Friends is one of the biggest sitcoms of all time, and there have been some juicy behind-the-scenes reveals that have come out since the show ended.
Friends is a beloved sitcom filled with iconic moments that have stuck with viewers for decades, and there have been a number of behind-the-scenes revelations that have come to light since the show ended 19 years ago. Friends follows the story of 6 20-somethings who are navigating adulthood and all the trials and tribulations that come along with it. From the catchy claps in the theme song to the back-and-forth, “Will they, won’t they?” of Ross and Rachel to lines that have made their mark on pop culture, like “pivot” and “he’s her lobster”, the show is filled with elements that have made it a piece of entertainment that continues to be enjoyed years after its conclusion.
As the show continues to be watched by both original viewers and new ones, it is no surprise that there is still an interest in what went on behind the scenes of Friends. Those who worked on the show have been willing to share the inside scoop with viewers over the years, giving them a glimpse into what things were really like. Since the show ended in 2004, there have been some juicy pieces of information released that make the show even more interesting to watch.
10
Jennifer Aniston & David Schwimmer Almost Had A Real-Life Romance
Friends viewers know that the “Will they, won’t they?” of Ross and Rachel was a huge plot point in the show and had audiences on the edge of their seats for 10 seasons. What viewers did not know, as the show was airing, was that there was a similar chemistry brewing between the characters’ actors, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer. It was revealed in the May 2021 Friends reunion that the two had feelings for each other, but they never acted on it. Schwimmer candidly shared “The first season, I had a major crush on Jen”, and Aniston replied, “It was reciprocated.”
9
David Schwimmer Disliked Marcel The Monkey
The adorable (and controversial) Marcel the Monkey quickly stole the hearts of viewers when he was introduced in season 1 as Ross’ pet. While Ross certainly loved the cute, little capuchin monkey, Schwimmer wasn’t such a fan. He revealed in the 2021 reunion that he thought the monkey was a bit of a pest. He explained that “What inevitably began to happen was we would all have choreographed bits kind of timed out, and it would get messed up, because the monkey didn’t do its job right. So we would have to reset, we’d have to go again because the monkey didn’t get it right.”
The monkey would also get his food, live bugs, all over Schwimmer between takes. This led him to develop a deep disdain for this primate costar. Later on in the reunion, Shwimmer even states that it was high time for Marcel the Money to f***k off.
8
Matt LeBlanc Dislocated His Shoulder Filming A Season 3 Episode
With Friends being a simple sitcom about 20-somethings in New York City, it is hard to believe that there was any way for the actors to get injured while on the job. Matt LeBlanc, however, revealed in 2017 on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he actually dislocated his shoulder while filming Friends season 3, episode 2, “The One Where No One’s Ready”. In the episode, Joey and Chandler engage in a head-to-head competition to determine who will be sitting in a specific armchair. While filming the duo running to the armchair to see who could get there first, LeBlanc ended up falling. In order to break his fall, he put his arm up, leading him to “explode” his shoulder.
7
NBC Nearly Cut Monica’s Romance Subplot From Friends’ Pilot Episode
Nowadays, a plot line about a woman having sex wouldn’t get many even batting an eyelash. However, when the show first premiered in 1994, a central part of the Friends pilot episode was almost cut out because the then-head of NBC, Don Meyer, had concerns about what could be seen as promiscuity. It was revealed in 2019 by Friends’ co-creator, David Crane that Meyer was worried that because Monica was sleeping with a guy on the first date, she would be unlikeable.
Crane was unwilling to let the plot go, and Meyer decided to put his theory to the test. He had a live audience for the network run-through of the pilot so that he could see for himself if the audience responded well to it. He asked the audience skewed and shaming questions, such as if Monica’s actions make her seem like a slut or a trollop. The audience shared that they still liked Monica and that her choice did not impact how they saw her. When Meyer finally agreed to let the story air, he justified it by saying that he liked that Monica was tricked by the man she slept with, who told her (and other women) that he hadn’t had sex in years.
6
Matthew Perry Was Almost Fired From Friends
Matthew Perry’s struggle with addiction was no secret to Friends viewers but what was not known was that he was almost fired for it. In 2019, it was revealed in a book called Generation Friends by Saul Austerlitz that showrunners struggled with how to handle Perry’s drug and alcohol abuse. At one point, they considered firing Perry, as they were concerned that being on such a massive TV show wasn’t good for his well-being. They were also worried that because Perry’s struggles were so visible, it could be a bad look for the show. Ultimately, they could not see a path forward without Chandler and his humorous one-liners, so he was kept on.
5
One Friends Season 8 Episode Had To Be Changed After 9/11
There have been many moments on Friends that viewers today look back on and shake their heads in disbelief, as they would not fly today. One moment was caught just in time and was sparred from this fate. Friends season 3, episode 3, “The One Where Rachel Tells Ross” originally had a storyline revolving around Chandler and Monica being detained at an airport after making jokes about bombs and airplane hijacking. This episode was slotted to air exactly one month after 9/11 and to be mindful of cultural sensitivities, changes were made. The Friends episode was completely rewritten and turned into a much lighter episode about the couple’s honeymoon shenanigans.
4
Jennifer Aniston Was Originally Asked To Sit Out Of Main Cast Photos
It’s hard to imagine Friends without Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, but this was almost the case. In 2013, during the Television Academy’s An Evening Honoring James Burrows, Aniston revealed that she was asked to initially sit out of cast photos, in case she did not end up playing Rachel Green. At that point, Aniston had shot 5 other pilots and was signed on to star in a CBS sitcom called Muddling Through. The show kept her on in second position, in case Muddling Through, well, fell through and, so, Aniston was asked to sit out of pictures in certain shoots, including the iconic fountain one.
3
Ross’s Emily/Rachel Name Mix-Up Was Inspired By Real Actor Mistake
Audiences are aware that Ross saying the wrong name at his wedding was a jaw-dropping moment, and it all happened thanks to a mix-up on David Schwimmer’s part. In the book Generation Friends, it was revealed that Schwimmer was practicing the line “Emily, the taxi’s here.” In a moment of brain fog, he accidentally said Rachel instead. Greg Malins, the writer/producer on the show, then told co-creator David Crane that they had found the wedding day twist that they were looking for, and the rest is history.
2
Friends’ Cast Would Intentionally Tank Some Jokes They Didn’t Like
Many would think that writing for a show as huge as Friends would be a complete dream come true. One writer on the show, Patty Lin, however, had a completely different experience. In her 2023 book, End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood, Lin detailed how the stars of the show would deliberately tank jokes that they didn’t personally like, leading to them having to be changed. She went on to say that the cast was not shy about providing their opinions on the script and that, at times, they seemed frustrated that they were tied down to a show and were unable to branch out.
1
NBC Prepared For Huge Backlash To Carol & Susan’s Wedding
While the entertainment world is making strides in terms of LGBTQ+ representation, there was a time when featuring a same-sex wedding was almost unheard of. In 2019, Marta Kauffman shared with The Hollywood Reporter that NBC was quite scared of the backlash that could ensue after the Friends episode with Carol and Susan’s wedding aired. So much so, that they put 104 operators on in case they received an influx of phone calls. It was revealed that they only ended up getting two, but more letters were received a month later.
