On the 20th anniversary of our favorite show, CampusGhanta brings to you 20 lesser-known facts about FRIENDS –
#1. When Matt LeBlanc auditioned for the role he only had $11 dollars to his name. When the cast got their paychecks, the first thing that Courteney Cox bought was a car. Matt LeBlanc bought a hot dinner.
#2. The orange couch used in Central Perk was found in the basement of the Warner Bros. studio.
#3. The golden frame around the peephole was originally a mirror which one of the crew accidentally smashed. But because it still looked good they decided to leave it there.
#4. Because of a bet between Matthew Perry and Bruce Willis on the set of The Whole Nine Yards (2000) (which Perry won), Willis appeared in his two-episode guest role for free.
#5. Before the show was cast, the main love interest was intended to be Monica and Joey.
#6. Gunther didn’t have a name until the middle of the second season.
#7. Ellen DeGeneres turned down the role of Phoebe Buffay.
#8. In Chandler’s and Joey’s room there is a poster with boxing kangaroos which says “Kangaroo Boxer” in Russian
#9. Phoebe’s alias name is “Regina Phalange.” Phalanges are the small bones that make up the fingers and toes.
#10. Rachel’s favorite flowers are lilies.
#11. Ross is allergic to Kiwis, lobster, and peanuts.
#12. The final episode aired on 6 May 2004.
#13. Emma was played by twins – Cali Sheldon and Noelle Sheldon.
#14. Joey’s statue of a white dog was originally given to Jennifer Aniston as a good luck present from her best friend when she started acting. She offered to lend it to the show for the episode where Joey became rich and bought a lot of stuff. After that episode, the producers decided to keep it.
#15. The show’s original theme song was “Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M., but was changed later on to “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts.
#16. Other titles considered for the show were “Friends Like Us”, “Six of One”, “Across the Hall”, and “Insomnia Cafe.”
#17. Matt LeBlanc‘s character ‘Joey Tribbiani’ plays Dr. Drake Ramoray in a fictional version of the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives (1965). In real life, Jennifer Aniston‘s father, John Aniston, plays ‘Victor Kiriakis’ on the real Days of Our Lives.
#18. For almost the entire first season, there wasn’t a street outside of Central Perk, just a painted backdrop. They made the window a little blurry and put many plants in front of the window to hide it.
#19. Season Two is the only season of Friends where there is no episode on Thanksgiving Day.
#20. Lisa Kudrow was terrified of the duck that showed up in Season 3.
It’s a show that’s stuck with us for all these years and none of us can get tired of watching it every time. So, Happy FRIENDS day, to all you fans there. Knock out the bastards who say that the series is overrated.
