One of the most memorable television shows of the last generation is the widely known sitcom Friends. It’s about six friends living in New York City and the antics they get up to while looking for love, and generally just living life as a single 20- or 30-something in the Big Apple. We’ll assume you’ve heard of it.
But even though we figure a lot of our readers are probably fans of the series, there are quite a few facts that even they may not know about. Test your Friends knowledge with this list of 50 little-known facts about the smash sitcom…
Bruce Willis Gave His Appearance Money To Charity
Bruce Willis and Friends actor Mathew Perry had a running bet about the movie they filmed together, The Whole Nine Yards. Perry claimed the movie would open at number 1 and Willis bet against it. The movie did in fact hit number 1 after its release, and Willis agreed to donate his earnings from his Friends appearance to charity.
Aniston Almost Quit Before The Final Season
Jennifer Aniston, arguably the show’s most famous cast member, said at the time that she was dealing with a few personal things and almost didn’t participate in the show’s final season. She did however come around and play the part.
Everyone Changed Their Names For One Episode
After Courtney Cox married David Arquette and changed her name to Courtney Cox Arquette, the entire Friends cast added ‘Arquette’ to their names in the opening credits during the first episode of the show’s sixth season.
The Cast Held An Intervention For Aniston
Aniston had such a bad habit of being late that fellow Friends cast member David Schwimmer actually hosted an intervention for her about it…
The Actor’s Name Who Played ‘Ugly Naked Guy’ Was Finally Revealed
For years, the Friends actor credited embarrassingly as the Ugly Naked Guy, whose real name went unknown for years, was finally revealed to be actor Jon Haugen.
Schwimmer Was Director For A Few Episodes
Schwimmer, who played the character Ross on the show, actually directed 10 episodes just to show off his directing chops.
The Truth Behind Monica’s Empty Frame
If you noticed a broken frame over Monica’s apartment peephole, know that it was accidental. There was originally a mirror in the frame, but it cracked. Directors of the show liked the look and decided to keep it that way.
Courtney And Monica Both Had Baby Troubles
In the show, Monica and Chandler weren’t able to have a kid together, and coincidentally, in real life, neither were Courtney Cox (who played Monica) and her husband David Arquette. The two eventually had a kid (the Arquettes, that is).
Ross Stayed The Same Age For Three Seasons
If you pay close attention you’ll notice that Ross is 29 years old through three seasons of the show. All three seasons have Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes, too, so maybe they thought it would go unnoticed…
They Originally Wanted Courtney Cox To Play Rachel
The show’s producers thought Cox would work better as Monica, since, in their opinion, Monica’s character was stronger than Rachel’s. But the actress was first considered for the role of Rachel.
They Almost Chose A Diner Instead Of A Cafe Hangout
The producers also assumed that the cafe in the show would be too trendy, and thought maybe a diner would be a more-believable option. They decided against it in the end.
Aniston Was Cast Last
Despite being the show’s biggest star by the end of the series, Aniston was the last member added to the cast.
Mathew Perry Was Awkward Around Women
It turns out that Chandler, who was a little awkward around women, was played by an actor who was also awkward around women. The actor said as much in an interview.
The Bartender On The Simpsons Tried Out For Friends
The actor who voiced the bartender character (Moe) from the Simpsons, Hank Azaria, originally tried out for the part of Joey. He wasn’t given the role, which was eventually given to Matt LeBlanc.
Rachel And Ross’s Romance Was Not The First Romantic Focus Of The Show
Sure, Ross and Rachel became the show’s linchpin romantic couple, but that was because of Aniston and Schwimmer’s chemistry on set, and was not originally planned for.
Monica Is Actually Older Than Ross
In the show, Ross is Monica’s older brother. However, in real life Cox is older than Schwimmer.
Simpsons Actors Had Small Roles
Three Simpsons actors actually played small roles on Friends. Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Hank Azaria (Moe), and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns) all appeared on the show at some point.
Joey And Chandler’s Ceramic Dog Belonged To Aniston
The weird ceramic dog in the two characters’ apartment was actually given to Aniston by one of her friends as a gift for landing the role.
Joey And Monica Were Supposed To Be The Show’s Romantic Couple
Earlier we said that Ross and Rachel weren’t the original love interest on the show, and that’s true. Originally, Joey and Monica were actually supposed to be the show’s ‘couple’.
There Will Never Be A Reunion
Many fans have expressed interest in seeing a reunion episode of Friends. However, during an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, Jennifer Aniston revealed that while she’d be excited by a Friends reunion, other are less enthused—namely Matt Le Blanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer. “Listen, the girls always say we would love to do it again, and the boys are a little less excited about it for some reason,” Aniston said.
You Can Visit ‘Central Perk’ In Beijing And Liverpool
There isn’t a Central Perk in New York City, but true fans can travel to Beijing or Liverpool to visit a replica of the famous Friends cafe.
Central Perk’s Manager Didn’t Have A Name For 33 Episodes
The character appeared regularly on the show, but fans didn’t learn his characters name for 33 episodes. It was Gunther, by the way.
The Cast Had A Group Hug Before Every Episode
Apparently, before filming each episode the entire cast would join together in a group hug, in the spirit of actual friendship…
Mathew Perry Went To Rehab Twice
Chandler actor Mathew Perry had a drinking problem, often showing up to work hungover. The actor claimed he never drank while filming, which should at least count for something.
Phoebe’s Cardboard House Fire Took Three Days And Six Model Houses To Film
In order to get the perfect shot, the show’s producers required six different model houses to be built. The scene took three days to capture.
Rachel Holding Ross’s Baby Was The Hardest Scene To Film
This is because the child actor was supposed to ignore the other actors’ prompts to say “Dada.” The trouble was, the baby kept saying it over and over again. It took a long time to get right.
Lisa Kudrow Was Scared Of The Duck
The actress didn’t enjoy being around the duck while filming. Also, Ross’s pet monkey (played by two actual monkeys) had to be written off the show because filming with the animal was difficult.
Ellen DeGeneres Was Offered The Role Of Phoebe
DeGeneres turned the offer down, obviously. She’s now a household name and hosts her own daytime talk show, so it didn’t hurt in the long run. She revealed in a 2015 Howard Stern interview that she was offered the role, but she turned it down.
Joey And Chandler’s Magna Doodle Was Always Different
A crew member named Paul Swain was responsible for drawing new doodles on the Magna Doodle hanging on Joey and Chandler’s apartment door. Fans thought there was a hidden message to be decoded there, but the rumors were squashed.
Lisa Kudrow Was Actually Pregnant
You may have known this one already. Lisa Kudrow was actually pregnant, so the writers wrote it into the story so they didn’t have to hide the pregnancy, like they did with Courtney Cox’s pregnancy later in the series.
Kudrow’s ‘Mad About You’ Character Was Written Into The Show
Phoebe had an evil twin sister named Ursula. The character was named after another Kudrow character from Mad About You. The writers added the character to Friends and used the same name.
Chandler And Monica’s Apartment Numbers Were Changed
After producers realized the original apartment numbers (4 and 5) were too low considering the high-rise apartments, they were changed to 19 and 20.
The Cast Made $22,000 An Episode To Start, Then Made $1M Per Episode By The End
The cast all made the same $22,000 an episode to start, and throughout the series that number changed depending on the cast member. They came together and demanded $1 million each per episode for the final season.
Kudrow And Fans Thought Chandler Was Homosexual
When the cast first got together, Kudrow thought the character Chandler was gay, and was surprised when told otherwise. Fans of the show thought the same thing, and the show’s creator David Crane had to clear the air in 1997: Chandler is straight.
They Didn’t Film Spoilers In Front Of An Audience
The show was filmed in front of a live audience, but producers didn’t want to spoil certain plot lines. So all of the show’s spoilers were filmed with no audience.
Kudrow Didn’t Want To Learn Guitar
It was not written into the script that Kudrow’s character Phoebe was bad at guitar. The actress didn’t want to learn, and only learned a few chords before giving up. This ended up being rather comical, fitting the character nicely.
James Burrows Took The Entire Cast To Vegas
Before the show first aired, director James Burrows took the cast to Las Vegas because he felt good about the show. His intuition proved right, and the show became a smashing success. Burrows, however, only directed a few episodes in the earlier seasons.
The Opening Credits Were Not Filmed In Central Park
The iconic opening credits of Friends features a fountain that was supposed to look like it’s in New York City’s Central Park. However, the filming took place in California.
David Schwimmer Was The First To Be Cast
Kevin Bright, the show’s executive producer, worked with Schwimmer previously and actually wanted Ross’s character to reflect the actor. Because of this, Schwimmer was cast before anyone else.
Carlton’s Dance From Fresh Prince Was Based On Courtney Cox
Courtney Cox was arguably the most famous cast member at the beginning of the show. She danced in a Bruce Springsteen video previously, which garnered much fame, along with several commercial appearances. Her dance in the video was what Carlton’s famous dance from The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air was based on.
Jane Lynch, Kathy Griffin, Jon Favreau and Jon Cryer All Auditioned For Friends
Lynch and Griffin auditioned for the role of Phoebe while Favreau and Cryer auditioned for Chandler. Fans were glad the cast was chosen as it was.
The Show’s Title Changed Four Times
The original script was titled: Insomnia Cafe. Then it was changed to, Friends Like Us. The Pilot was changed again to Six of One. And finally, when the showed aired for the first time, the title changed for the last time to Friends.
Central Perk Was Torn Down Before The Show Was Over
In order to create the final airport scene where Ross and Rachel say goodbye, the Central Perk set was torn down. Chandler has a line toward the end of the episode after Rachel asks him if he wants to get coffee. He asks, “Where?” and fans may not understand why. It’s because Central Perk was gone!
The Test Audience Didn’t Care That Monica Forget A Lover’s Name
In the pilot episode, Monica says she can’t remember the name of the man she slept with the night before. Producers wondered if this was too taboo and polled the test audience. That audience didn’t seem to care, and the line stayed.
Almost Every Character On The Show Kissed Every Other Character On The Show
Of the six friends, every pair kissed at some point on screen except one: Phoebe and Monica. If you pay attention, every other character shares a kiss with the others throughout the series.
Phoebe Was Written To Be Goth
The show’s hippie character Phoebe was originally written to be more goth, but producers and writers thought better of it. She turned out to be the silly hippie with a mysterious past fans love to this day.
Joey’s Dr. Drake Ramoray Made It To The Character’s Spin-Off Show
Matt LeBlanc had his own spin-off show called Joey that was based on his Friends character. And the character Joey played on the Friends’ satirized version of Days of Our Lives (Dr. Drake Ramoray) also made a comeback in the spin-off, and, in the show, Joey won an award for the fictional doctor role.
Every Cast Member Was Named After Soap Opera Characters
Speaking of soap operas, the producers of Friends liked one called All My Children so much that each Friends character was actually named after one of that soap’s previous characters.
Chandler And Phoebe Were Supposed To Be Secondary Roles
The original idea behind the show was that there would be four central characters with two friends (Phoebe and Chandler) as recurring characters instead of main ones. They decided against it in the end.
Phoebe’s Evil Twin Was Created Before Phoebe
Lisa Kudrow played the character on Mad About You, which came out long before Friends. But Friends creators wrote the character into the show even before thinking of Phoebe.
