The Friends cast may have become iconic for appearing alongside The Rembrandts' I'll Be There For You track during the opening sequence of the 1994-2004 sitcom, but it doesn't look like they actually dug the beats. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer all became household names in the mid-90s as Friends exploded onto scenes. While everyone watching couldn't help singing along to the intro, some of the six people behind the New York-based characters were giving it the thumbs-down.
Here's Why The 'Friends' Cast Didn't Like The Show's Theme Song
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Jennifer Aniston's Opinion
Flickr | Benjamín Núñez Vega
A-Lister Jennifer Aniston has spoken out. The 53-year-old told the BBC’s The One Show:
“I don’t mean to say that, but we felt it was a little, I don’t know…. Dancing in a pond, or like, a fountain, felt a little odd. But we did it," here referencing night-set opening credits where all six actors are seen splashing around a fountain and dancing to the theme song. “No one was really a big fan of that theme song," the LolaVie founder added.
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More Cast Members Open Up
Meanwhile, Lisa Kudrow, known for playing quirky Phoebe Buffay, has stated that she didn't feel the cast “were in the mood – or could even look like were having fun anymore." Here, she referenced the number of takes, even saying that it got "annoying."
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Set Decorator Reveals All
The focus is often on the cast and not the crew behind the scenes.
"To my best recollection, that wasn't a scripted thing," Greg Grande, Friends' set decorator, told EW. "It was more impromptu. As [the actors] got later into the evening, they had more fun with the back and forth. They were just happy to hang out and have a few cocktails, probably. I don't want to say who started it, but one of them did, and they ended up inside the fountain. And that was some of the best footage. It was kind of an impromptu, wonderful moment."
Iconic And Loved By Gen Z
Friends aired for ten seasons, telling the story of Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross. Fans watched Rachel and Ross debate their "break" issue for the entire show. They also loved Monica and Chandler falling in love, getting married, and having twins.
In 2022, Gen Z are lapping up the show, the phrases, plus the '90s style, not limited to the "Rachel" do and the baggy jeans. For more from Friends and to watch clips of the series, see the show's Instagram.
