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"So, no one told you life was gonna be this way...." The tune by the Rembrandts is instantly recognizable as the theme song from the insanely popular sitcom Friends.
The show was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. The ensemble cast stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.
Friends revolves around six friends in their 20s and 30s who live in Manhattan, New York City. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Kauffman and Crane began developing Friends under the (catchy) working title Insomnia Café between November and December 1993. But after several script rewrites and changes, including title changes to Six of One and Friends Like Us, the series was finally simply Friends.
Filming took place at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California in front of a live-studio audience. The show ranked within the top ten of the final television season ratings; with the six Friends becoming instant stars. It's hard to imagine the characters being played by any other actors. But it was almost cast entirely differently...
Courteney Cox Was Originally Offered Jennifer's Aniston's Role As Rachel Green
Monica Geller is 1/6 of the Friends characters we know and love. The character, played by Courteney Cox, is a chef known for her cleanliness, competitiveness and obsessive-compulsive nature.
Monica is the younger sister of Ross Geller and best friend of Rachel Green. Series creator, Marta Kauffman told Vanity Fair in 2012 that they initially offered Cox the part of fashion forward Rachel. The creators' first choice for the role of Monica was comedienne Janeane Garofalo. But Cox turned down the role, and lobbied for Monica.
Cox gave an explanation on the podcast, Off Camera with Sam Jones in 2017. "For some reason, I thought I related more to Monica," she said. "I'm very similar to her ... I'm not as clean as Monica, but I am neat. And I'm not as competitive, even though some people [like] my partner, (musician) Johnny McDaid, would say I am."
Matthew Perry Initially Turned Down His Iconic Role As 'Chandler Bing' On 'Friends'
When Matthew Perry was offered the role of Chandler Bing, he turned it down. Perry was stuck in a bind after committing to a pilot for Fox.
However, the generous actor offered the producers a compromise. He recommended his friend, actor Craig Bierko, as a substitute. According to Vanity Fair, Perry even coached Bierko on the role. However, producers were not so keen on Bierko.
"There was something Snidely Whiplash about Craig Bierko," said Warren Littlefield, former president of NBC Entertainment, referencing the opponent of Dudley Do-Right on the classic '60s cartoon The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Littlefield noted an undertone of anger to Bierko's performance, which helped to eliminate him from consideration.
"The attractive leading man who you love and can do comedy is very rare," said Littlefield. Thankfully, Perry became available, and the rest is history. He was even voted "Best Friends" character in a poll by the Radio Times.
Jon Favreau Turned Down The Role Of 'Chandler Bing' On 'Friends'
Jon Favreau is an actor/director who is known for directing many films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He directed Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr and was the executive producer of the Avengers films. But if he had accepted an offer to star as a lead role in Friends, things could have been totally different.
According to Vulture, Favreau was chosen to play Chandler Bing on Friends but declined the part in order to work on other projects. However, the actor did return to the series in a six-episode arc in Season 4.
Favreau played Pete Becker, the millionaire computer software creator. He became involved in a romantic relationship with Monica Geller - who ultimately dumped him after his disastrous turn as an Ultimate Fighting Championship wrestler.
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