Once upon a time, Monica got a roommate and television changed forever. With all Friends seasons in infinite syndication, it’s easy for die-hard fans to watch and re-watch the series, discovering new things with every binge. But have you ever wondered what was going on off camera? Thought the cast became best pals, was there any notable behind the scenes drama on the Friends set?
While Friends was definitely light on on-set drama, especially compared to other hit shows like Grey’s Anatomy or Two and a Half Men, it still had its fair share of off-screen tension during its 10-year run. From one actor’s struggle with addiction to intense contract negotiations, this list gathers all the Friends on-set drama that has made its way to the Internet.
Andre Agassi was extremely jealous when Brooke Shields guest-starred.
Photo: NBC
Andre Agassi smashed his prized tennis trophies one by one in a jealous fit of rage after watching his then girlfriend, Brooke Shields, film a scene for Friends. Shields played a deranged fan of Joey's and had to shoot a scene where she licked LeBlanc’s fingers, much to her boyfriend’s dismay. Writing about the incident in his memoir, Agassi said, "I don’t pretend to know where the line is, but hand licking is definitely over it."
Jennifer Aniston was kind of scared of Matt LeBlanc.
Photo: NBC
Before meeting LeBlanc, Aniston took one look at his resume, assumed he'd be a tough guy, and was a little intimidated by him. “He thinks it's very funny now. And actually, he can sit down and comfort me just like Courteney or Lisa could,” explained Aniston. That Joey Tribbiani and his big heart.
The cast hated the Joey/Rachel romance.
Photo: NBC
The cast really hated the idea of Rachel and Joey getting together. “It felt wildly inappropriate," LeBlanc explained. "I was like, ‘That’s Rachel. She’s supposed to be with Ross.’ Everybody got super defensive about the whole thing. We went to David and Marta as a group and said, ‘We’re really concerned about this. It doesn’t feel right. We have a problem with it.'"
Matthew Perry struggled with addiction.
Photo: NBC
Perry’s addiction problems are no longer a secret but they sure made his life difficult while on the set of Friends. He once confessed that his substance abuse problem caused him to forget filming three seasons of the show. While he said never used on set, he admitted to going into work hungover on several occasions.
Lisa Kudrow was terrified of the duck.
Photo: NBC
The chick and the duck weren’t a delight for everyone on set. Kudrow isn’t a big fan of birds and was actually really afraid of the duck. By how flawless their on-screen interactions were, no one would have guessed anything other than pure chemistry.
Courteney Cox initially made everyone nervous.
Photo: NBC
According to David Schwimmer, Cox was the one who made everyone else nervous in the beginning because “she was the one big name in the cast.” However, she ended up pushing them to become a team and have each other’s backs. “It was our second day of work, and we went outside on a break together," said Matthew Perry. "She said, 'This is an ensemble show. I think we should really all try to help each other out.'”
