Friends has been a comfort show for millions across the globe. Part of its popularity has its roots in the well-crafted script and the relatable storyline that struck a chord with the masses, especially with young adults grappling with the challenges of adult life. However, the show would not have been so iconic if it was not for the perfect casting. Throughout the run of Friends, each member of the cast felt so genuine in their roles that it was as if they were portraying themselves rather than fictional characters.

Not many people know, however, that the casting of the popular sitcom was nothing short of a miracle and could have been completely different from what it was. 

Why was the casting of Friends miraculous? 

In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2012, the creators of Friends, Marta Kaufmann, and David Crane alongside the former president of NBC Entertainment, Warren Littlefield shed light on the sitcom’s casting process. They revealed how Matthew Perry, initially a top choice for Chandler, was unavailable due to prior commitments. This led the makers to consider Craig Bierko for the role. Similarly, for the character of Monica, played by Courteney Cox, Nancy McKeon from The Facts of Life and Janeane Garofalo were also in contention. 

The makers considered two other actors for the role of Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc. Meanwhile, Jami Gertz got Jennifer Aniston’s role as Rachel Green and passed on the role. Eric McCormack eyed the role of Ross Geller, played by David Schwimmer. However, the makers made it very clear that they wrote the role keeping Schwimmer in mind. Lisa Kudrow, however, was the one who had a different and pretty awkward experience during the casting process. 

As per the makers, Lisa Kudrow was one of the actors whose audition was most impressive. Despite owning the auditions in the first shot, Kudrow faced nervousness during the auditions as she was already fired by one of the directors of Friends in the past. 

Why did Friends’ director fire Lisa Kudrow?

Lisa Kudrow catapulted to stardom with her breakthrough as the offbeat and unconventional Phoebe in Friends. However, before the NBC show, she was a part of a few other shows. The director of Friends, James Burrows, was the co-creator of one of the earlier shows of Kudrow. During a promotional interview with WBUR for his book, Directed by James Burrows, the filmmaker opened up about the time when he fired Kudrow from his show, Frasier. He believed that Kudrow’s personality was not in sync with the character of Roz Doyle.

During a 2021 interview on The Howard Stern Show, Kudrow talked about her experience of auditioning for the director, Burrows, who had fired him from Frasier, mere three days into filming the part. She has also been on record talking about how nervous she was to go in for the audition. Kudrow thought that Burrows did not find her funny. Nevertheless, much like Kudrow, all the cast members of Friends scored their destined roles and gave an iconic sitcom to the world. 

What do you think about the miraculous casting of Friends? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!