“Friends” is undoubtedly one of the best and most profitable series of all time.
Fans around the world say it’s their all-time favorite series!
And since the behind-the-scenes series lasted ten years (1994-2004), and was so successful, there are many amazing facts.
Did you know, for example, that Lisa Kudrow, the actress who plays Phoebe, has never watched the series? Or that Jennifer Aniston, our dearest Rachel, would almost stay to play another series? Or more: What took each hour, which aired for 20 minutes?
Let’s see more curiosities of this beloved series:
1 – THE ICONIC FRIENDS OPENING
Believe it or not: the iconic opening of “Friends” was not filmed in New York, and more: Neither was the series!
In fact, the episodes were filmed at a studio in Burbank, California, home of Warner Studios in the United States.
And one more curiosity: Each member drank a little more to record the opening scenes.
2 – JENNIFER ANISTON (RACHEL) ALMOST PARTICIPATED IN ANOTHER SERIES
Jennifer Aniston almost didn’t make it into “Friends” because she was slated for another series on the CBS channel. Aniston was the favorite to play Rachel Green in the series but had already done some episodes of the competing production, which ended up not airing.
Can you imagine another actress playing Rachel Green?
3 – MATHEW PERRY (CHANDLER) HAD SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH ADDICTIONS
In 1997, at the height of the series, Matthew Perry (Chandler) went to rehab for the first time for his drug and alcohol addiction.
Already in 2001, the actor again went to a clinic to try to get rid of his drug problems.
Later, in 2013, he revealed that this problem came even before he debuted in the series: “Things were getting ugly and I couldn’t hide from people anymore”, said the actor.
4 – JOEY WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT
At first Joey wouldn’t be the flirt we’ve grown to love, but rather a somewhat serious guy.
Also, at first he would be Monica’s date, not Chandler.
Can you imagine such a thing?
5 – LISA KUDROW (PHOEBE) HATED PLAYING A GUITAR
In the second season, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) plays the guitar and sings the song Smelly Cat, a classic in the series, which even went viral on the internet even years after the series aired.
The reason Phoebe is so bad at the guitar is that Lisa really hated playing the instrument. She even took lessons, but she really couldn’t hide the fact that she didn’t enjoy playing.
The funny thing is that the trait of not knowing how to play the guitar was incorporated into the character and became one of Phoebe’s comedic facts.
6 – ROSS’ ICONIC SPEECH AT HIS WEDDING WAS A BLAST MISTAKE
One of the most memorable moments of the series is the fateful marriage of Ross (David Schwimmer) to Emily (Helen Baxendale).
Who doesn’t remember that he misspells his fiancée’s name and calls her Rachel?
What the public doesn’t really know is that this was not in the original script and that it was a blooper!
But the mistake wasn’t exactly in the scene, but before it was recorded.
According to the screenwriter, in a certain scene, Ross was supposed to say “Emily, the taxi is waiting”, but in fact he said “Rachel, the taxi is waiting”, and from that, the directors took the cue and did changes to the text.
7 – ALL THE PROTAGONISTS KISSED IN THE SERIES
Throughout the 236 episodes, the protagonists have already kissed at least once.
Sometimes they weren’t even hot kisses, but even with the pecks, the audience went wild!
8 – HIGHEST PAID ACTORS OF THE TIME
In the first season in 1994, the six main actors were paid about $22,000 per episode.
But over time and the show’s success, by the tenth and final season, they were already getting 1 million per episode!
It is worth mentioning that the producers wanted to pay Rachael and Ross a higher salary, but the actors themselves did not accept it.
They said that, as “friends”, they should receive equal pay.
9 – BRUCE WILLIS DID NOT RECEIVE TO PARTICIPATE IN FRIENDS
Bruce Willis appeared in three episodes in season six as he played the father of one of Ross’ girlfriends as he lost a bet to Matthew Perry (Chandler).
Bruce Willis confirmed what was once just a rumor and joked about the situation. At the time, in addition to “Friends,” the two made a movie called “The Whole Nine Yards,” which opened at number one in the US and grossed over $100 million.
The interpretation of a hot crown in the series, boyfriend of the character of Jennifer Aniston, ended up earning him an Emmy.
10 – ONE OF THE BIGGEST AUDIENCES IN THE WORLD
“Friends” broke all audience records at the time.
The most watched episode of the series was “The One After the Superbowl”, with 52.9 million viewers, which aired shortly after the 1996 Superbowl.
The Friends grand finale on May 6, 2004 resulted in the fourth-largest television series finale by viewership, with over 51 million people tuned in to Watner!
“Friends” is a series loved and acclaimed around the world.
It won over fans for its characters, captivating stories and timeless jokes.
And you? Are you a fan of the series too?