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10+ Secrets About 'Friends' That Came Out After Filming Was Done

Hush! Listen, buddy, I'm telling you these secrets, but you're really not allowed to tell anyone else.

Seriously, I mean it, I'm going to be really steamed if you tell!

1. Matthew Perry And Lisa Kudrow Don't Watch Reruns

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That's right. But then again, a lot of actors hate seeing themselves on screen.

For Lisa Kudrow, at least, it depends on what kind of mood she's in. If it's bad, she doesn't want to see herself!

2. The Cast Was Down To Stop

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Apparently, according to the cast these days, they would have ended the show sooner, even though the show continued to be successful afterward.

Thank goodness that they didn't!

3. Joey's Hair Wasn't Black

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Don't get me wrong, it's not like Matt LeBlanc was blonde or anything, it's just that he had started to grey when the show started.

So, he dyed his hair throughout the series.

4. The Poker Episode Is Based On Real Events

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Just like in the show, the girls also had to learn to play poker on the fly.

It's good that they had the boys there to teach them!

5. Matt LeBlanc Got Hurt On Set

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Poor Joey actually did hurt himself during one of the episodes, in particular, it was during a pratfall.

That's why the guy was wearing a sling in this episode, he actually needed it!

6. When They Were Working Together, They Were Friends In Real Life

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Yes, the Friends friends were actually friends! When the show was airing, they would all go over to each other's houses and watch the episodes as they came on!

How cool!

7. Lisa Kudrow Actually Got Pregnant

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Because of this, the writers wrote that whole "surrogate mother for her brother" storyline which, now that I'm writing it out, I'm starting to realize is a little bit weird.

8. Matthew Perry Knew They'd Be A Hit

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There was one day in particular where Matthew Perry got to observe all the other cast members acting, as he filmed his scenes separately.

After seeing how good they were, he knew they'd be big.

9. Matthew Perry Helped Courteney Cox Create Monica

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While it doesn't say exactly how Matthew Perry helped her out, Courteney Cox actually credits him for helping her create the Monica character that we all know and love today.

Thanks, Mr. Perry.

10. Matthew Perry Wasn't The First Choice For Chandler

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While he was auditioning for the part, a lot of his other real-life friends were doing so as well.

But as they started to fall off, they all gave Matthew tips on the character.

And well, he got the part!

11. Jennifer Aniston Hated Her Iconic Haircut

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Blasphemy!

Kidding, of course. However, it is surprising that Rachel hated "the Rachel".

While it blew up across the nation, she hated the look because it was impossible to style, according to her.

12. A Lot Of People Got Stage Fright

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Performing in front of a live studio audience is enough to give a lot of people stage fright, and this cast was no exception.

They even said some famous people who cameoed got stage fright!

13. Lisa Kudrow Was Super Forgetful

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Which probably isn't all that good of a quality for an actress.

Apparently, during the show's runtime, she even had a hard time remembering her fellow cast members' last names! Come on Lisa, they're in the opening credits.

14. Courteney Cox Wasn't Always A Monica Fan

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While yes, she absolutely nailed it as Monica, she occasionally found the character annoying and didn't always like her.

You know what, Courteney, I can see that. She can get kind of annoying sometimes.

15. Ross Is The Reason For Their Big Paychecks

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There was a point in time in the show when the actors on it were making like a million dollars an episode.

Just in case you didn't know, that's a lot of dough!

Ross Is The Reason For Their Big Paychecks (CONT)

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Well, it was no accident they all got paid so much. It was actually David Schwimmer who got the cast together and suggested they all ask for more money.

Good on ya, Ross.

16. Matthew Perry Struggled With Drug Addiction

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This is a pretty commonly known fact, but Matthew Perry had a serious addiction to pills and alcohol throughout the show's run.

It was so bad he doesn't even remember shooting a couple of the seasons.

17. The Original Opening

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Believe it or not, but the original opening song for Friends wasn't always "I'll Be There for You" by the Rembrandts.

It was originally supposed to be "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M.

18. Lisa Kudrow Got Sued By Her Manager

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She was sued by a man named Scott Howard in 2008 after she canned him.

He claimed she owed him 10% of the money she made, she begged to differ.

Lisa Kudrow Got Sued By Her Manager (CONT)

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This begs the question, which one of them was right?

Well, in 2014, a judge decided that Mr. Howard was, and Kudrow was forced to give over 1.6 million to the disgruntled manager.

What is that, 1.5 episodes of Friends?

19. The Original Apartment Numbers

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In earlier seasons, the group lived in apartments 4 and 5.

But after realizing that would mean they would have to live on lower floors, and they frequently looked down at ugly naked guy, the changed the numbers to 19 and 20.

20. David Schwimmer Became A Recluse

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Originally, David Schwimmer loved to go and watch people, as it helped with his acting.

After he became famous, however, he could no longer do that. So, he would stay in his home.

21. Lisa Kudrow Hates Guitar

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Apparently, she found the instrument too hard to learn, which is the reason why Phoebe is so bad at guitar.

She even suggested that Phoebe play bongos so she didn't have to learn!

22. The Middle Names

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Quick, do you know the all the middle names of the friends?

Here they are:

Chandler Muriel Bing

Rachel Karen Green

Ross Eustace Geller

Joseph Francis Tribbiani, Jr.

We know Monica's middle name starts with an E, and Phoebe never learned hers because her sister sold her birth certificate.

23. The Original Names (Of The Show)

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There were a couple of names that were floating around for the show.

Insomnia Café was one of them, presumably because of all the time they spend at Central Perk. Then came Friends Like Us, which was shortened to Friends.

24. The Original Relationships

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The people who ended up together on the show weren't always supposed to be together.

For example. Monica and Joey were supposed to eventually become an item, not Monica and Chandler.

The Original Relationships (CONT)

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Also, Rachel and Ross were never supposed to end up together, but the showrunners loved the chemistry between David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston!

And it's a good thing they did.

25. Matt LeBlanc Was Arrested For Drunk Driving...

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Twice!

How come we never heard about it and/or saw the mugshots?

Well, luckily for LeBlanc, he had a very good marketing team who stole them away before the tabloids could get their hands on them.

26. Jennifer Aniston Only Invited The Girls To Her Wedding

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That's right, Ross, Chandler, and Joey (or whatever their real names are) weren't invited to Jennifer Aniston's 2015 wedding to Justin Theroux.

Were they surprised? Actually, Matthew Perry said he was but was still happy for the couple.

27. Courteney Cox Was Supposed To Be Rachel

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She was actually the most famous of the friends when it first began filming, having appeared in commercials and Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” music video.

So, the producers wanted her to be Rachel.

Courteney Cox Was Supposed To Be Rachel (CONT)

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But she refused, instead choosing to be Monica. Why? Because she wanted to be a "strong" character.

And honestly, could you really see anyone but Jennifer Aniston in the role of Rachel?

28. ‘The One With The Cat'

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Yeah... this weird storyline was all about Phoebe thinking a cat was her reincarnated mom or something.

It was weird, and the cast agreed. However, Marta Kauffman herself pitched this after her mom died, so nobody wanted to shoot it down.