The series Friends is one of the most legendary shows that has been watched by millions of viewers around the world. Even today, it has many fans because it is light and humorous. The filming of the series was not without funny moments and unusual stories. We share with you interesting facts about the series Friends that you didn't know.

1. Different names of serial before Friends

At first, the creators of the TV series, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, didn't plan to name the show Friends. They simply wanted to create a show about a group of best friends who gather in a café in the evenings and chat about different topics. The show was supposed to be called Insomnia Café. However, after NBC bought the pilot episode, it was renamed Friends Like Us. Later it was renamed Across the Hall for the pilot. Finally, in the summer of 1994, it titled ultimately ended up being called Friends.

@Friends: The Friends Play a Stripping Game (Season 3 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

2. The casting process for the main actors was lengthy

The main characters of the TV series were cast for almost half a year, and hundreds of candidates were considered during the audition process. In particular, there was a question about who would play Chandler, as despite the fact that Matthew Perry impressed the creators during the audition, in 1994 he was already filming a series called LAX 2194, and the creators were initially strongly against the actors appearing in two projects simultaneously with Friends. There was also a problem with Jennifer Aniston, who was starring in the series Muddling Through, and its creators were adamant about not letting the actress go to spite their competitors.

@Friends|| Joey and Chandler || Umbrella/Tatyana/YouTube.com

3. Courteney Cox was supposed to play the role of Rachel

Before the premiere of the show, Courteney Cox was the most famous artist among the cast, as she had already appeared in the comedy Ace Ventura as well as in commercials and Bruce Springsteen's music video Dancing in the Dark. That's why she was initially offered the role of Rachel, but after reading the script, the actress realized that the role of Monica was a better fit for her.

@army | monica & rachel/xchuckandblairx/YouTube.com

4. How Jennifer Aniston became Rachel

The same thing happened to Jennifer Aniston. She was invited to play Monica in the series, but after reviewing the script, Aniston realized that Rachel would suit her better—and it was her dialogue as Rachel that the girl read at the audition. She understood that she had similar temperaments with the character and that playing this role would come out more harmonious. Therefore, as a result, the actresses simply swapped roles.

@army | monica & rachel/xchuckandblairx/YouTube.com

5. The intro was not filmed in New York

Despite the fact that the series is set in New York, its intro to the fountain was filmed in a completely different location. Although the fountain in the intro looks very similar to the Pulitzer Fountain in Central Park, it was actually filmed in Burbank, California, on the Warner Brothers ranch, and the house in the background is a set from the series Bewitched. Furthermore, the water in the fountain was very cold.

@Friends - Opening Season 1/Thiago Flôres/YouTube.com

6. Trip to Las Vegas

The director of the show, James Burrows, who directed several episodes of the show from 1995 to 1997, took six actors to Las Vegas to relax and have fun. He warned the actors that this was their last chance to preserve their anonymity. According to him, as soon as the show aired, they would never be able to go anywhere without being pursued. He was right.

@Friends: Phoebe Lurks the Vegas Slots (Season 5 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

7. Lisa Kudrow couldn't play the guitar

The actress who played Phoebe couldn't play the guitar at all—not even hold it properly. To fix this situation, they hired a special teacher, but Kudrow quickly grew tired of it after learning a few chords, and she stopped practicing, arguing that Phoebe only knows a few chords anyway. However, the actress portrayed the guitar playing so skillfully that viewers never doubted her ability to play. And perhaps it doesn't matter anyway, because it's impossible to remain indifferent to Phoebe.

@Friends: Phoebe Teaches Joey How To Play Guitar (Season 5 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

8. The live audience

For many, it may come as a surprise that the laughter we hear in the background is not a sound effect added by sound engineers, but it is real, as the filming of the series took place with a live audience in the studio. This meant that filming a single episode could take up to five hours. There were multiple takes for each scene, plus 20 minutes to change the sets. But even under these circumstances, there were plenty of people eager to be in the audience—up to 300 people showed up every day.

@Is the shovel killer the biological father? | Friends/Friends/YouTube.com

9. The actors were supportive of each other

Throughout the first season, each actor received about $22,000 per episode. However, supposedly by the second season, each of them had a different salary. So, in 1997, all six of them came together and refused to work until their salaries were raised to an equal amount. They revisited this story several times, realizing that they couldn't be fired from the show. By the final season, each of them earned $1 million per episode.

@Top 10 Best Friendship Moments on Friends/MsMojo/ YouTube.com

10. Twins 

It all started long before Kudrow was invited to the project. At first, she played small roles. One day, her agent, Danny Jacobson, called and offered her the role of a waitress in a new series called Mad About You. The role didn't require an audition and had no lines. Lisa agreed and played it well, soon appearing in several more episodes and even getting a name—Ursula. But the problem was that Mad About You and Friends were supposed to air one after the other in the evening TV schedule, and both shows were set in Manhattan. That's why the creators of Friends decided to come up with a twin sister for Phoebe—the obnoxious waitress Ursula.

@Best of Phoebe & Ursula | Friends/Friends/YouTube.com

11. Mix-up 

Monica's apartment number was also mixed up at the beginning of the series with the other apartment numbers. Specifically, the number on Monica's apartment door was 5. Later, the producers realized that this didn't make sense since Monica lived on the upper floor of the building. So, they changed her apartment number to 20. Chandler and Joey's apartment numbers were also changed from 4 to 19, respectively.

@Friends: Monica's Thanksgiving Dinner is Ruined (Season 1 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

12. How did they hide the pregnancies of the actresses in Friends? 

Lisa Kudrow became pregnant with her son, Julian Murray in 1997. The actress's pregnancy was incorporated into the show's storyline, making Phoebe a surrogate for her brother's triplets. However, in the final season, it was decided not to include Courtney Cox's pregnancy in the show's script because it had already been established that Chandler and Monica could not have children. Therefore, during filming, they had to conceal the actress's pregnancy with costumes and props. Actress Helen Baxendale, who played Ross's second wife Emily in the show, had to leave the series entirely due to her pregnancy because she could not continue traveling to the set from England.

@Friends Phobe 's pregnant/Best Song Lyrics/YouTube.com

13. Props as a souvenir

The Magna Doodle game became an integral part of the show, and often only the most attentive fans noticed some messages hidden on it. The board, which always hung near the entrance door of Chandler and Joey's apartment, often featured hints, funny phrases, and drawings. Matt LeBlanc loved this board with writings so much that he took it with him after the show ended, along with the foosball table.

@Top 10 Small Details in Friends You Never Noticed/ MsMojo/YouTube.com

14. The neighbor across the hall

For several seasons, we all laughed at jokes about the “ugly naked guy”, but no one ever saw him, and he appeared in the show only twice, with his face never shown. The name of the actor who appeared in these episodes wasn't revealed until 2016. As it turned out, he was played by an extra named John Haugen. This information was uncovered by HuffPost reporter Todd Van Luling, who conducted an entire investigation.

@The One With Ugly Naked Guy’s Apartment | Friends | Comedy Central UK/Comedy Central UK/YouTube.com

15. The appearance of Bruce Willis in the show was not accidental

In several episodes of the series, famous actor Bruce Willis appeared. He played the father of Ross's girlfriend because he lost a bet to Matthew Perry, who starred with him in the movie The Whole Nine Yards. While Perry believed that the movie would take the top spot at the box office during its opening weekend, Willis held a different opinion. The actors argued, and Willis lost. As a result of the bet, he had to donate his earnings to charity.

@Top 10 Cameos from Friends ft. Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Winona Ryder | Netflix India/Netflix India/YouTube.com

16. Gunter is a real barista

James Michael Tyler, the actor who played Gunther from Central Perk, worked as a barista in real life when he was cast for the show. He actually got the role by chance—they needed someone who knew how to use an espresso machine. For the first year and a half, his character's task was simply to silently bring and make coffee. Gunther's first line didn't appear until the 33rd episode, and it consisted of just one word: “Yeah.”

@Top 10 Best Gunther Moments on Friends/MsMojo/YouTube.com

17. Symbol of the series 

The frame on Monica's door is a famous element of the show. It was originally a mirror, but one of the members of the crew accidentally broke it. As a result, set decorator Greg Grande decided it looked better without the mirror and left the frame in place. It became an iconic symbol of the show and is instantly recognizable to any fan.

@Top 10 Small Details in Friends You Never Noticed/MsMojo/ YouTube.com

18. White dog 

Do you remember the statue of a white dog that Joey buys when he becomes rich? Rumor has it that it actually belongs to Jennifer Aniston. A friend of hers gave it to her “for luck” before the start of filming the series. After this episode, the producers liked the prop so much that they decided to keep it for future storylines, so the dog appeared in several more episodes of the show.

@Chandler & Joey The Best Entrance | Friends/FireJach/ YouTube.com

19. Orange sofa

The famous orange sofa, on which the friends spent half of their on-screen time, was found in the Warner Brothers warehouse. But it fit perfectly into the storyline, becoming the show's trademark. In fact, the orange sofa became so iconic that fans would often visit the Warner Brothers studio just to take a photo of it. The studio eventually decided to auction off the sofa for charity, and it was sold for a whopping $4,480 to a dentist who was a big fan of the show.

@Jennifer Aniston Scares Guests at Central Perk Set | Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood/Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood/YouTube.com

20. The famous soundtrack 

One of the most famous tunes from the show is, of course, the track that opened the Friends sitcom. However, when the show first aired in the 1990s, TV networks were starting to phase out similar theme songs during show openings. But the situation quickly changed when I'll Be There For You quickly climbed to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was constantly played on radio, television, and in supermarkets, creating additional promotions for the show.  

@netflixnspill/reddit.com

21. Names of the characters

All of our favorite characters were not named random names but after characters from the 1970s soap opera All My Children. Ross was named after Ross Chandler, Joey – after Joey Martin, Chandler got his unusual name from the Chandler family, Monica—after Monica Daisy Cortland, Rachel Green - Janet Green, and Phoebe was named after Phoebe Tyler Wallingford.

@SKWings007/reddit.com

22. The show about friendship was invented by best friends

The creators of the show, David Crane and Marta Kauffman, studied at the same university and later worked together to establish a production company. In late 1993, they came up with the idea of creating a sitcom about friends who gather at a café in the evenings to discuss their problems. The sitcom was supposed to be light and funny. So, the creators presented the idea to the leadership of Warner Brothers Television under the working title Insomnia Café and immediately received approval.

@FRIENDS | From the Directors/Producers | DAVID CRANE | MARTA KAUFFMAN | FUNNY MOMENTS | PART 1/FRIENDS FOREVER/YouTube.com

23. David Schwimmer got the role without auditioning

In fact, the role of Ross Geller was written specifically for him. Other members of the fantastic six had to go through a multi-level selection process. More than a thousand candidates applied for each of the five positions. Only 75 of them were selected for auditions. Narrowing the list down to four candidates for each role, the creators presented them to NBC executives.

@Friends: Ross' Fake British Accent (Season 6 Clip) |TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

24. Favorite characters  

The role of Phoebe could have gone to Ellen DeGeneres if she hadn't turned down the offer. Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey, was approved for the role after six auditions. The actor was in complete despair as he only had $11 in his pocket at the time, he signed the contract. For the role of Chandler, John Favreau, and John Cryer were considered. The former later appeared in the third season as Monica's boyfriend – millionaire Pete Becker.  

@Lisa Kudrow Reveals Body Image Struggles During Time On ‘Friends’ | TODAY/TODAY/YouTube.com

25. To become a blonde, it's a lucky thing

Barista Gunther appeared for only a few episodes but stayed for 10 years. By the way, the actor was not a natural blonde. Just before filming, a guy who was training to be a hairdresser lightened his hair and practiced his skills on him. The character was so liked by the producers that the actor had to dye his hair every week.

@Top 10 Best Gunther Moments on Friends/MsMojo/YouTube.com

26. Everything could have been different

The plot of the TV show Friends was rewritten multiple times, couples were changed, and as a result, we could have gotten a completely different story. Initially, there was no romance planned between Rachel and Ross. The main couple was supposed to be Joey and Monica, as they seemed the sexiest to the creators. Phoebe and Chandler were intended to be secondary characters, and the latter was supposed to be gay.

@Friends: Monica Catches Rachel And Ross Kissing (Season 7 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

27. Ages of actors 

Some actors were much older than their characters. According to the script, the friends were young New Yorkers in their early twenties who had just graduated from college. However, in reality, at the time of filming the first season, Courteney Cox was 30 years old, and Lisa Kudrow was 31. The youngest on the set were Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry, who were both 25 years old. Meanwhile, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc were both 27 years old.

@F.R.I.E.N.D.S The Reunion Review & Analysis | ZEE5/Tried&Refused Productions/YouTube.com

28. Courtney Cox was never nominated for an Emmy Award

Over the course of its 10-year run, the sitcom was nominated for prestigious film awards over 200 times and won 69 different awards. All the actors, except for Courteney Cox, were nominated for an Emmy Award at least once, which is the television equivalent of an Oscar. Out of the six coveted statuettes that were received, only two went to the actors: Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow.

@72nd Emmy Awards: Jennifer Aniston and her "Friends"/Television Academy/YouTube.com 

29. The salaries of the Friends actors

The Friends series brought the main characters $100 million each. According to experts' estimates, that's how much each actor earned over 10 seasons. Interestingly, for participating in the pilot episode, they received only $22,000, but by 2002, this amount had increased to $1 million per episode. Of course, not out of the producers' goodwill, but after lengthy negotiations and threats to go on strike.

@F.R.I.E.N.D.S The Reunion Review & Analysis | ZEE5/Tried&Refused Productions/YouTube.com

30. Why were the main actors exclusively white people?

The creators of the show had only 8 weeks to assemble the cast. Casting directors were open to race and ethnic diversity, and the initial lists included a multitude of African American and Asian American actors. However, comedy turned out to be a less flexible genre than drama. Comedy required the audience to identify with the characters, so network executives, fearing the loss of white middle-class viewers, rejected the idea of diversifying the cast.

@Friends: Phoebe Hates Pottery Barn (Season 6 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

31. Monica's character

Monica was supposed to be a tough, self-assured, cynical, and sarcastic woman. In the original concept, she was a representative of the working class who wanted to open her own restaurant. Monica also had a touching maternal side, which prompted her to take in Rachel to live in her flat. The original Monica dreamed of becoming a mother but was looking for a man with whom she could have children. 

@Friends: Phoebe Hates Pottery Barn (Season 6 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

32. The characters could have had an elderly mentor

The NBC network feared that if all the main characters in Friends were only in their twenties, the show's audience would be limited. They came up with the idea of introducing an older character who could attract older viewers to the show. The writers were suggested to introduce an elderly friend who would meet the group at a café and give them life advice. However, David Crane and Marta Kauffman, the show's creators, attempted to bring in an older character, but the idea didn't work out. Eventually, they managed to persuade NBC to scrap the character. 

@Monica The Perfectionist | Friends/Warner Bros. TV/YouTube.com

33. Joey and Monica were supposed to be the main couple

David Crane and Marta Kauffman initially envisioned Joey and Monica as the central romantic couple of the series. It was supposed that the alpha-male Joey would be tempted and possibly tamed by Monica. In this version, Joey was less dumb and possessed all the skills of a ladies' man. However, none of the actors they auditioned were able to capture the chemistry they had in mind. Furthermore, they found such a character to be boring. Thus, we got the endearing and comedic Joey we know and love today.

@Friends: Joey Has a Dream About Monica (Season 5 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

34. Rachel could have disappeared in the first season

The team wanted to cast Jennifer Aniston for the role of Rachel, but she had already appeared in several episodes of the CBS sitcom Muddling Through, and the competitors did everything possible to prevent the actress from going to another shoot. Fortunately, the competitor's show was taken off the air, and Aniston was able to devote herself to working on Friends. Without this fortunate circumstance, we would have lost Aniston in the middle of the first season.

@Friends: A Petty Rachel Won't Go to Ross' Party (Season 3 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

35. References to Ukraine's

Friends often mentioned countries in Eastern Europe, with Ukraine being a particularly common topic. For example, Ross suggested that the group go see a Ukrainian film, and Monica was the only one in her school who was friends with a boy from Ukraine. Before Ross and Emily's wedding, they discussed having dish like Chicken Kyiv cutlets on the wedding menu. 

@Ross Finds A New Apartment For Rachel (Clip) | Friends | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

36. Full names of the main characters 

The main characters of the series are the six friends whose names everyone knows. But did you know their full names according to the script? Here is the full version of the names of our beloved characters: Chandler Muriel Bing, Rachel Karen Green, Ross Eustace Geller, Monica E. Geller, Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr., and Phoebe Buffay, who didn't know her second name because she never saw her own birth certificate. 

@Friends: Joey Teaches Ross to Dirty Talk (Season 1 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

37. Letter of thanks from Lucas 

There were many interesting episodes in the series, including the way the screenwriters creatively portrayed Princess Leia from Star Wars. This moment was very much appreciated by the creator of the Star Wars film series, George Lucas, who sent a letter of thanks to the producers of the series. He was grateful for “Ross's careful treatment of Princess Leia's character in a way that honored her fans' imagination.” This episode was featured in the first episode of the third season.

@The Princess Leia Fantasy | Friends/Friends/YouTube.com

38. Celebrity Guests

In the sitcom Friends, there are many famous actors who appeared either already famous or who gained tremendous popularity after their appearance on the show. Some notable celebrity guests include Bruce Willis, Christina Applegate, and Paul Rudd. They appeared on the show after starring in movies with some Friends cast members. For their guest roles, Bruce and Christina received Emmys.

@Friends Joey and Mike talk before the wedding/Harith Aldabbagh/YouTube.com

39. The One

An interesting story happened with the titles of the Friends episodes. Each one began with the words The One, which became a sort of symbol. The only exceptions were the first and last episodes of Friends. These were the only episodes whose titles did not begin with The One. The name of the first episode was The Pilot, and the name of the last episode was The Last One.

@Antwuan89/reddit.com

40. The Phenomenal Chandler

In the Friends series, the characters became very close, almost like family. However, each of them had their own siblings, or almost all of them did. Out of the six friends, Chandler is the only one who has neither brothers nor sisters. Monica and Ross are brother and sister, Phoebe has a twin and a half-brother, Joey has seven sisters, and Rachel has two sisters. 

@Friends: Chandler Can’t Cry (Season 6 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

41. About love a bit 

Everyone knows that Joey had feelings for Rachel in the show, and there was even a storyline where both characters felt a mutual attraction, but they never acted on it. After the show ended, the actor who played Joey revealed in an interview that he had a crush on Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel, at the beginning of the show. However, he never had the courage to confess his feelings, keeping a fond memory of this bright moment.

@Joey Tells Rachel He's in Love with Her | Friends/Friends/YouTube.com

42. Bright final episode

The TV series Friends gained incredible popularity. Its ratings skyrocketed from the very first episodes. And it's no wonder – the series is light, funny, and interesting. But the finale episode was watched by the most viewers – over 52 million people. Thanks to this, the project received fourth place in the ranking of final episodes of TV series. 

@Monica becomes a stock addict 😨 | Friends | Comedy Central Africa/Comedy Central Africa/YouTube.com

43. Second season without Thanksgiving Day

The writers did not miss the biggest holidays and respectfully portrayed them in each season of the show. The episodes were always original and filled with interesting events on these days. Something funny and unexpected always happened to the friends during their celebrations. For example, each season had an episode dedicated to Thanksgiving Day. However, only in the second season was such an episode not filmed. 

@Friends Best Thanksgiving Moments / SitcomKing/Situation Comedy/YouTube.com

44. Stubborn Mаtt LeBlanc

Mаtt LeBlanc auditioned for his role six times, and he also went to auditions for other movies, but he failed everywhere. If he hadn't been cast in the role on the sixth try, it's unknown what would have happened to him, because according to him, at that time he only had 11 dollars. Fortunately, he landed the role of Joey, which launched his acting career. LeBlanc's portrayal of Joey Tribbiani was a fan favorite, and his character's catchphrase “How you doing?” became iconic.  

@Joey's Best Moments! | Friends/Warner Bros. TV/YouTube.com

45. Worst looks

Many people dream of fame, but they don't know that it has a negative side: you're always in the spotlight, even when you don't want to be, people scrutinize you from head to toe and talk about everything from your relationships to your outfits. Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe in Friends, often received criticism for her outfits. She was featured in various magazines as an actress who dressed worse than anyone else. However, as Lisa herself claims, that clothing was part of Phoebe's wardrobe. 

@Friends: Phoebe Mistakes The Copy Guy for Ralph Lauren (Season 6 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

46. Monica's fridge 

Monica's refrigerator really worked during the filming of the series, which is rare for such TV shows. However, it didn't store food, but water for the members of the filming crew. The fridge was also used to hide food props that were needed for certain scenes. The production team ensured that the refrigerator was always fully stocked with various types of food, condiments, and drinks, which added to the show's authenticity. The fridge even had its own storyline in one episode when Monica became obsessed with keeping it clean and organized.

@gottalovecarina/reddit.com

47. Interesting moment 

It's interesting to note that in one episode of Friends when Chandler and Joey are flipping through TV channels, they come across Baywatch and Chandler mentions that he knows one of the stars of the show. He then proceeds to call her and leave a message on her answering machine, saying “Hi, it's Chandler. I'm here with Joey. We're watching you on TV. Anyway, call me.” This was actually a nod to Matthew Perry's real-life relationship with Yasmine Bleeth, which he confirmed in a 1996 interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. The couple dated for a few months, but their relationship eventually fizzled out. 

@Chandler & Joey being an ICONICduo/Beau-Marie/YouTube.com

48. The Rachel hairstyle

The Rachel hairstyle became so popular that other women and girls started copying it. This hairstyle was even named The Rachel. However, Jennifer Aniston herself hated it. Once she said in an interview that the hairstyle was difficult to maintain and style, and she even went on to call it “the ugliest haircut” she had ever seen. Despite her dislike for the hairstyle, it continued to be a trend in the 90s and is still considered iconic today. 

@Friends【 Season 8 Episode 9 "The One with the Rumor"】 Part1/THE BEST COMEDY & DRAMA/YouTube.com

49. The inconvenient moment 

There was a lot in the famous series: couples were changing, characters were evolving, the friends were quarreling, albeit briefly, and even intimate moments happened. In one of the episodes of “Friends”, Monica invites her friends to her New Year's Eve party, and while preparing for the party, she is only wearing underwear. Thus, all the other friends see her naked. Monica is the only character that all the other friends saw naked.

@Friends: Chandler and Monica Have Sex For the First Time (Season 4 Clip) | TBS/TBS/YouTube.com

50. Brad Pitt in Friends

Brad Pitt also played in the series Friends. But he didn't want to play here for the first time because, at the time, he was in a relationship with Jennifer Aniston and was aware that their every move would be scrutinized and discussed. But eventually, he decided to take part in an episode where he and his beloved played characters who were not in love, but the opposite, couldn't stand each other. 

@Friends【 Season 8 Episode 9 "The One with the Rumor"】 Part1/THE BEST COMEDY & DRAMA/YouTube.com