70 ‘Friends’ Facts Every Superfan Should Know
They don’t know that we know they know we know.
From Jennifer Aniston jumping up behind the infamous Central Perk couch and surprising fans to Courtney Cox sharing never-before-seen throwback photos of the crew, the Friends frenzy is back. Not like it ever left—it’s been 26 years since the first episode aired and the legendary sitcom remains one of the most-watched shows. But with the recent reunions (thank you, Jennifer Aniston’s Instagram) and rumors of a reboot, Friends is having a moment rn. **In Chandler’s voice** Can we BE any more excited?!?
Whether you’re rewatching the series or brushing up on your trivia, these 70 fun facts are a need-to-know for anyone who considers themselves a Friends superfan.
It wasn’t always called Friends.
The show’s working titles were Insomnia Café, Friends Like Us, and Six of One, before everyone settled on Friends.
The credits weren’t shot in New York.
The opening was shot at Warner Bros. Studios in California. There’s a reason you’ve never been able to find the fountain on the East Coast.
No one was a real fan of the theme song.
According to Jennifer Aniston, “We felt it was a little…I don’t know…dancing in a pond? A fountain felt sort of odd.” She says the only reason they did it because they “were told to.”
Before the pilot aired, the cast went to Las Vegas.
They dined at Spago inside Caesar’s Palace to enjoy their “last shot at anonymity.” The cast would return some six years later to shoot Mr. Rachel’s wedding to Mrs. Ross (and Joey’s movie fail, among other things).
Courteney Cox was just like Monica IRL.
In 1995, show cocreator Marta Kauffman told the Los Angeles Times that Cox had “the neatest” dressing room. In the same interview, Cox said, “Okay, I am a neat freak. Not about myself. I don’t use a lint brush or anything and I don’t iron, but I could easily pick lint off of someone else.” To quote Ross, “MONICAAA!”
Friends was supposed to have just four friends.
Phoebe and Chandler were originally written as supporting roles. Can you even imagine?
Monica and Joey were supposed to get together.
According to Kauffman, the studio audience’s response to Monica and Chandler first getting together was so overwhelming, the show went in “a different direction.”
The names of all six Friends were inspired by characters from All My Children.
Chandler is for the Chandler family, Rachel’s last name is for Janet Green, Ross is for Ross Chandler (LOL), Monica is for Monique (Daisy Cortland), Joey is for Joseph “Joey” Martin, and Phoebe is for Phoebe Tyler Wallingford.
David Schwimmer didn’t have to audition for Ross.
As Kauffman explained in 2012, “Schwimmer had auditioned the year before for a pilot we were making, and he just stuck in our heads. That was an offer. No audition.”
Phoebe was supposed to be goth.
Phoebe was originally pitched as a “goth girl,” which prompted Janeane Garofalo to turn down the role. “There is some truth to it, but not exactly that,” she later explained. “Long ago before Friends was Friends, when it was in its infancy, it was a show called Friends Like Us, and I was being considered for a role, like a goth girl, which I think morphed into Phoebe.”
Gunther was a barista IRL.
“I had a job at a coffee shop called The Bourgeois Pig in Hollywood, which is still around and one of the last independent coffee shops that hasn’t been taken over or whatnot," James Michael Tyler told BuzzFeed in 2014. “I was one of their first baristas—I think I started there in 1990 or so.”
Hank Azaria auditioned for the role of Joey.
Twice. It’s okay. He was destined to play David and go to Minsk for a really long time. (Maybe too long.)
Jane Lynch auditioned for Phoebe.
So did Kathy Griffin. Obviously, we’re going to need to see those tapes now. (Jane eventually did appear on the show as a real estate agent in the final season.)
The identity of the actor who played Ugly Naked Guy wasn’t revealed until 2016.
Thanks to a Huffington Post investigation. Memorize this name for your next trivia night: Jon Haugen. We applaud you.
Paul Rudd got the role of Mike after a casting director wrote “dreamy” in her notes.
According to Leslie Litt, “We had a casting session for that role, but no one was quite it. Paul agreed to do a one-time meet and read with Lisa [Kudrow]. All I wrote on my notes was ‘dreamy’!”
There was an intervention for Jennifer Aniston’s tardiness.
“David did it. Very kindly,” Aniston later told Us Weekly. “The day my alarm didn’t ring.”
There’s a reason “The One Where No One’s Ready” takes place entirely in Monica’s apartment.
Showrunners used a “bottle episode” format for this season 3 favorite due to budget restrictions, as it was later revealed in the 2005 special, Friends: Final Thoughts.
Lisa Kudrow hated the guitar at first.
In fact, she suggested that Phoebe play the bongos instead. (Thankfully, the guitar stuck.)
Bruce Willis guest starred on the show after losing a bet.
The bet was with Matthew Perry, his costar in The Whole Nine Yards (2000). Rumor has it that Bruce donated his money to charity. Either way, he will always be the neatest guy.
Monica is actually older than Ross IRL.
Courteney Cox is two years older than David Schwimmer, despite playing his little sister.
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