Other actresses who auditioned for Rachel include Denise Richards, Melissa Rivers, Nicollette Sheridan, Parker Posey, and Jami Gertz. Originally, the producers wanted to cast actress Courteney Cox as Rachel, who Crane and Kauffman were particularly drawn to because of her "cheery, upbeat energy".

Who else was considered for Rachel in Friends?

Leoni Was The First Choice To Play Rachel

Jennifer Aniston was not the first person producers were interested in playing Rachel Green. Téa Leoni was actually the first choice for the role of Rachel on Friends, but she turned it down to star in a different sitcom, The Naked Truth.

Who turned down Rachel in Friends?

When Courtney Cox turned down the part of Rachel because 'she herself was more of a Monica', Details inside. Courteney Cox's iconic portrayal of Monica Geller in the hit TV series Friends is etched into the annals of television history.

Who was originally supposed to play Monica in Friends?

Nancy McKeon as Monica Gellar

"She gave a terrific performance," NBC's then-head of casting Lori Openden said of McKeon in an interview with Vanity Fair. "Warren [Littlefield, then NBC president] let Marta [Kauffman] and David [Crane] make the call. They went off for a walk and came back and said Courteney."

Who turned down the role of Monica in Friends?

Actress Jami Gertz was also offered the role but declined, while actress Leah Remini auditioned for Monica prior to guest starring as a pregnant single mother in an early episode. Kristin Davis also auditioned, and later guest starred in the episode "The One with Ross's Library Book".

Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc Originally Auditioned for Rachel

Who turned down Chandler Bing?

Bierko was the original choice for the character of Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends but turned it down, contrary to the advice of his friends Matthew Perry and Hank Azaria.

Who turned down the role of Joey in Friends?

The Big Picture

Hank Azaria, known for his comedic roles, auditioned twice for the role of Joey in Friends but didn't get the part. He eventually appeared on the show as David, Phoebe's love interest.

Who turned down the role of Phoebe?

That was also the case since the producers' first choice for Phoebe was Ellen DeGeneres, but the comedian turned down the role to star in her own NBC series. A number of other actresses auditioned, including Kathy Griffin, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally - all of whom went on to have successful acting careers.

Who was the first choice to play Chandler?

Craig Bierko (Cinderella Man) was the first choice for Chandler but he turned it down, oddly enough to film a different pilot called Best Friends which never made it to air.

Who auditioned for Emily in Friends?

Having decided to introduce a British girlfriend for Ross, secret auditions were held in London. Baxendale and Kensit were amongst the contenders, and Kensit eventually scored the role. She flew to LA to starting working with the cast, but problems quickly became evident.

Who was the first choice for Rachel on Friends?

The role of Rachel was originally offered to Téa Leoni, the producer's first choice, and Courteney Cox, both of whom declined, Leoni in favor of starring in the sitcom The Naked Truth, and Cox in favor of playing Rachel's best friend Monica in Friends.

Who auditioned for Ross on Friends?

Ross Geller

David Schwimmer's biggest role is archaeologist Ross, but a number of other actors came close to getting the role. Eric McCormack was one of those, with the actor having multiple auditions for Ross. He lost out to David, but went on to star as Will in Will & Grace.

Who was supposed to be Rachel?

Originally, Courteney Cox — then the biggest star among the up-and-coming cohort, having appeared on Seinfeld — was slated to play Rachel, until she last-minute decided to also read for Monica “nailed it.”

Who was originally offered the role of Chandler?

Craig Bierko - Chandler Bing

In the same Vanity Fair interview, Warren Littlefield, the former president of NBC Entertainment, explained that because Matthew Perry was initially tied into a pilot for Fox, he couldn't commit to the role of Chandler - so he trained actor Craig Bierko up for the role instead.

Who was almost cast as Chandler?

Other actors, such as Jon Cryer, Craig Bierko, and Jon Favreau, were considered for the role of Chandler but didn't ultimately get cast. Despite missing out on Friends, these actors found success in their own careers in TV and film.

Was Rachel the hardest part to cast?

Show creator Marta Kauffman said Rachel was the hardest part to cast of the main six. She told how Rachel's somewhat selfish nature could've put the audience off if the wrong actress was chosen. "In the wrong hands, you don't like Rachel," Kauffman said.

Who was supposed to play Monica?

7 Nancy McKeon as Monica Geller

By the time they opened auditions for Friends, Nancy McKeon was already known for playing Jo Polniaczek on NBC's The Facts of Life, a role she portrayed from the age of 13 to 22.

Who was the first person to be cast in Friends?

The character of Ross was developed with David Schwimmer in the minds of writers and Schwimmer was also the first actor to be cast on the show. Before being cast in Friends, Schwimmer played minor characters in The Wonder Years and NYPD Blue; his first regular series role was in the sitcom Monty.

Did any of the Friends cast not get along?

They worked together nearly every single day for an entire decade while shooting Friends. And while some actors can't stand their closest coworkers, this sextet always seemed to get along. Their real-life relationships hardly imitate their on-screen relationships.

Who turned down the role of Ross in Friends?

Schwimmer initially turned down the role as Ross, but accepted later. Executive producer Kevin S. Bright said that he had previously worked with Schwimmer, the character of Ross was written with him in mind, and he was the first actor cast.

Who is the richest from the Friends cast?

Jennifer Aniston aka Rachel Green: worth $320 million (£253m) Today, Aniston is thought to be worth a whopping $320 million (£253m), making her the richest member of the Friends cast by some distance.

Did Joey sleep with the casting director?

As he goes to leave, the casting agent catches up to Joey at the elevator and offers him an even bigger role: the part of "Dr. Drake Ramoray", recurring in at least four episodes, which he accepts (Implying that he eventually did end up sleeping with the casting agent).

Who turned down Matthew Perry?

Matthew Perry was rejected by Jennifer Aniston years before filming Friends - IMDb.

Who was last to be cast on Friends?

Matthew Perry reveals in his new book Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing that he was the last actor to join the cast of Friends. At that time in the mid-'90s, Perry was attached to “sci-fi comedy” L.A.X.