23. Joey and Monica
When the writers started to craft the arch of the show, they envisioned that one day Joey and Monica, played by Matt LeBlanc and Courtney Cox respectively, would one day become a couple. As the show progressed, it became more interesting to put Monica with someone else. “Initially we thought the big love interest was Joey-Monica,” said producer David Crane to NBC. “… We didn’t know when we pitched the show, the idea of Ross and Rachel. That was something we discovered writing it.”
22. Problems with Aniston
Although Jennifer Aniston is an otherwise reputable contributor with an easy disposition, her rising fame over the seasons started to catch up with her. She started dating Brad Pitt, made onto to the big screen, and even landed another show before Friends went off the air. It was her commitment to the show Muddling Through, which did not last, that once threatened her place on Friends. When the other show failed, it became a non-issue. “So there was a period where I had to stand out of the photographs for the group shots,” Aniston told People, “and I had phone calls from girlfriends saying, ‘I’m auditioning for your part in Friends.’”
21. A Different Rachel
Speaking of Aniston, she wasn’t the first actress to get the call for Rachel Green. It was originally offered to Courtney Cox, but she turned it down to play Monica. “When we originally wrote the role, we had Janeane Garofalo’s voice in our head,” said producer Crane to Vanity Fair. “Darker and edgier and sparkier, and Courteney brought a whole bunch of other colors to it. We decided that week after week, that would be a lovelier place to go to.”