Behind the scenes wardrobing was quite a feat. Not only did the show’s designer, Debra McGuire, have to come up with the fashion trends of the decade in each and every scene, she also had to make sure the cast was color-coordinated.
In 2019, McGuire told the Guardian how important it was for the six actors to look good together. Each character had their personal color scheme. Rachel was blues and greens and Phoebe was patterns, so McGuire had to bring each friend together as one stylistically harmonized group.
“The One After Vegas”
In this scene, Monica and Chandler have returned from Vegas and Chandler carries Monica, injured, over the threshold. This shot was taken just after the director called for the cut. In the show, Chandler’s looking for signs for whether or not he and Monica should be married. After lifting her into the apartment, he realizes carrying the bride over the threshold is a marriage tradition. A sign?? Monica and Chandler’s relationship was a lot of fun because of the element of secrecy. In the days before social media, the scene where Monica pops out of Chandler’s bed just after Ross stops by was taped in front of a live audience.
The studio exploded in squeals and screams. The episode wouldn’t air on television until later, but the secret did not get out. These days, a revealing scene like that would have had to be recorded on a closed set. Writers played the relationship by ear. Keeping it secret allowed them to test Friends fans preference for the hook up. Co-writer and former executive producer Scott Silveri said that had to be very protective.
Friends for Real
These pals were playful on and off-camera. Perhaps that is why the friend group chemistry hits home so well. “I think it was unspoken, but we instinctively felt like we need to be friends, we need to get along, we need to connect,” Lisa Kudrow remarked. The cast spent 10 years together through some trying times, so it clearly brought them closer.
Six months into the show, Friends was an insane hit. LeBlanc even told People magazine that if even if they weren't acting together, and just met a party, they definitely would have been friends.
The Time the Cast was Getting to Know Each Other
Getting to know each other was a bit awkward. Matthew Perry summed it up like this: “I was kind of like, ‘Hi, I don’t know who you are, but hopefully we’ll be working together for the next 12,000 years.’” It turned out to be 10, but that’s an eternity in TV years. The only trepidation of the group dynamic not working was focused on Matt LeBlanc, at least by the women in the cast. Inviting the strapping actor who had modeled for Levi’s into the group made Jennifer Aniston, for one, nervous. “I was scared of that type of guy,” she said when the cast first met each other.
She observed his machismo attitude and feared the worst. But then she got to know him. After it all, LeBlanc laughed it off. “He thinks it’s very funny,” Aniston explained to People in 1995, “And actually, he can sit down and comfort me just like Courteney or Lisa could.” It all worked out. They became close friends, on and off the set.
The Controversy that Never Happened
NBC was bracing for a storm of hate mail following the one where Ross’ ex, Carol, tied the knot with Susan in the second season. It was the first gay ladies’ marriage presented on TV and the show’s execs expected the worst. That anxiety has been cited as the reason for not portraying the nuptial kiss. The network was prepared. They had over 100 operators manning the phones. Expecting an onslaught of calls, perhaps a million, they were very surprised. Executive producer Marta Kauffman told The Hollywood Reporter, “They got two.” Two calls. No one cared.
To be sure, concerns were not unfounded. Two local TV networks refused to air the episode. That would be, KJAC in Fort Arthur, Texas and WLIO in Lima, Ohio. Carol and Susan’s marriage was nearly the first gay marriage on TV. Earlier that season, Roseanne featured a gay marriage between two men.