Top 10 Unscripted Friends Moments That Were Kept in the Show
#10: Worst Hangover
“The One After Vegas”
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The gang’s trip to Vegas is a memorable one, but its aftermath is perhaps the most notable part. Ross and Rachel drunkenly get married, which is, well, awkward for them, since they’re currently in the off part of their on-off relationship. Ross’ insistence on trying to make the marriage work leads Rachel to become-understandably- increasingly exasperated. This culminates in a line Jennifer Aniston improvised: that it isn’t a marriage, but rather the world’s worst hangover. Reportedly, they had to edit out the audience’s laughter at this take.
#9: Real Tears
“The One With the Candy Hearts”
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Given how long the show went on, it can be easy to forget that Ross begins the series going through a divorce. His early attempts to get back into the dating world don’t get off on the right foot either, since his first first date in years sees him run into his ex-wife, Carol. Determined to make things better, Ross implores Carol for a chance to make their marriage work. Actress Jane Sibbett’s welling up with tears during the scene was real and unscripted; she said in an interview that she was just so moved by David Schwimmer’s performance. This is also not the only time Sibbett got emotional while filming -- her tears were real when she gave birth to Ben at the end of season 1, as it was filmed soon after she had given birth to a son in real life.
#8: Prank
“The One With the Truth About London”
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When Rachel is asked to watch his son Ben, she wants to be known to him as “fun” to him. So, to endear herself to Ben, she teaches the boy about practical jokes. Ross isn’t amused at first, because Ben does several of the pranks on him. After allowing Rachel to watch Ben again, Rachel tells Ross about a sign taped to his back, prompting father to chase son into the hall and onto the stairs, which he then appears to fall down. It’s actually a dummy that Ross and Ben are pranking her with, but Rachel’s shocked reaction was genuine from Aniston. The producers neglected to tell her about it, to prompt her to deliver a more authentic performance.
#7: Call for Bob
“The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant”
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This episode sees Chandler get a phone call by mistake for someone named Bob, from a woman with an attractive voice, named Jade. Pretending to be Bob, he sets up a fake date with her, and then steps in when “Bob” doesn’t show. However, his plan doesn’t go well as Jade calls “Bob” to tell him it didn’t go well. The final scene shows Jade leaving a message on the machine, which is overheard by Joey. Jade’s description of what she wants to do with Bob prompts him to trip over himself to get to the phone. Although Joey picking up the phone was scripted, his hilarious tripping was accidental on Matt LeBlanc’s part, and it was so funny, they left it in.
#6: Cabinet Smack
“The One With the Cuffs”
Chandler has a lot of unfortunate romances before he finds the One, and one of the most dangerous love interests is Rachel’s boss, Joanna. While fooling around in her office, Joanna leaves Chandler handcuffed in her office and without any pants. Things only get more embarrassing when Rachel discovers him there. Events reach peak funny, though, when Chandler punctuates his request to be freed by accidentally opening the filing cabinet drawer he’s cuffed to, and hitting himself in the head. Apparently, this was not in the script, and Jennifer Aniston can be seen covering her mouth to maintain her composure. Naturally, it was too good not to include in the episode.
#5: Williams & Crystal
“The One With the Ultimate Fighting Champion”
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One of the most memorable openings and cameos in “Friends” history sees two men (played by Billy Crystal and Robin Williams) enter the gang’s usual coffee shop, and then engage in a loud conversation. Tomas, played by Williams, tearfully confesses to Tim, played by Crystal, that he believes his wife is cheating on him. Tim eventually confirms that it was he that was sleeping with his friend’s wife, prompting Tomas to storm off in anger. The entire scene was reportedly improvised by everyone involved, including Williams and Crystal, Matt LeBlanc’s interruption, and Courtney Cox’s declaration that she can’t even remember what she wanted to tell her friends. If we were doing quantity of lines improvised, this would easily be number one!
#4: Blue Blazer Black
“The One With Phoebe’s Uterus”
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When Joey is down on his luck for having difficulty finding acting work, Ross helps him get a job as a museum tour guide. However, when the rest of the group sees Joey in his bright new uniform, Chandler can’t resist making fun of him. But his awkward insult that Donald Trump wants his “blue blazer black” was an actual mistake made by actor Matthew Perry. Similarly, the rest of the actors mocking him for his mix-up were not in the script; and it was all in-character enough that the creators left the moment in, because it was “blazingly” funnier than the real line.
#3: Pages Stuck
“The One Where Ross Got High”
One of the show’s famous Thanksgiving episodes also gave rise to one of its greatest improvised, and filthiest, jokes. One plotline features Rachel making a trifle, which ends up containing beef and peas, of all things. When trying to get to the bottom of the confusion, Joey and Ross find out that Rachel has accidentally made half a trifle and half a shepherd’s pie, due the recipe pages being stuck together. Upon finding this out, Joey immediately yells Chandler’s name in admonishment for supposedly being responsible for the… sticky situation. According to the commentary, this was made up on the spot.
#2: Q-tip Quip
“The One With Ross’s New Girlfriend”
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The season 2 premiere finds Chandler having an unfortunate experience with a tailor. When inquiring to his friends about going to see a tailor, Chandler is recommended to the craftsman by Joey, who hems and haws about when exactly he first went to this tailor. Joey’s poor memory, and incredibly stupid questions about when a particular year was, prompt Chandler to deliver a spectacularly scathing quip about stopping a Q-tip when there’s resistance in the ear. The remark was invented on the spot by Matthew Perry and it remains one of the actor’s favorite lines he ever said on the show.
#1: Last Laugh
“The Last One: Part 2”
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As sad as the final hours of “Friends” are, given the 10 years of laughter and joy that preceded them, there are still, of course, some funny moments. One such case is the final line of the series. Once everyone has packed up their things and goodbyes have been made, the gang decides they have time to get coffee. Ever irreverent, Chandler sarcastically asks where they’ll get coffee, as if they won’t be going to Central Perk., Matthew Perry reportedly delivered this final quip off the cuff, leaving one last mark of his own on the series.
