| *Friendly Facts* |
| Courtney Cox Arquette originally auditioned for the role of Rachel Green (played by Jennifer Aniston) Jennifer Aniston originally auditioned for the role of Monica Geller (played by Courtney Cox Arquette) FRIENDS is in it's 9th season, and may or may not be it's last season! Jennifer Aniston's real last name is Anastassakis but her family changed it. FRIENDS debuted on US TV sets on September 27, 1994. It debuted in the UK on April 28, 1995. Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer have both directed at least one episode of the series. The opening footage of the cast dancing around a fountain was filmed on the Warner Brothers lot in LA at 5 am. In the beginning seasons, Chandler & Joey's apartment # was 4 and Monica and Rachels was #5. In later seasons/episodes, they are #19 and #20. The first line of the first dialogue on the pilot episode of Friends was "There's nothing to tell." Some famous guest stars such as Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Noah Wyle, Jean Claude Van Damme, and many others. When the pilot episode became approved by the network, the cast was given a free trip to Vegas. Friends is NBC Channel 4's top-rating comedy, reguarly attracting 3 million viewers! The monkey was the first cast member to get a Hollywood movie role, appearing in the movie Outbreak. The first thing Courtney bought with her money from FRIENDS was a Porsche. The characters professions are-Chandler: data processor; Monica: chef; Joey: actor; Rachel: works for Ralph Lauren; Ross: paleontologist. 25 to 30 people attend the weekly reads. This is when the cast reads the script for that week's episode aloud for the first time. It takes 366,600 watts of eletricity to light all the sets on Stage 24 for one Friends filming. That is the equivalent eletrical power of 12 large homes. Each script goes through three to five drafts -- and often times jokes are rewritten during filming, based on audience response. Executive producer/co-creator Kevin Bright often directs episodes. He also re-edits the opening title sequence twice each year with new footage. Once for the first 12 episodes, then again for the second 12. The show spends $1,700 a week on lightbulbs or "globes" Most of the copy on the Central Perk Coffee Board is the original copy from the show's first season (typo's included) Robin Williams and Billy Crystal did four takes of their brief cameo in Central Perk. When the original Magna-Doodle wore out, the prop department had to find one on eBay to match the original. The show orders pizza twice a night for the studio audience. That's a total of 85 pizzas to feed the 300 audience members! (the cast and crew sometimes get sushi) Monica and Chandler's kitchen has 7 spatulas in plain view. The art department updates the food in Monica's kitchen cupboards weekly. But types of food (ie: pasta, canned goods) are always kept in the same areas, because Monica is so organized! 30,000 feet of film is used to tape one episode of Friends. The newspapers near the pay phone in Central Perk are six months old. The Central Perk set is one of the few soundstage sets with a real asphalt "street." This allows for more realistic sound during exterior scenes, and allows for underground plumbing to pipe-in real steam from manholes. Phoebe has performed over 25 original songs on the show since the first season. The show goes through 32 pots of regular coffee on show day and over 100 cases of water a week In the cold open of "The One With Princess Leia Fantasy" (Season Premiere, 1996) the gang came in and found other people sitting in their Central Perk spots. Those where the show's writers for that season. The shops across from Central Perk have meaning. Dottie & Herman's Deli is named after co-creator Marta Kauffman's relatives. Free Being Records is an homage to a Greenwich Village record store that executive producer Kevin Bright frequented as a kid. Paul Swain, the Eletrical Best Boy, draws the art on the Magna-Doodle board hanging on the back of Joey and Chandler's front door. Sometimes he does a drawing that the writers request or that relates to the storyline; otherwise, the doodle is usually an inside joke with the crew. Monica and Joey's refridgerators actually work (a TV rarity). Monica's is filled with water and soda for the cast and crew. Joey's is pretty darn bachelor-like. The sandwich board outside Central Perk references a crew member who went above and beyond the call of duty. "Neighbor Tim" has been appearing at Central Perk ever since his good deed on the set. The artwork in Central Perk is changed every 3 episodes. The art department showcases local, national, and international artists. Some artists create original pieces just for the show! The Wardrobe Department has an entire room just for handbags. Each episode enlists from 35 to 50 extras. James Michael Tyler(Gunther) was an extra in season one. He was the only extra who could work the cappuccino machine, which led to his recurring role. Not until his first spoken line ("Yes" in TOW Phoebe's Dad) did the writers give him a name. Stage 24 (home for FRIENDS from season two until now) is said to be haunted. It is one of the oldest stages on the Warner Bros. lot and rumors of late night "occurrences" have been circulating for years. |
| These facts have some from different FRIENDS websites and also NBC.com's friends page. |