Friends Cast: What were the F.R.I.E.N.D.S cast up to before the sitcom

Anyone who has watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S will never forget the main cast. The characters were memorable and fun to watch thanks to the acting skills of the leads as well as the chemistry between them. It is hard to pick a favourite among the ensemble cast. On the silver jubilee of the sitcom, here is everything one needs to know about what the cast of this sitcom was up to, before their role in the 1994 show. 

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Matthew Perry

Before his casting in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Perry was already an established actor and a comedian. He made his television debut with 240 – Robert, an American drama series, where he appeared on the episode titled Bank Job. Although he was never in the main cast of all the television series before he appeared in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. In 1988, he made his first film debut, in the movie A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.  When asked how he scored the role, Matt said his friends were auditioning for the role of Chandler, who was very similar to Matthew Perry himself. So he would help them with their auditions' preparations and then went on to steal the role for himself, as it was almost hand-tailored for him.

Matt LeBlanc

Joey is indeed one of the most fan-favourite characters in the entirety of sit-coms. But before Matt LeBlanc pursued his acting career, he was seriously considering the life of a carpenter. He went to a technical vocational high school to study carpentry. Before his acting gig, he appeared in a 1987 Heinz Tomato Ketchup commercial. He also appeared in two of Jon Bon Jovi’s music videos.

Courteney Cox

Courteney Cox was studying architecture but left it halfway to pursue a career in modelling and acting. She made her film debut in Down Twisted, a 1987 thriller movie. She played the role of a troubled telekinetic teen in Misfits of Science, where she was part of the main cast. Her television debut was in a 1984 television show called - As the World Turns.

Jennifer Aniston

Aniston is one of the highest-paid Hollywood actresses today. She played an uncredited role in Mac and Me.  In 1990, Jennifer Aniston appeared in an American sitcom called Molloy. She was a series regular. She is the recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. READ | Lisa Kudrow recalls her struggles while playing Phoebe in 'Friends'

David Schwimmer

Before his acting career took off, David Schwimmer performed in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. Schwimmer wanted to be a doctor, and he was good with science and maths. But it all changed when he enrolled in a drama class. Before he was cast in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, he lived in Los Angeles as a struggling and unemployed actor, until he starred in the television movie A Deadly Silence in 1989.

Lisa Kudrow

Before F.R.I.E.N.D.S, she was making guest appearances in television sitcoms. She went on to earn the Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as Ursula Buffay in Mad About You.  She gained attention in 1991, after working in The Unborn, a horror film. Her character of Pheobe gained her worldwide recognition and love by F.R.I.E.N.D.S fans the world over. READ | 25 Years of F.R.I.E.N.D.S: 10 moments Chandler's sarcasm was on point

Fans of the show are glad that F.R.I.E.N.D.S turned out to be how it is today, largely due to the casting in this hilarious sitcom. All cast members fit the character and made the show memorable with their amazing acting and chemistry. If things were different and other actors played the characters, then the show may not have become the pop-culture sensation it is today is what all F.R.I.E.N.D.S fans unanimously agree on. Friends celebrated its 25th anniversary recently.   

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