It’s hard to imagine Rachel Green being played by anyone but Jennifer Aniston, but back in 1994, when the cast were gearing up to film that first Friends episode, it was actually Courteney Cox who’d nabbed the role.
At the last minute, the actresses switched characters, and now Monica – sorry, Courteney – has revealed the reason why.
“For some reason, I thought I related more to Monica, which is maybe because I do,” she explained on the Off Camera With Sam Jones podcast. “I’m very similar to her. I’m not as clean as Monica, but I’m neat. And I’m not as competitive, even though some people, my partner Johnny McDaid, would say I am.”
Cox and Aniston remain close friends to this day, over a decade since filming ended in 2004. Aniston is also godmother to Cox’s daughter Coco.