aniston never shared that sentiment about the shoulder-length hairstyle.
Not only did she hate the hairstyle back in the nineties, but she also has no intention of going anywhere near it again. In 2023, she stated, "I couldn't do the short hair," putting an end to all speculation.
The Central Perk Six Negotiated Their Pay Together
Gender pay gap is a hot topic in Hollywood at the moment, but back during the filming of Friends, it was less of a prominent issue. Regardless, the six stars of the show came up with an ingenious way to ensure that they all benefited from the huge success of the show. When the sitcom started raking in a lot of money, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer approached the higher-ups together to negotiate better pay.
By the time they were in the final seasons of the show, each actor was earning $1 million per episode, totaling around $22 million per season!
The Character of Phoebe's Twin Ursula Originated From a Different Show
Phoebe's twin sister became a recurring character on the show, bringing a whole new set of challenges for her bohemian sister. Ursula was so iconic that she even had a role on another show, Mad About You, where her character actually originated. In Mad About You, Kudrow played the part of the ditzy waitress Ursula Pamela Buffay, who was slightly less of an antagonist than we were used to seeing.
The writers at Friends loved Ursula's character so much that they brought her over into their own show and further developed her character from there.
Lisa Kudrow's Real-Life Pregnancy Changed Phoebe's Story Arc
Hiding the bellies of pregnant actresses on TV shows and in movies can pose a huge challenge for crew members. It often involves concealing baby bumps behind kitchen counters or dressing the stars in baggy clothes. However, the writers of Friends chose not to conceal Lisa Kudrow's pregnancy; instead, they incorporated her pregnancy into the storyline by making her character, Phoebe, pregnant as well. This approach eliminated the need to hide her at all.
If it weren't for Kudrow's real-life pregnancy, the storyline of Phoebe carrying her brother's triplets never would have happened. We love the go-with-the-flow approach they took to writing for the show.
Bruce Willis' Cameo Came From Losing a Bet to Matthew Perry
Action star Bruce Willis played the role of Paul Stevens in Season 6 of Friends. It's hard to imagine the show without his hilarious character, but Willis actually only appeared on the sitcom because he lost a bet. In his 2022 memoir titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he revealed that losing a bet with his close friend, the late Matthew Perry, led to his cameo appearance.
Despite only taking the role because of losing a bet, he earned himself a 2000 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series!
Easter Eggs Were Hiding in Plain Sight on the Board
One of the most iconic visuals on the show is the yellow photo frame that surrounds the peephole on Monica's front door. Similarly, Joey and Chandler had something unique on their front door - a blue doodle board. It's seen in the background of many episodes, but few people realize that they were hiding little Easter eggs right in plain sight. From cute drawings to cheeky messages, the blue doodle board was almost always a point of interest.
Some of the messages left on the board include things like 'poop' or 'get out!' and in the episode where Chandler visits a nail salon with Rachel, a crew member scribbled 'Nice Nails Chandler' on the board.
The Cast Disliked Everything About the Intro
The Friends intro music and video montage is condered to be an iconic part of TV, and fans worldwide love singing along to The Rembrandts' song 'I'll Be There for You.' However, the cast didn't share the same fondness for it. Jennifer Aniston spilled the beans on how none of her co-stars ever liked the show's intro, stating, "We felt it was a little, I don't know - dancin' in a pond, or like, a fountain felt a little odd."
It wasn't just the dancing that felt odd to the cast members, as Aniston revealed that, "No one was really a big fan of that theme song."
The Show Was Only Meant to Center Around 4 Characters
We know the show as centering around six characters - Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and Joey. However, the original plan was for the show to focus on just four main characters, with Chandler and Phoebe in supporting roles. When the creators saw how talented Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow were, and how well audiences reposnded to them, they decided that they just had to bring them more into the fold.
Phoebe and Chandler were supposed to act as a comic relief to their friends' more serious storylines, but thankfully they ended up becoming essential to the show.
Jennifer Aniston Considered Not Returning for The Finale
Towards the end of Friends, most of the cast felt like they were losing steam. Jennifer Aniston was even thinking about not coming back for the finale of season 10. She had received more success than her other co-stars, which may have encouraged her feelings of wanting to leave the show early. Aniston wanted to leave the show on a high note while fans still loved it, and she hinted that she had "a couple of issues" influencing her decision.
It's hard to imagine how different the season finale would have been if she hadn't returned, considering how central her character was in the last episodes.
Live Studio Audiences Weren't Allowed On-Set for Cliffhangers
There are several instances throughout the series when an episode ended on a cliffhanger. Interestingly, the showrunners decided to keep these suspenseful scenes a secret from the live studio audiences and filmed them separately from the rest of the episode. While this approach may have frustrated fans attending the filming, it was necessary to prevent plot leaks and keep audiences at home guessing. If they had filmed these scenes in front of a live studio audience, there was a higher chance that spoilers would have made it to the fans.
In Seasons 6 and 10, it wasn't necessary to ask the live studio audience to leave because these seasons didn't contain cliffhangers. But for all the other seasons, it was needed.
Everyone Hated It When Rachel and Joey Got Together
There are many things that the writers and showrunners did right with Friends. However, with 10 seasons under their belt, it's hardly surprising that they didn't get everything perfect. Most fans of the show agree that one of the worst storylines was when Rachel and Joey hooked up. After establishing such a solid friendship between the two characters, this plot development felt like a step in the wrong direction.
The creators did their best to sell us this story, with it running for around 2 seasons. Luckily, they eventually put this awkward pairing to rest.
The Duchess of York Was Nervous About Filming
You'd never have guessed that the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, suffered from stage fright. She's spent the majority of her life greeting crowds and making public appearances, but when it came to filming for the show alongside several professional actors, it terrified her more than she expected. Her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were huge fans of the show, so it was hard for her to change her mind when the fear struck.
Luckily, co-stars Matthew Perry and Matt Le Blanc were scheduled to film scenes with the Duchess of York and were happy to assist her with her lines, conducting a few read-throughs.
David Schwimmer Directed Friends Episodes Starting Season 6
David Schwimmer proved himself to be more than just a talented actor; he also directed several iconic Friends episodes. Among them are 'The One with All the Candy,' 'The One with Phoebe's Birthday Dinner,' and 'The One with the Red Sweater.' In total, he directed 10 episodes throughout the series, with his directorial debut being 'The One on the Last Night' in season 6. Each episode he directed became a huge hit with fans.
Over the years, Schwimmer has continued to hone his directorial skills, adding productions like Run Fatboy Run, Nevermind Nirvana, and Trust to his list of credits.
Matthew Perry's Dad Had a Surpise Cameo Appearance
The showmakers sure know how to pick great guest stars. Every famous actor who has made a cameo appearance on the show has been a hit with fans. But in one episode in season 4, they chose someone closer to home when it came to finding the right guest star. In the episode titled 'The One with Rachel's New Dress,' Matthew Perry's real-life father, actor John Bennett Perry, was cast to play the role of Mr. Burgin, Joshua's father and Rachel Green's boyfriend.
Now that we know John Bennett Perry is Matthew Perry's father, the family resemblance is undeniable. We'd love to have seen more from him on the show.
Matt LeBlanc Had $11 to His Name Before Friends
Courtney Cox was the only actress with substantial acting experience prior to the filming of Friends. However, even she was relatively unknown, as were her five other co-stars. Among them, Matt Le Blanc was particularly in need of a paycheck, as he was virtually broke before landing his big break on the show. As of 2024, he is worth around $85 million, but it wasn't always the case.
Allegedly, Le Blanc had only $11 in his bank account when he was hired to play the role of Joey Tribbiani. How times have changed!
Monica's Personality Underwent Several Iterations
Many aspects of Monica's storyline and character evolved throughout the show compared to the writers' original intentions. Her obsessive cleanliness was reportedly inspired by Courtney Cox's own germaphobic tendencies. Originally, her character was planned to be the most promiscuous among the group. When it comes to her storyline, the writers initially did not intend for Monica to end up in a relationship with Chandler, but the positive response from fans led to a change of plans.
Additionally, Monica was intended to be more cynical and sarcastic as a whole, but the writers ultimately chose not to emphasize those moodier character traits.
Lisa Kudrow Has No Idea How to Play a Guitar
One of Phoebe's most defining characteristics, playing the guitar, actually didn't come naturally to actress Lisa Kudrow. Despite the lessons Phoebe gave Joey in the episode titled 'The One With All The Resolutions,' Kudrow didn't have the skills for the role. She even took lessons to try and play more convincingly, but her progress was limited. Eventually, the showrunners decided to embrace Phoebe's lack of guitar-playing ability as part of her character, and somehow it worked.
If anything, Phoebe's poor guitar skills actually made her character all the more endearing. In hindsight, the show owes a lot to Kudrow's inability to play a stringed instrument.
They Couldn't Decide on a Name for the Show
The creators had a lot of doubts about naming the show. While it's hard to imagine it being called anything else, there were actually many other options being considered. Insomnia Cafe was one option they came up with early on, which definitely would have set a different tone entirely. They scraped that idea for Friends Like Us once Marta Fran Kauffman and David Crane were brought on to write for the pilot episode.
After that, they changed the name to Six of One, only to change it once again to Across the Hall, before finally deciding to simply call it Friends.
The Studio Was Worried About Airing One Particular Episode
Things were different back in the nineties - the world wasn't as accepting of same-sex marriages as it is today, and NBC executives were well aware of this. The studio was nervous about how the Season 2 episode titled 'The One with the Lesbian Wedding' would be received by audiences and whether airing the episode would lead to more problems in the long run. But as it turns out, they had nothing to worry about.
To the studio's surprise, the episode didn't receive any complaints, and it goes down in history as the first time a TV show depicted a lesbian wedding.
The Show Had to Work Around Financial Constraints
Given how much money the show made over 10 seasons, it can be hard to remember that in the earlier days of the show, there was less money to work with. In season three the showrunners were forced to cut costs in a big way, so they filmed a whole episode on the Monica apartment set to save money. In the episode titled 'The One Where No One’s Ready,' the six friends attempt to quickly get ready for Ross's fancy black-tie benefit.
Despite the financial constraints, it became one of the most loved episodes of the entire Friends series. It goes to show that you don't always need a big budget to create successful entertainment.
Joey Accidentally Dislocated His Shoulder on Set
None of the cast members were professional stunt people, so if a more dangerous scene had been involved, they would have used stunt doubles to ensure everyone's safety. However, during one episode, Matt Le Blanc suffered an unexpected injury when he dislocated his shoulder. It happened during the filming of Season 3's 'The One Where No One's Ready' when Le Blanc tripped and fell badly, forcing him to make a sudden hospital visit.
Because of Le Blanc's shoulder injury, he needed to wear an arm sling for a few episodes of season 3. At least it wasn't a major injury.
The Cast Had a Superstitious Pre-Show Huddle
In the 2021 special Friends: The Reunion, David Schwimmer shared a little secret with fans: the main cast had a pre-show ritual before going on set. This tradition became even more important after Matt Le Blanc accidentally dislocated his shoulder during the filming of Season 3. The day Matt got injured was the one day they decided not to engage in the huddle ritual, and they all felt they had learned their lesson after that.
Lisa Kudrow added, "After that, we'd be like, 'Do we need to do the huddle?' And [Le Blanc] would be like, 'Yeah, 'cause I don't want anything else falling off.'"
Monica's Apartment Was Made up of Second-Hand Thrifted Pieces
Many Friends fans fell head over heels for the set design, particularly Monica's apartment. The style of her apartment was intentionally eclectic, perfectly matching her personality and budget. The set designers aimed for a realistic and lived-in feel, so they thrifted most of the pieces seen in the flat. As a result, her home felt realistically affordable and delightfully mismatched, which only added to its charm.
From all the colorful furniture accents to the diverse design styles, the vintage second-hand feel of the space helped to create a fun and inviting atmosphere.
The Original Carol Wanted a More Stable Job
When Friends filmed their pilot episode, they had no idea how big of a hit it would become. They originally cast actress Anita Barone for the role of Ross' then-wife Carol in the first episode of the first season. However, they quickly replaced her with actress Jane Sibbett, who played the role for the rest of the series. Barone decided not to stick with the NBC show because they couldn't offer her a permanent position, so she looked elsewhere for more consistent work.
It's common for shows to replace actors or actresses, but fortunately for Friends, it happened very early on, so the change didn't have a much of an impact in the long run.
It Took Six Hours to Capture 23 Minutes of Footage
Each episode of Friends was approximately 23 minutes long, extending to about 30 minutes with ad breaks. However, to capture just a few minutes of usable footage, they often had to film for an average of five or six hours per episode. This meant that all the actors, crew members, and the live studio audience had to be on-set for extended periods of time, which could definitely be tiring.
But don't worry, the people involved were paid handsomely for their time, and the live studio audience usually enjoyed free food and complimentary perks, so there were smiles all around.
The Role of Gunther Was Given to a Real-Life Barista
There isn't a more famous TV barista than Gunther from Central Perk, played by James Michael Tyler. From his peroxide blonde tuft of hair to his robotic demeanor, Tyler truly made the role his own and became a beloved supporting character. What you may not have realized is that Tyler wasn't just pretending to be a coffee maker - he was actually a real-life barista when he wasn't on set.
In 2018, Tyler gave thanks to his coffee-making skills, stating "That was a happy accident and I'm very, very grateful to have had that skill."
Animals Didn't Always Get Along With Their Co-Stars
Arguably, there's no such thing as an 'animal actor,' as animals are not pretending to be anything; they simply respond to their trainers behind the scenes or react to their environment. Perhaps that's why the crew at Friends found the animals they worked with so challenging to manage. Whether it was Ross' white-headed capuchin monkey Marcel, Phoebe's cat, which she believed was her reincarnated mother, or Joey and Chandler's chick and duck, there were many instances when animals were present on set.
Not only did the trainers struggle to manage the animals in front of a loud studio audience, but the actors also had to film multiple takes of a scene to ensure they got it right.
They Hid Emily's Pregnancy Belly in Creative Ways
Helen Baxendale, who played the part of Emily, was pregnant during the filming of Seasons 4 and 5 of the show. Rather than write her pregnancy into the storyline of the show, the creators decided that it would make more sense to hide her growing baby bump and continue with the story as planned. This meant that they had to come up with a variety of creative ways to conceal her pregnancy belly, which included dressing her in looser clothes or filming her in unsual places.
That's why on her wedding day, she was seen wearing an empire waist bridal gown - it perfectly hid her stomach so that audiences were none the wiser.
Christina Applegate Had Connections to the Cast of Friends
They say that Hollywood is a small place where everyone knows everyone. This was certainly the case for actress Christina Applegate, who appeared on the show in the last two seasons playing the part of Rachel's little sister, Amy. She had several connections with the cast before she was even hired to make guest appearances, so it's no wonder that she fit in so well and was asked to return.
Applegate was on friendly terms with Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer. She was also old friends with Matthew Perry, whom she had known since they were children.
Hank Azaria Coveted A More Important Role
No one could have played the part of David, Phoebe's on-again-off-again love interest who moved to Minsk, better than Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria. But he actually envisioned an entirely different role for himself on the NBC sitcom - that of Joey Tribiani. He was so keen to land the role that he actually auditioned for it twice, but was rejeced both times in favor of Matt Le Blanc.
Some things just aren't meant to be, no matter how much someone might want them. In this case, we believe everything worked out exactly as it should have.
Tom Selleck Was Nervous About Acting on the Show
Being a five-time Emmy Award nominee didn't make accomplished actor Tom Selleck exempt from feeling nervous about filming for Friends. He admitted he was "scared to death" in his role as Monica's love interest, Dr. Richard Burke. Selleck explained, "I had done Taxi a long time before, but I hadn't done a sitcom. So, I was really nervous. Courteney helped a lot. That group is incredible. They obviously became friends in life as well as on the show. And it shows. It was a wonderful place to work."
"I wasn't amazing at what they call the table read," he revealed in an interview. Despite his nerves, Selleck's admirable performance on the show proved otherwise.
Director James Burrows Predicted Their Enormous Success
Award-winning TV director James Burrows had a strong belief in Friends even before they filmed the first pilot. He was confident that the show would be a massive success, so much so that he encouraged the six relatively unknown actors to fly out to Vegas together and savor the last moments of anonymity that they would ever experience. Amazingly, his prediction about their futures couldn't have been more accurate.
Burrows recalls telling the actors, "This is your last shot at anonymity. Once the show airs, you guys will never be able to go anywhere without being hounded."