More than 15 years have passed since the final episode of the legendary show Friends aired. Yet, even today, its downloads and views on various platforms remain astonishingly high. What more might we not know about this popular show?
1. The Early Steps
It’s hard to believe, but viewers could have never seen Friends at all. The first issue was assembling the main cast. The producers couldn’t decide whether to cast newcomers or established stars. In the end, they found a middle ground. Courteney Cox and David Schwimmer already had solid experience in popular projects, while Aniston, Kudrow, Perry, and LeBlanc were relatively unknown. No one could have predicted how well these six people would work together.
The second challenge was gaining approval from NBC. The network’s board was against the producers’ idea of three central storylines. At that time, sitcoms typically had one main storyline, while the rest were considered secondary. But Friends didn’t allow any of its characters to fade into the background. The producers fought for each storyline, and to their credit, they succeeded!
There were also issues with the first season’s debut. For the pilot episode alone, over 8 hours of footage were shot, which was ultimately trimmed to a final 22-minute version. NBC approved its airing, but disagreements continued. The network rejected every episode up until the 6th one. It seemed as if many hours of hard work had been for nothing. But everything changed on September 22, 1994, when the very first episode aired. It caused a sensation, gathering over 22 million viewers, and soon Friends became a regular hit, surpassing other popular series in ratings.
2. An Unusual Character
In most scenes, the six friends gather at a cozy coffee shop, Central Perk. However, finding someone to play the coffee shop’s barista proved unexpectedly difficult. All the actors considered for the role admitted they had no idea how to operate a coffee machine.
Since the setting was meant to be a café, not a bar, they had to find a new candidate quickly. James Michael Tyler stepped in. Before 1994, he never imagined how much cinema would become a part of his life! At that time, Tyler worked as a barista, so when the offer came to appear in six episodes as the café’s manager, he wasn’t fazed.
Since Tyler had no acting experience, the producers initially decided not to write any lines for his character. But later, they took a chance and gave him a few short, memorable lines. That’s how the famous character Gunther became an integral part of Friends.
3. A Musical Disagreement
Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe, refused to pick up the guitar. Today, her short, humorous songs have become internet hits, but back then, she couldn’t manage to learn more than two basic chords.
She even suggested replacing the guitar with Cuban bongos, but the idea didn’t fly. Kudrow had to take a few quick guitar lessons despite her distaste for the instrument. Her reluctance might explain why she never learned more than two chords, despite her efforts. But perhaps this simplicity is what gave her songs their unique charm.
4. The Salad Dilemma
Despite its relatively young age, American cuisine boasts a significant number of traditional dishes. The national menu includes a variety of soups, hot meals, and snacks. So why did the female cast of Friends spend 10 years eating the same salad—off-camera, no less?
The answer is simple! Jennifer Aniston often placed the café orders during breaks, and her co-stars would just say, “I’ll have what she’s having,” as revealed in an interview. Over time, their version of the Cobb salad became a tradition that bonded the actresses. This hearty but healthy dish typically includes avocado, bacon, tomatoes, eggs, chicken, and a small amount of blue cheese for a sharp flavor. Naturally, the health-conscious stars replaced the bacon with lean turkey. The things actors do when they spend long hours on set!
5. A Famous Guest Star
Many global stars made appearances in Friends, but Bruce Willis’s guest spot stands out as one of the most memorable. Notably, Willis appeared on the show for free! Being an honest and responsible person, he couldn’t back out of a bet he had made with Matthew Perry after losing a wager.
The situation arose because Willis didn’t have much faith in his own success. He disagreed with Perry’s prediction that the movie The Whole Nine Yards would break box office records. When it did, Willis had to honor the terms of the bet. At that point, Willis likely realized his cameo on Friends was a chance to be part of a legendary show, and he gladly embraced the opportunity, giving the series one of its best guest roles.
Years of work by the cast and crew have left behind many more secrets and funny stories. To describe them all would require a whole book! And true fans could likely add to it every day, even though the story of Friends has long since ended.