The Rogue Potato In The Cake Stand
The gang's favorite hangout spot, Central Perk, was such a feature of the show that it almost felt like home to us as viewers. The cozy Manhattan cafe, staffed by the ever-present Gunther, was the scene for many a great Friends moment, although this amusing prop joke surely passed most people by. During a short interaction between Joey and Gunther in episode 8 of season 4, we notice a large potato sitting alone on the cake stand!
We don't remember any of the six pals ever opting for a baked potato with their coffee, so perhaps it was for Gunther's lunch break? Or maybe frequenters of Central Perk had some unusual culinary requirements!
The Reference To Jennifer Aniston’s Father
Only die-hard fans of the show would've been able to untangle the cryptic reference to Jennifer Aniston's personal life, during the episode 'The One with Chandler and Monica's Wedding'. While on the hunt for a last-minute replacement for Joey — who is supposed to be officiating the wedding between her best friends Monica and Chandler but is running late — Rachel stumbles upon a sign for a Greek ceremony that reads 'Anastassakis Papasifakis Wedding'.
This moment is a lovely shoutout to Jennifer Aniston’s father, Yiannis, who was born Yiannis Antonios Anastasakis before the family name was shortened to Aniston. We're not sure whether it was the writers or Aniston herself who was responsible for this little reference, but we absolutely love it.
The One With The Brazen Burglar
Best friends and roommates, Joey and Chandler, had some hilarious quirks to their apartment — who can forget the reclining chairs! One such mainstay was their Magna Doodle, the magnetic drawing board and pen that hung proudly beside the front door. The Doodle was typically a place for the boys to leave silly messages for each other but in episode 2 of season 4, it was desecrated by a brazen burglar.
When Chandler returns home and surveys the scene in horror, some eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed the cheeky messaged scrawled on the Magna Doodle, reading "THANKS FOR ALL YOUR STUFF!"
Huggsy Hiding In Plain Sight
Huggsy, the little penguin soft toy beloved by Rachel and Ross's daughter, Emma, officially made his first appearance in the show in season 5 (then becoming even more of a feature throughout season 9). However, super-fans — or those with an eye for detail — will have noticed the arctic cutie popping up in the background on numerous occasions from the early seasons onwards.
Huggsy's cameos were all the more adorable for his regular costume changes — these sweet little touches, presumably by the production team, reinforce the love we have for the iconic show.
Estelle Leonard's Multitasking Masterclass
Surely one of Friends' most memorable supporting characters was Joey's agent, the hilarious Estelle Leonard. Never seen without a cigarette in her hand, the raspy-voiced Estelle provided some of the show's best lines, including the unforgettable "Well, well, well. Joey Tribbiani. So you came back, huh? They think they can do better, but they all come crawling back to Estelle."
What most fans won't know about Estelle, however, is that the actress who played her — June Gable — appeared briefly as another character, earlier on in the show. Gable made an appearance as a nurse when Carol was giving birth to Ben.
The One With Rachel's Stand-In
There are few shows where the audience is more familiar with the actors who play the lead cast members than Friends, which is why it's immediately noticeable when a stand-in appears — even for a split second — in a scene. During an episode in season 9, Joey is discussing one of his acting roles with Rachel (who we all know as Jennifer Aniston), but as the camera pans back to Joey you'll notice 'another' Rachel in her place, which really makes you go, "huh?"
We know that actors often have a stunt double for certain scenes, but they tend to feature in high-paced moments, often filmed from distance. Whereas keeping a stand-in for a scene like this with Joey and Rachel is surely a blooper! Don't worry Friends producers, we forgive you.
When Monica Wasn't Monica
A similar 'blink and you'll miss it' moment happened with Monica's character during an episode in season 8. In this scene, Phoebe and Monica are chilling in on the sofa Central Perk, having a hilariously awkward conversation. However, when the camera pans to Phoebe to capture her reaction to what Monica is saying, it appears she's talking to another woman!
While this break in continuity can be a little jarring for eagle-eyed viewers, it's not an uncommon practice in ensemble comedy shows that rely on improvisation to capture the 'perfect scene'.
The Reserve Sign On The Couch
When you think about classic Friends moments, you typically imagine a scene in one of the apartments or on the pink couch in Central Perk. But given how busy the popular cafe often appeared to be — Ross having to squeeze his way through the crowd to order a coffee from Gunther, for example — the gang always managed to get the prime spot on the couch.
Well, the producers offer viewers a very subtle answer to this curiosity. If you look closely during a Central Perk scene, you can often spot a 'Reserved' sign placed on the table, implying that one of the six always called ahead to guarantee that couch.
The Shadow Lurking In Monica's Closet
During a scene in the episode 'The One With the Jam', Chandler is standing in the girls' apartment describing an encounter he had with his on-off girlfriend, Janice, to Ross and Rachel. Viewers who were paying close attention will have noticed a strange shadow lurking behind the door of Monica's closet. This unanswered curiosity led to many theories from fans — who could it have been and why?
A popular theory among the Friends fanbase was that the shadow belonged to Richard, who was trying to hide in Monica's closet. The more likely answer is that it was one of the crew members who was stuck behind the door for the duration of the take.
The Susan Sarandon Slap Scene Surprise
Throughout its 10 seasons, Friends features cameos from many famous faces within the acting world. One such example was the legendary Susan Sarandon, who made a guest appearance as Jessica Lockhart, from the show Days of Our Lives — the star turn on Joey's CV. Rachel and Monica are huge fans of Lockhart and Monica even asks to be slapped by Sarandon in reference to her character's famous scene with her daughter.
What most viewers won't have realized is that the actress who plays Susan Sarandon's on-screen daughter is in fact her real-life daughter, Eva Amurri!
The Subtle Tributes To The FDNY
Friends is, of course, based in New York and the show became synonymous with the city. As many fans might remember, it was still airing in 2001 during the time of the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers. Therefore, the creators of the show wanted to devise subtle ways to pay homage to the heroic first responders who risked their lives for their fellow citizens.
Many of these heroes were members of the FDNY, the city's fire department. Look closely and there are numerous references to the department, from Joey's 'FDNY' t-shirt to the acronym 'FDNY' written on the Magna Doodle. A beautiful touch.
The Mystery Around Rachel's Birthday
While sitting in Central Perk in episode 22, season 7, Rachel tells her biggest fan, Gunther, that her birthday is May 5. However, in a later episode, a police officer inspecting Rachel's ID notes that she's an Aquarius, which would put her at the very start of the year. We're more inclined to believe the latter, given that Rachel is well aware of Gunther's infatuation with her and most likely doesn't want to receive any unsolicited birthday flowers!
This could easily have been a continuity error from the writers, however, although we prefer to think of it as a clever misdirection to keep the viewers guessing.
Ross's Many Birth Dates
The birth dates of the Friends characters were clearly an area the writers enjoyed keeping shrouded in mystery, choosing to be ambiguous with specifics rather than giving viewers consistent information. None more so than Ross, whose birthday remains an area of confusion to date. In season 4 episode 5, Ross tells Gunther his birthday is in December, but a few seasons later in a conversation with Joey, he gives the date October 18.
Unlike Rachel, we can't put this down to Ross giving Gunther the wrong date to lead him off any scent, because in season 1 episode 4 it was suggested that his birthday is in March. We'll never know...
Not The Role Joey Wanted To Become Famous For
Like many of the great sitcoms, Friends did a fantastic job of serving up throwback moments from previous episodes. One such unforgettable moment was Joey's star turn as a venereal disease campaign model. This hilarious moment was bittersweet for our favorite aspiring actor, who finally had his face plastered on advertising space around New York but not for the reasons he would've dreamt of!
To Joey's dismay, this campaign clearly wasn't short-lived. In an amusing decision by the production team, the infamous posters made an appearance in a later episode — viewers paying close attention will have spotted Joey in the distance as Phoebe and Monica are crossing the street.
Rachel And Chandler Meet For The First Time
Friends fans will be well aware of the initial romantic energy between Rachel and Chandler. In fact, it's made clear that prior to Rachel being introduced to the gang by Monica in the pilot episode, the two had met — albeit briefly — a few times in the past. In episode 6 of season 3, when Monica runs into Rachel, we learn that Chandler had interacted with the latter before, and a later episode transports us back to the '80s when both were present at Ross and Monica's Thanksgiving party.
This initial Rachel and Chandler 'vibe' is long forgotten as Friends moves on, of course, as Rachel ends up having a baby with Ross and Chandler forms arguably the show's great romance with Rachel's best friend, Monica.
The Random Hole In The Wall
Viewers re-watching the show might have noticed something odd about Joey's apartment in the first episode of season 10. To the right of the front door, there's a large window-shaped hole in the wall that looks out onto the corridor! This, of course, reminds us that Friends is filmed on a set — something many of us forget whilst wrapped up in the drama of the show. Interestingly, however, this hole was always present, but only noticeable during the later season.
The reason? Latterly, Friends started streaming in HD, and the larger aspect ratio of 16:9 — standard size these days — captures a wider area than the original 4:3 ratio.
The Stranger On Rachel's Passport
Some of the most dramatic and emotional scenes in Friends take place at an airport. After all, who can forget Ross's mad dash to JFK to stop Rachel from boarding? In a memorable moment during episode 17 of season 10, Rachel has an amusing encounter with an airline official when he asks to see her passport. Eagle-eyed views might have noticed that the photo in Rachel's passport is definitely not Rachel!
In fairness to the producers, props are an integral part of any show and it's no surprise that a tiny detail such as a Jennifer Aniston passport photo might have passed them by.
Joey’s Smart ATM Pin Number
Let's be honest, Joey wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the box. On numerous occasions, he'd remind us of this fact — in an utterly charming way, of course. In retrospect, however, was is it all an act? During a scene on the phone with Phoebe, she reminds Joey of his ATM pin number after he forgets. Those who remember phones with accompanying letters on the keypad might be impressed with the reason behind his number.
Typing the number 5639 would have, in fact, spelled the name 'Joey' — genius! So, perhaps our favorite Italian-American wasn't such a simple thinker after all?
The One With Chandler's Real-Life Dad
Friends was legendary for its cameos, but also for its nods to cast family members. One such example is the unforgettable scene with Joshua's dad — Joshua, played by Tate Donovan, was Rachel's boyfriend at the time, and the couple was visiting the family home when his parents came back early from their trip to Europe. Viewers might have looked twice at Joshua's dad and thought they recognized him. Well, he's the spitting image of Chandler!
John Bennett Perry, the father of Matthew Perry AKA Chandler, was excellent in his cameo on the show. In fact, Perry Sr has featured in numerous TV shows and movies over an illustrious 40-year career.
Gladys Gets Glammed Up
One of the things we love so much about Friends is the attention to detail given by the production team to seemingly innocuous background details. Much like the Magna Doodle, Phoebe's peculiar piece of art, Gladys, is one of the show's long-running props of amusement. In the fan-favorite episode 6 of season 10, Phoebe tries to give Gladys away, setting in motion a series of dramatic events between Monica and Rachel.
Viewers paying close attention to Gladys will have noticed her subtle wardrobe changes throughout the season. While she might not have been the prettiest work of art, she could never have been accused of not making an effort!
Matt LeBlanc Can't Hold It In
Friends had so many laugh-out-loud moments it's almost impossible to count them. One of those hilarious moments came during 'The One with the Worst Best Man Ever', when Ross, Chandler, and Joey are approaching an adult dancer in regards to the whereabouts of a missing wedding ring. Actors usually do a great job of hiding their amusement, but on this occasion, it gets the better of Matt LeBlanc, who can be seen ducking behind David Schwimmer in hysterics!
You might expect the director to yell "cut" and go for another take, but on this occasion, the rest of the scene was so perfect it was worth keeping Joey's break of character in.
When Jennifer Aniston Broke Character
Off-the-wall Phoebe was responsible for many spontaneous, hilarious moments in Friends. Never one to resist a song, Phoebe starts accompanying Ross's bagpipe playing with her typically wacky vocals and Rachel can't keep it together. If you pay close attention, you'll see the moment when the character Rachel's reaction switches to Jennifer Aniston's own, and it's absolutely priceless. We love how this scene was kept in, because Ross and Phoebe's duet was just too good to lose!
In fact, we're sure that a compilation of Phoebe's funniest moments would involve a fellow actor breaking character more often than not. "Smelly cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you?.."
Ross's Relationship With Ice Cream
There's no denying that Ross was one of the sweetest characters in the entire show. His awkwardness was in a league of its own and his particularities made him all the more charming! One such moment was during episode 8 of season 7 when Ross declares that he doesn't like ice cream because it's too cold. This statement was somewhat confusing for fans, given his clear enjoyment of ice cream in precious episodes.
For example, Ross can be spotted tucking into an ice cream cone during episodes in both season 2 and season 6, so we're not sure what happened. Cleary, his last ice cream experience gave him cold feet!
The One Where Chandler Loses His Dignity
One of the most memorable cameo appearances in the show came courtesy of Julia Roberts. The Hollywood A-lister played Susie Moss, an old classmate of Chandler's who was determined to seek revenge on him for pulling a prank on her in fourth grade. According to Susie, Chandler had lifted up her skirt in front of the entire class, leading to her having the nickname "Susie Underpants".
Susie was finally able to take her revenge on Chandler, however, when the pair began dating. After urging Chandler to wear her panties while out to dinner, Susie makes him strip down in the men's room before running off with his clothes, never to be seen again!
Monica’s Cardboard Box Makes A Movie Cameo
This is a tiny detail for the purists, so if you actually noticed this while watching the show then we commend you! In episode 6 of season 1, Joey lands a role as a body double for Al Pacino in a movie. While shooting a shower scene, the director loses his patience with Joey and his performance. When the camera pans to the director, you can clearly see "Monica's" written on a cardboard box in the background.
The reason for the box remains a mystery to this day. Was it something to do with the movie Joey was shooting or was it simply things for Courtney Cox's character that accidentally snuck its way into the shot?
The Curious Case Of The Apartment Sizes
Let's be honest, Friends wasn't exactly a realistic example of the New York City property market. Given that the gang was all young and most of them weren't earning lots of money, questions were always raised about the size and location of their apartments. All of the cast had a Greenwich Village address, which, as New Yorkers can attest to, is an incredibly desirable neighborhood of the city. Even with the revelation that Monica's apartment was leased, it still doesn't quite add up!
Arguably the most unrealistic, however, was Phoebe's living situation. As a masseuse and part-time singer-songwriter, her salary surely couldn't have covered her enormous Morton Street pad, could it?
Ross Melting Our Hearts With A Subtle Tribute
One of the show's most recognizable stars wasn't even an actor. Well, technically speaking anyway. Marcel was Ross's beloved capuchin monkey, and he featured in 8 episodes throughout the series. Due to his super cute chemistry with Ross, it was an emotional episode when Marcel was finally sent off to live in a zoo. Viewers who were paying close attention to Ross's outfit during that scene will have had their hearts melted by the banana lapel pin he wore in tribute to his furry friend.
As much as Marcel was adored by the cast and viewers alike, David Schwimmer once commented that working with a monkey was definitely a challenge, often interrupting his lines.
When Rachel Was Pregnant Forever
Rachel found out she was pregnant on Monica and Chandler's wedding day — May 15. By the Thanksgiving episode (which would be approximately 6 months later), she was still only showing a tiny bump. Fast-forward to episode 22 and Rachel is still pregnant, referencing the fact that it's 100 degrees outside, which would make her pregnancy at least a year long!
Sitcoms aren't necessarily known for their hyper-realism and strict chronology, so it's probably not such a surprise that some dates around Rachel's pregnancy were a little off. However, it genuinely seemed to last forever!
The Subtle Nod To American Sign Language
We can't get enough of the subtle homages paid to various institutions throughout Friends. Many of these references were so subtle, in fact, that most viewers wouldn't have noticed them the first time around. During an amusing sibling spat, Monica and Ross are arguing about the latter's "faded salmon" pink shirt. If you pay close attention, you'll see that the t-shirt Ross is wearing during this scene displays two hands signing the word "friends" in American Sign Language.
Much like the homage paid to the FDNY in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, this subtle but meaningful reference is what makes Friends so much more than a classic sitcom.
Joey’s Desire To Have His Face On The Wall
In an amusing scene during the season 6 episode, 'The One Where Paul's The Man', Joey tries in vain to convince his dry cleaner to feature his photo on the wall alongside the other celebrity clients. This comes after Joey lands his own TV show, but there's a problem; the owner declares that one of the episodes in Joey's show insults his Russian heritage.
Joey remonstrates this accusation, pointing to a photo of Harrison Ford, who starred in Air Force One, which, according to Joey, is more offensive to Russians. The hidden twist? Ilia Volok, the actor who played the dry cleaner, was also in Air Force One!
Ross's Awkward Spelling Mistake
When it came to romantic drama, Ross and Rachel's on-off relationship defined the entire show. We all know what the couple meant to each other, so it was strange to see an admin mishap on Ross's behalf when sending out wedding invitations with his fiance, Emily. If you look closely at the envelope, you'll notice that Ross misspelled Rachel's surname on her address. Rachel's last name 'Green' doesn't have an 'e', but for some reason, Ross added one, sending the invitation to 'Rachel Greene'.
Interestingly, the surname 'Greene' can have its roots traced England, where Ross's then-fiance was from. A cryptic clue or simply a blunder on his part?
When Celebs Didn't Play Themselves
Friends always had its finger on the pulse when it came to pop culture references and real-life events, such as references to famous movies or trips to watch the Knicks play at Madison Square Garden. It was a bit strange, therefore, when celebrities made cameo appearances in character, rather than playing themselves. An obvious example is Bruce Willis, who famously played the role of Rachel's older love interest, Paul Stevens.
We already knew that Ross and Joey were familiar with — and fans of — the classic action movie Die Hard, probably Willis' most famous role, so it was confusing to see the actor appear as somebody else, rather than himself.
The Ones Where Chandler Really Could Cry
There was an entire episode dedicated to the fact that the show's joke-maker supreme, Chandler, was unable to cry. 'The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry' during season 6 sees Chandler admit that he hasn't shed a tear since his childhood, but we're not entirely convinced. There are numerous examples of Chandler weeping in previous episodes, such as the episode in season 4 when the guys had an emotional moment about their love for each other.
Perhaps it's just traditionally sad moments where Chandler struggles to summon his deepest emotions. After all, the examples we see of him crying are during somewhat ridiculous moments!
The Buffay Sister Connection
Phoebe's twin sister, Ursula, remained something of a mystery throughout the show, with viewers relying on tidbits from her sister to try and understand more about her. According to Phoebe, Ursula was her evil twin sister. What you might not know is that in a clever overlap, Lisa Kudrow played Ursula in Mad About You, another New York-based sitcom that aired for 7 seasons.
What's even cooler is that Mad About You aired directly before Friends and writers of both shows added references to both sisters, including moments when they get mistaken for each other.
Ross And Chandler’s Confusing College Past
While discussing stories from the past during a season 7 episode, Ross tells the gang that Chandler's first time was when he slept with a lady who worked at their college during their time as students. This statement backfires, however, as Chandler immediately reminds Ross that it was, in fact, him that had done this. This had viewers rightly confused since it had been Carol that was introduced as Ross's first.
We'll put this mystery down to the writers getting a little muddled with their facts. Perhaps it was just the two pals trying to embarrass each other in front of their friends?
The Mysterious Changing Apartment Numbers
Any eagle-eyed fans of Friends will have noticed that midway through the show, Monica's apartment number changes from number 5 to number 20 — quite a leap. This number change was never discussed by the characters or given any particular context, so it was clearly a behind-the-scenes decision by the writers for reasons unknown. Unlike some of the other details on this list, this change wasn't hard to spot since Monica's apartment was in many ways the center of the show.
There are a number of theories on why the apartment number was changed, but perhaps the most logical is that the writers realized that given the view from the window, there's no way Monica's apartment could have had such a low number!
The Way Phoebe's Mom Comes And Goes
Season 3 saw a heartwarming storyline involving Phoebe's biological mother, Phoebe Abbott play out. Twin sisters Phoebe and Ursula had always assumed their mom was Lily Buffay, who led an infamously tragic existence before taking her own life by carbon monoxide poisoning. Although tragic, Phoebe would often use her mother's death for her own gain — like the time she got a free blueberry muffin!
Unfortunately, we never saw much more of Phoebe Abbott from this point onwards. Aside from an episode in season 5 where she sends her daughter a family heirloom, Phoebe Sr. remains a relative unknown.
When Friends Became Family
When Courtney Cox married David Arquette on June 12, 1999, the Friends producers thought up an adorable way to celebrate one of the stars of the show's nuptials. Cox took her new husband's surname, but also kept her own well-known last name, becoming Courtney Cox Arquette. For this special episode, all of the cast members had the name 'Arquette' added to their names during the credits.
This was a detail that was easy to miss since the credits moved pretty fast — it's also a moment viewers tend to not pay too much attention to, but this was another example of the show being more than just 'Friends'. It was family!
The Dissapearance Of The Chick And The Duck
The chick and the duck were a pet chicken and pet duck owned by Joey and Chandler respectively, who first appeared during season 3 in the episode 'The One With A Chick And A Duck'. This unlikely yet adorable episode sees Joey return home with Yasmeen, a baby chicken. In order to give Yasmeen some company, Chandler follows suit and brings home a duck, and the two pets become mainstays in the guys' lives.
Sadly, after 21 episodes on screen, the chick and the duck disappear without a trace, without so much as a brief mention of their new lives living on a farm.
The Ongoing Mystery Of Ross's Age
One of the show's great mysteries was the true age of everyone's favorite paleontologist. During an episode in season 3, Ross rejects the offer of a milkshake from Chandler, saying, "no thanks, I'm 29." In season 4, it is inferred that the guys are (still) 29, hence their reluctance to party. Bizarrely, in season 5, Ross comments that he has no intention of being divorced twice by the time he's 30, which would make him 29 for 3 entire seasons!
In fairness, these detailed specifics aren't much of a concern for the casual viewer. It's not until you start re-watching that these things begin to feel super confusing.