20 things you never knew about Friends
Everyone loves Friends. If you don’t, there’s likely something very, very wrong with you and you should seek help immediately. May we recommend Dr Drake Ramoray, the noted brain surgeon? (Friends fans know what we mean!)
For those of you who love the show just as much as we do, we’ve dug around for some things you might never have known about Phoebe, Rachel, Monica, Joey, Chandler, and Ross. Which cast members won Emmy Awards for their roles? Which famous daytime talk show host was offered a role on the show? Where did that amazing couch come from?
1. The main romance of the series was originally supposed to be between Monica and Joey.
2. Lisa Kudrow’s real-life pregnancy led the writers to come up with the storyline of Phoebe carrying her half-brother’s babies.
3. David Schwimmer was the first of the main six to be cast, while Jennifer Aniston was the last.
4. The iconic frame around Monica and Rachel’s peephole was originally just a small mirror to be used in the set. A crew member broke the mirror early on in production, but the producers liked the look.
5. Ellen Degeneres turned down the role of Phoebe.
6. The big white dog Joey buys during his first stint on Days of Our Lives (and that then sticks around for the rest of the series) actually belonged to Jennifer Aniston. A friend reportedly gave it to her as a gift soon after she moved to Los Angeles.
7. Among others, working titles for the show included Friends Like Us, Insomnia Café, and Six of One.
8. The cast approached all salary negotiations as a team, making their bargaining power much stronger. Because of this, they were earning USD 1 million for each episode of the final season – a big jump from the USD 22,000 they were paid for each season one episode.
9. Despite the fact that she plays his younger sister, Courtney Cox is actually older than David Schwimmer.
10. The season six opener, “The One After Vegas”, was dedicated to Courtney Cox and David Arquette, who were recently married. In the opening credits of the episode, the entire cast (and the producers) have Arquette added to their names to celebrate.
11. The cast all had a good luck huddle before filming every episode.
12. The couch that everyone wants to sit on with their friends, the orange/brown one from Central Perk was found in a Warner Bros. basement.
13. Phoebe’s twin, Ursula, was a character on the popular sitcom Mad About You. Lisa Kudrow had been playing the role for two years before Friends came along, so the producers thought it would be fun to make the characters sisters, resulting in some hysterical crossover moments.
14. James Michael Tyler landed the role of Gunther because he knew how to operate an espresso machine.
15. At one point or another, every character has lived in both the main apartments (though Ross only lived in Monica’s apartment one summer when he was a teenager).
16. Producers originally asked Courtney Cox to audition for Rachel, but she requested Monica instead.
17. Courtney Cox was the only main cast member to not be nominated for an Emmy.
18. Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston were the only two main cast members to win Emmy Awards for the series (Bruce Willis and Christina Applegate also won for their guest roles).
19. The show won its only Best Comedy Series Emmy for season 8.
20. Hank Azaria, who played Phoebe’s ‘Scientist Guy’ Dave is better known for his roles on The Simpsons (he plays Moe and Apu, among others).
Which episode of Friends is your favourite?