22 Awesome Things You Didn't Know About 'Friends'

Monica

Courteney Cox was asked to play Rachel, but in true Monica fashion, she told them she was Monica, not Rachel.

Phoebe

Lisa Kudrow was originally cast as Roz in Frasier, but the casting directors changed their minds and fired her before the show aired, leaving Lisa open to take the role of Phoebe. She has said it was one of the best things that has ever happened to her.

Rachel's Baby Daddy

David Schwimmer directed 10 Friends episodes, including the episode where the group finds out that Ross is the father of Rachel's baby.

Matthew Owes Courtney

Matthew Perry once had to be Courteney Cox's slave for five months when he lost a bet over whether Anthony Michael Hall said the line "Chicks cannot hold their smoke. Dat's what it is," in The Breakfast Club or Weird Science. The correct answer is The Breakfast Club!

David Schwimmer as Ross

David Schwimmer was the first friend to be cast in the show and Ross was written specifically with David in mind for the part.

Ursula Buffay

Lisa Kudrow had already been guest-starring on Mad About You as Ursula Buffay for two years before Friends aired. They decided to make Phoebe a twin to create a crossover between the two shows.

Missing Finger

In case you've been wondering why Matthew Perry's missing part of his middle finger, he slammed it in a door when he was in nursery school.

Jennifer Aniston's Family Name

When Rachel is trying to find a new officiate for Chandler and Monica's wedding, she finds a Greek Orthodox priest coming out of the Anastassakis/Papasifakis wedding. Anastassakis is Jennifer Aniston's family name. It was changed to Aniston by her father before she was born.

Phoebe's Triplets

They wrote the triplets storyline for Lisa Kudrow to cover the real life pregnancy of her son Julian.

Marcel's Real Name

Marcel the monkey is actually a female and her name is Katie.

Punch Line Laughter

Some of the laughter from the show's live audience was cut in scenes so the next punch line wasn't lost.

Courtney Cox Made History

Before Friends, Courteney Cox appeared in various commercials. In fact, she was the first person to say "period" on national television for a Tampax commercial.

It Runs In The Family

The actor who plays Joshua's father in the show is actually Matthew Perry's father, John Bennett Perry.

Apartment Decor

Even though he received no credit throughout the show, crew member Paul Swain was the mastermind behind the Magna Doodle drawings on the door in Joey and Chandler's apartment.

Billionaires In London

Besides Sara Ferguson making a surprise appearance in the London episode, Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Airlines, also made a quick appearance as a tourist hat salesman.

Love Triangle

Joey and Monica were originally supposed to be the love interests on the show.

Ice Cream Mysteries

Even though there have been a few mistakes throughout the show, this may by far be one of the worst. Notice the ice cream's magic colors?

Secret Meetings

The six friends had a private huddle backstage before every single episode. They wouldn't allow anyone or any cameras in the room while they prepped for the show.

Joke Redux

There is a scene in "The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding" where Gary Oldman is drunk and says that he is wearing two belts. They accidently use the same joke in season nine because they completely forgot they had already used it. Oh yeah, and Kevin S. Bright, the executive producer, came to work with two belts once.

Six Of One?

Before they decided to name the show Friends other working titles included Insomnia Café, Friends like Us and Six of One.Six Of One?

Before they decided to name the show Friends other working titles included Insomnia Café, Friends like Us and Six of One.

Big White Dog

The big white dog in Joey and Chandler's apartment belonged to Jennifer Aniston. A friend gave it to her as a good luck gift when she got her role on the show.

I'll Be There For You

Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane are also co-writers of the show's theme song "I'll Be There For You" by the Rembrants.