Hollywood A-list actor turned down for role of Joey in Friends as he ‘didn’t fit the group’

FRIENDS casting manager Ellie Kanner has revealed which Hollywood A-List histrion was turned down for the relation of Joey. 

Although it whitethorn present beryllium hard to ideate anybody other successful the memorable roles of Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross, the bid astir looked precise different. 

In an interrogation with HuffPost, Ellie revealed that it was nary casual feat casting the six cardinal characters for the deed sitcom, arsenic it required getting the equilibrium of personalities conscionable right. 

She besides revealed that 1 of the galore actors to audition for the relation of Joey was Hollywood prima Vince Vaughn. 

The casting manager remembered the Four Christmases histrion arsenic “handsome and tall” and a “good actor” who acceptable the portion of Joey well. However, she said helium didn’t acceptable successful with the radical the mode Matt LeBlanc yet did. 

“It’s conscionable a substance of putting the pieces of the puzzle together,” she said of the analyzable casting process.

Vince had yet to person a breakthrough relation erstwhile helium auditioned for the portion of Joey and was inactive an up-and-coming actor. “That would person been a small different,” the casting manager added.

It seems Vince’s relation successful Friends was ne'er meant to be, but helium did enactment with prima Jennifer Aniston aboriginal successful his vocation and the brace co-starred successful the movie The Break-Up together. 

In presumption of casting, accepted sitcom characteristics, specified arsenic property and attractiveness, were considered, on with whether they could walk arsenic New Yorkers.

More “charactery” actors and actresses were auditioned arsenic well, but “Friends” evidently “ended up with a mostly beauteous cast.”

“But you cognize the bottommost enactment was they had to beryllium funny. That was ever the astir important facet of it,” Ellie explained.

From the “very archetypal casting session,” Lisa Kudrow was brought successful arsenic a “no brainer” for Phoebe Buffay due to the fact that of her inheritance successful improv and relation connected Mad About You.

Likewise, casting David Schwimmer arsenic Ross was an casual determination for the squad arsenic he’d antecedently worked with the sitcom’s creators and enforcement producers Marta Kauffman, David Crane and Kevin Bright. 

Next to articulation the formed was Courteney Cox, who primitively auditioned for the relation of Rachel Green. She really ended up asking to audition for the relation of Monica Geller instead. 

Although apprehensive, it worked retired for the champion arsenic it’s hard to ideate Courteney not playing Monica oregon Rachel being played by anyone different than Jennifer Aniston. 

“We were conscionable blown away. We were like, ‘Oh sh**! I conjecture she’s got to beryllium Monica,’” Ellie recalled aft seeing Courteney’s 2nd audition.

And, thankfully, Jennifer’s relation connected CBS amusement Muddling Through came to an extremity conscionable successful clip for her to motion onto Friends arsenic her iron-clad declaration meant the relation of Rachel astir had to beryllium recast. 

The precocious Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc were the past 2 successful the radical to beryllium formed - but their auditions pulled each the pieces into place. 

“That 1 idiosyncratic similar Matthew Perry oregon Matt LeBlanc travel successful and they conscionable bash a small thing antithetic and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, that’s it!’” Ellie said.