Friendshas been labeled as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time for more than two decades now, and with the number of people still constantly streaming it on Max, it seems like that title will continue to hold for a very long time. Originally, the series started off with six completely unknown actors just trying to get their big break in the industry. They had no idea that they would eventually influence an entire generation with their witty one-liners and relatable shenanigans.
While watching (or more like rewatching)Friends, it is natural for viewers to anticipate a certain conversation or scene or even join in with the characters whilethey say the most iconic things. “PIVOT,” “We were on a break,” and “Joey doesn’t share food” are among some of the most memorable lines, but there are several one-liners and situations that were completely added at the last minute by the actors on set.
These unscripted moments that made it into the final cut add a certain hilarity to the already funny series because it shows how much the actors were able to contribute to their own characters.
Here are 10 of the best unscripted moments fromFriends.
10Ross Hands Chandler a Lamp
Season 5, Episode 4 - “The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS”
Have you ever been so overjoyed and excited in a moment that you just don’t know what to do with your body? Well, Ross (David Schwimmer) felt this way when he received a call from Emily (Helen Baxendale) after leaving their wedding on not such great terms.
In the heat of the moment, Ross is on the phone with his rather angry bride, and he starts running around his sister’s apartment. Then, out of the blue, he hands Chandler (Matthew Perry) a lamp. This hilarious and random exchange was not scripted. At the moment, viewers can see Perry reach out and grab the lamp, but his face shows that he is completely confused. Perry even does a double take after taking the object, but in the end, he just rolls with it.
9Chandler Apparently Got Very Friendly with Ross
Season 3, Episode 11 - “The One Where Chandler Can’t Remember Which Sister”
After a fun night of drinking and hanging out with Joey’s family, Chandler gets hung up on the fact that he kissed one of Joey’s sisters, but he does not know exactly which one. In his defense, they do all look remarkably similar.
When Chandler starts to say he knows for a fact that he stuck his tongue down the throat of the woman in the red skirt, Monica (Courteney Cox) chimes in that she was the one in the skirt. Chandler then profusely apologizes and says he gets overly friendly after he’s been drinking. Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) casually say, “It’s okay,” but when Ross also mumbles “It’s okay,” the moment practically explodes.
Chandler looks completely baffled, making it seem like Perry was not expecting the comment. However, Monica lets out a natural giggle, proving that Cox actually wanted to bust out laughing at the comment, but she was being professional and keeping it together. These two words mean that Chandler has gotten a bit overly friendly with his former roommate and just never knew about it.
8Chandler’s Tongue Twister Was Kept
Season 4, Episode 11 - “The One with Phoebe’s Uterus”
After getting a new job at the museum, along with a fancy new blue blazer to wear as a part of his uniform, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) is excited to tell his friends the good news. He asks everyone to guess what job he just got, and Chandler comments with, “I don’t know, but Donald Trump wants his blue blazer black.” Once the line is said, you can see Perry’s face change, and he tries to stay in character and correct his mistake. However, the girls do not let that happen.
In character, Aniston and Cox begin commenting on how he, Chandler, messed up what he meant to say. The entire interaction feels so natural for the women to rip into Chandler, who always has a joke up his sleeve, but when Monica says “You’re stupid,” there is a hint that things were a bit off from the script.
Related:10 Sitcoms That Were Clearly Inspired by Friends
7Rachel’s Trifle Was a Sticky Situation
Season 6, Episode 9 - “The One Where Ross Got High”
TheFriendsThanksgiving episodesare absolutely iconic for many different reasons. Monica always has an amazing spread of food; there is often an issue being resolved among the group, and while all the craziness naturally goes on, everyone still finds it in their hearts to have a good time with the people they love. One particular holiday instance has stuck with many fans over the years: Rachel making the most disgusting trifle ever.
While the nasty dessert concoction was in the script, Joey’s line about why Rachel messed it up was not. After the evening is done and the mistake has been revealed, Ross says that the pages of the recipe book are stuck together. Joey then turns to his friends and shouts, “Chandler!,” making it seem like he was the cause of the sticky situation.
It is a not-so-subtle reference to something else, but for those viewers who are a bit younger, the joke will certainly go right over their heads.
6Paolo Improvised All His Lines
Season 1, Multiple Episodes
Rachel Greene (Jennifer Aniston) had a number of boyfriends over the years, but none of them were as suave and sophisticated as Paolo. The mysterious Italian man who Rachel just happened to find in the hallways during a city-wide blackout turned out to be romantic and lovable, but no one, including Rachel, could understand what he was saying.
Paolo seemed to have just come from Italy, as he did not know much English, but the funny thing about this character is that the actor, Cosimo Fusco, was actually making up Paolo’s lines on the spot (perToday). Fusco was a young man who was also working on his English while trying to land acting roles, and never in a million years did he imagine he would get a role where he had to practically improvise his own lines in his native language.
5Christina Applegate’s Iconic Line was Created On-Spot
Season 9, Episode 8 - “The One with Rachel’s Other Sister”
There are plenty of iconic one-liners all throughoutFriends, and Christina Applegate, who had the pleasure of playing Rachel Greene’s sister Amy, feels so lucky to have had one of the best pieces of dialogue. When Amy first meets her sister’s friends, she greets them all with a perfect smile and a slightly obnoxious attitude. When she meets Phoebe, however, she cannot seem to grasp that her name is Phoebe rather than Emma, Rachel’s daughter’s name.
Naturally, Phoebe tries to correct Amy every time she calls her “Emma,” and eventually, Amy turns to Rachel and asks, “Why does she keep making that noise?” This question was not originally in Applegate’s script. It was made up on the spot, in front of the live studio audience, while everyone was in character. Applegate has said that she cannot imagine the episode without the infamous and snarky question (perToday).
4Chandler Really Got Hit by a Cabinet
Season 4, Episode 3 - “The One with the Cuffs”
Handcuffs and Chandler Bing certainly don’t go together on any level, and one particular kinky incident further proves that. In the fourth season, when Rachel’s boss and Chandler are dating, Rachel finds Chandler handcuffed inside her boss' office. After a bit of arguing, Chandler gets handcuffed to a filing cabinet. As he desperately tries to get Rachel to uncuff him, Perry ends up moving his arm and getting hit with the drawer of the cabinet.
If anyone knows anything about Jennifer Aniston, when she is trying not to laugh out loud, she covers her mouth. In this particular scene, the camera shows Rachel in complete shock with both hands over her mouth. Perry, on the other hand, pulls a face that pretty much is equal parts shock and hurt. It’s safe to assume this was a one-take shot, and the two likely laughed about it afterward.
Related:How Every Main Character in Friends First Met Each Other
3Robin Williams and Billy Crystal Joining the Cast
Season 3, Episode 24 - “The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion”
Out of all thecameos onFriends, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal’s time onset had to be one of the funniest. The two actors happened to be in the right place at the right time as they were shooting a completely different piece of work right around the corner. When they stumbled across theFriendsset, the directors immediately pulled them in and asked them to do a quick cameo. Williams and Crystal came up with their characters and storyline on-spot.
The two ended up creating a backstory of how Williams' character, Tomas, believed his wife was cheating on him with her gynecologist, but then he discovers that Tim, Crystal’s character, is actually the one ruining his marriage. From the hysterical crying to the two storming out of the coffee shop in a huff, it is certainly an opening scene that true fans cannot forget.
2David Schwimmer Pranked Jennifer Aniston
Season 7, Episode 16 - The One with the Truth About London
Getting along with children can be difficult, and Rachel’s biggest qualm when it came to Ben (Cole Sprouse) was the fact that she wanted to be seen as “fun” and “cool.” This, along with what little boys typically enjoy, resulted in her teaching him all about pranks. Over the course of “The One with the Truth About London,” Ben learns all sorts of pranks, and he has a great time performing them on his father. However, there was one particular prank that was left out of someone’s script.
At the end of the episode, when Ross has clearly had enough of Ben’s pranks, they decide to put one together to get back at Rachel. When the two run into the hallway and disappear out of sight, Rachel follows them. However, Aniston was completely unaware that a dummy dressed like Schwimmer would fall from the top of the stairs. She ends up screaming and having a genuine reaction to the prank, just what the directors wanted.
1Chandler’s Last One-Liner Got A Lot of Laughs
Season 10, Episode 18 - “The Last One: Part 2”
Chandler was always known as the funny guy and the one with a quick joke ready to go, so when Perry decided to incorporate one last line before the conclusion of the entire series, no one really batted an eye. After everyone in the group has put their keys to Monica’s apartment down on the counter and start to leave, Rachel asks if they should all get some coffee before parting ways. Chandler says, “sure,” but then sarcastically asks, “where?”
This simple question not only lightens the mood a bit, but it gets a heartfelt reaction out of everyone. LeBlanc can be seen smiling, and both Cox and Schwimmer let out a chuckle. It truly was the most perfect way to end the best sitcom ever, and with Perry’s passing, it only seems right that he was the one to deliver one final iconic line for everyone to remember.
