Friends are such an iconic show that even if you didn’t watch it when it was on TV, you’ve probably rewatched it online since. It’s nearly impossible to find a person on this planet who hasn’t seen or at least heard of Friends. But interestingly enough, there are still some facts about that show and some behind-the-scenes moments that you probably weren’t aware of. Let’s explore these little secrets, shall we?
1. Chandler Is Based On Matthew Perry
The cast of Friends is brilliant. It’s been decades since the show came out and we still think of the actors as characters from Friends. But it’s not just casting. The character of Chandler was based on Matthew Perry and his nervous habits. For example, Chandler’s awkwardness and sense of humor were influenced by the stories he told the producers of the show about his life and they just thought “why not run with it?”.
2. Phoebe Can’t Play The Guitar For A Reason
On the show, Phoebe is famous for her bad guitar playing and weird songs. And it wasn’t written into the show at first. Phoebe was meant to know how to play, but Lisa Kudrow didn’t want to learn. She just couldn’t get the hang of it, even after the show hired a tutor for her. But hey, it worked out in the end. These days we can’t imagine Phoebe playing well, that seems like a very different character.
3. Jennifer Aniston Almost Quit
Jennifer Aniston wasn’t sure she wanted to do another season of Friends. By the time they finished season 9, Anniston had been super successful and doing movies. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to ever play Rachel again. She was also worried that the audience would grow tired of the show. It’s always better to go out on a high and leave people wanting more than to overstay your welcome and watch the ratings plummet. However, she agreed in the end, and we have season 10. (even if it is the shortest season of the show, with only 18 episodes)
4. Matt Le Blanc Seemed Scary At First
When the cast first met they were a little scared of Matt. All they heard about him was that he’s had a bit of a rough start in life and his character was a womanizer. Matt came from a very working-class background. His mother was an office manager and his father was a mechanic. He also tried his hand at modeling in the past. Sounds like a shifty character, doesn’t he? Once they all got to know each other, it turned out Matt is a very sweet guy and they had nothing to be worried about.
5. Jennifer Aniston Hated Her Haircut
The haircut Aniston sported on the first seasons of Friends became so popular with the public that it literally became known as “the Rachel”. Everyone wanted that haircut, not just the fans of the show, but even celebrities and models. However Jennifer Aniston hated it, she thought it was the ugliest thing ever.
6. Matthew Perry Struggled With Addiction
Becoming as famous as the cast of Friends, as quickly as they did, was bound to cause some problems. It’s an uncommon situation to be put in, a lot to deal with, and many of the actors struggled with it. Matthew Perry has admitted that he struggled with alcohol and pill addiction on the show. But after years of struggling and many rehabs, Matthew got clean.
7. Ross Is Not Cool
David Schwimmer bought an old house in New York and his neighbors hated him for it. They didn’t have the issue with loud parties or anything like that. The problem was that the neighbors expected him to keep the original 1850 house and renovate it, but he just tore it down and started building a new one. As a protest people painted “Ross is not cool” on his fence.
8. Jennifer Snubbed Her Male Co-Stars
The cast of Friends is very friendly and gets along perfectly. They even stuck together as a group when negotiating their salaries. However, when Jennifer was getting married in 2015, she only invited the girls to her wedding and left Matthew, Matt, and David hanging. It was a small ceremony, but still, it seemed weird.
