Friends is a TV series that shaped an entire generation. The intro is iconic to this day and evokes memories of the past for many people. However, the filming of the intro wasn’t particularly fun, as Lisa Kudrow revealed in an interview.
What is Friends? Friends is one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time and was a breath of fresh air in the sitcom rut when it aired. Previously, there were mainly series about families. Friends showcased a different perspective with young adults living together and a focus on romantic lives. Shows like The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother probably wouldn’t have existed without Friends.
The show’s iconic status is also due to the intro, in which the main actors dance and frolic in a fountain. Between these scenes, there are clips from the series. However, filming the intro was not as fun as Lisa Kudrow, who plays Phoebe, reveals in a recent interview.
The intro was even recreated last year in Baldur’s Gate 3: “They data-mined our secret cinematic” – The Companions of Baldur’s Gate 3 as a “Friends” sitcom
A Nightmare
What does Lisa Kudrow say about filming the intro? In the podcast Conan O´Brian Needs A Friend , Conan O´Brian and Lisa Kudrow spoke together about Friends. At one point, they also discuss the filming of the intro, which was not as pleasant for Kudrow as one might think.
According to Kudrow, it took a long time to finish filming. In the podcast, she mentions over 500 takes that were filmed. For that, the actors were of course in the cold and wet fountain for quite some time, in the middle of the night.
Filming this intro in the middle of the fountain was a nightmare, you know, I don’t like inconveniences, not at all. Mild, any kind, I don’t like it.
Lisa Kudrow about filming the Friends intro (Source: Conan O´Brian Needs A Friend)
Why do they laugh so hysterically in the intro anyway? Despite the lack of motivation to dance in a fountain for 500 takes, everyone laughed at the end. This was due to Matthew Perry, the actor who played Chandler, who unfortunately passed away last year. Upon the announcement that another take was to be filmed, Perry reportedly responded: Another one? Okay, I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t in a fountain.
He acted in that moment just like his character, even though it hadn’t been written yet. Kudrow further stated that she couldn’t remember the last time she laughed as much as she did at that moment.
In the podcast, Kudrow also mentions that she couldn’t watch the series for a long time, especially when her character was on screen. However, since Matthew Perry’s passing, she can watch the series again because it is no longer about her.
She stated that she watched marathons of several episodes. She did this especially because of Perry, so she could watch him one more time. A series that was obviously inspired by Friends is The Big Bang Theory. However, it almost wouldn’t have happened without Kaley Cuoco: The Big Bang Theory: There was actually another female lead before Penny, but everyone found her terrible
