Even the though the show has ended, it will always have a special place in our hearts. With constant re-runs playing on TV, it’s no surprise we’ve discovered some facts about the show that we haven’t known before. So we’ve decided to gather some fun facts about the show that may surprise you!
Lisa Kudrow Did Not Like Playing The Guitar
At the beginning of the series, Lisa Kudrow did not enjoy playing the guitar. At one point she even suggested Pheobe would play the bongos instead. Even with a guitar teacher on set, Lisa chose to have Pheobe know only a few notes to stay true to the character.
Pheobe Playing Guitar
Vegas Trip
Before the show aired, the director of the show took the cast to Las Vegas to enjoy one last bit of anonymity, as he told them they would always be recognized once the show aired. Boy, was he right!
Vegas Trip
Lisa Kudrow Really Was Pregnant
The writers of the show decided to include Lisa Kudrow’s real pregnancy in the show. To fit it into the plot, they had Pheobe become the surrogate of her brother’s triplets.
Pregnant Pheobe
Insomnia Cafe
While the name of the show was still not final, some of the options the writers came up with were ‘Insomnia Cafe’, ‘Friends Like Us’, ‘Across The Hall’, and ‘Six of One’. Can you imagine if the show wasn’t called ‘Friends’?
Friends
The Refrigerators Worked
The set of the show actually had working refrigerators. Both of the refrigerators in Monica’s and Joey’s apartments worked. They even had drinks for the cast and crew in Monica’s fridge. Joey’s fridge was mostly empty a lot of the time.
The Refrigerator
Ross Was Made For David
David Schwimmer was the first one to be cast on the show. The executive producer had actually worked with Schwimmer in the past and wrote the role of Ross Geller with him in mind. Even though other actors had auditioned for the role, it was given to Schwimmer.
Ross Geller
Joey And Monica
Joey and Monica were originally supposed to be the main love interests in the show. Ross and Rachel became the main focus when Aniston and Schwimmer had great chemistry, so the writers went with it.
Monica And Joey
Five To Twenty
At the beginning of the show, you can see the apartment numbers are 4 and 5. The writers changed it when they realized that the apartments were on a higher level, so they changed them to 19 and 20 to be more accurate.
Apartment Number
Arquette
The first episode in season six was the first Courtney Cox filmed since she married David Arquette, so she had changed her name on the credits. Much to our amusement, the entire cast followed suit, adding the name Arquette to their own.
The Arquette Family
Bruce Willis
Perry and Willis had a bet going whether a movie they were in would no. 1 in the box office in its opening weekend. Perry ended up winning, resulting in Willis appearing on the show. Willis donated his earnings to charity.
Bruce Willis
Four, Not Six
Chandler and Pheobe were originally meant to be supporting characters, with the other four as the main characters. We’re glad things turned out the way they did because the group would not have been the same with just four members!
Four Not Six
Ursula’s Double
When the show first started filming, Kudrow had a recurring role on Mad About You as a waitress named Ursula. The writers of the show said she could keep the role and they would accommodate her schedule. Later on, they incorporated Ursula into the show itself as Pheobe’s twin sister. She ended up making appearances in eight episodes.
Ursula
The Magna Doodle Art
Throughout the seasons, crew members were in charge of drawing the doodles on Joey’s door, but as time went on, it became Paul Swain’s task. Fans began trying to figure out hidden meanings behind the doodles, and it became an inseparable part of the show.
Magna Doodle On Joey’s Door
Monica Or Rachel?
Courtney Cox was originally wanted for the role of Rachel, but she asked to read for Monica instead. She told the writers she saw Monica as a stronger character and wanted to play her instead.
Monica Or Rachel
Gunther
Gunther began as a nameless extra on the show. He was actually hired since he knew how to work a coffee machine. By the middle of the second season, his character got a name, and over the seasons, Gunther became a supporting character.
Gunther
The One With The Dollhouse
When Pheobe makes a dollhouse out of cardboard, it ends up burning down. Because of this, the props department had to make six dollhouses for multiple takes. And, of course, the houses were all made in a matter of three days.
The Dollhouse
Dada
One of the most difficult scenes to film for the show was the one where Ben says his first word. Rachel hears it while Ross misses it. In a desperate attempt to hear Ben speak, Ross keeps asking the baby if he can say ‘Dada’. Problem was, the baby kept responding to Schwimmer and saying the word when in the script he was supposed to stay silent.
Ben
LAX2194
When the show was being pitched, Matthew Perry had just starred in the pilot of a show called ‘LAX2194’. It was about airport baggage handlers who sort through alien luggage. The show never got picked up, to our relief.
Matthew Perry
The Frame
The infamous frame on Monica’s door was originally a mirror, but it was broken by a crew member in the early stages of filming. The producers ended up liking it as-is so they chose to leave it.
The Frame
Addictions
In 1997, Matthew Perry went to rehab for an addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. He said he was never high at work, but terribly hungover. It eventually got so bad he couldn’t hide it.
The Struggle
Aniston
When Rachel is trying to find an officiate for Chandler and Monica’s wedding, she comes across a Greek Orthodox priest coming out of the Anastassakis/Papasifakis wedding. Anastassakis is Aniston’s family name, her father changed it before she was born.
Jennifer Aniston
Ellen?
When the show was still in the casting stage, Ellen DeGeneres was offered the role of Pheobe Buffay. She ended up turning down the role.
Ellen DeGeneres
Marcel The Monkey
Ross’ pet monkey, Marcel, was actually played by two different monkeys named Katie and Monkey. Eventually, the show had to write him out as it was too time-consuming to shoot with a monkey.
Marcel The Monkey
The One Where No One’s Ready
You may have not noticed this, but the episode “The One Where No One’s Ready”, the characters never leave Monica’s apartment. The reason for this was that there was no budget for more sets or guest stars.
No One’s Ready
Forever29
On the show, Ross was 29-years-old for about three years. Weird? We think so.
Ross Geller
A Shared Apartment
Towards the end of the series, it’s mentioned that all the characters have lived in Monica’s apartment. It is also true that all the characters lived in Joey’s apartment at some points.
The Apartment
The Director
On top of his acting in the show, David Schwimmer took on some directing as well. He ended up directing 10 episodes of the show.
David Schwimmer
Pheobe, Not Roz
Lisa Kudrow was originally cast as Roz in Frasier. Before the show aired, the producers fired her, leaving her available to play the role of Pheobe Buffay.
Pheobe Not Roz
A Farewell Dinner
After the show had ended, Jennifer Aniston and her then-husband, Brad Pitt, hosted a dinner party in their home. There they served bottles of wine that producer Kevin Bright had saved from the beginning of the series.
Jennifer Aniston And Brad Pitt
Take One For The Road
When the series came to an end, each member of the cast got a piece of the sidewalk outside Central Perk to have as a keepsake.
Take One For The Road