172 Fun Facts About Friends

What is Phoebe Buffay's day job on Friends?

Masseuse: Phoebe rails against chain spas for taking work from independents like her, then is caught working at one when Rachel turns up with a gift certificate.

What is Joey Tribbiani's signature pickup line?

"How you doin'?" is Joey's whole method, as he explains to Rachel in season four: look a woman up and down and say it. He tries it on a scoffing Phoebe, who giggles despite herself.

What is Monica's profession for most of Friends?

Chef: Monica is offered the head chef job at Alessandro's, a restaurant she has just savaged in a review for a neighbourhood paper.

In the Friends opening credits, what do the six friends dance and splash about in?

A fountain: it was not in New York at all but on the Warner Bros. Ranch in California, a backlot set also seen in Bewitched and Hocus Pocus.

What are the first names of Ross and Monica's parents?

Jack and Judy Geller dote on Ross: Judy can forget Monica exists, and Jack once used boxes of her childhood things to keep rainwater off his Porsche, then gave her the car to make amends.

What is Phoebe's most famous song?

Smelly Cat gets a music video in season two, but the producer secretly dubs another woman's voice over Phoebe's, and Phoebe is the last to realise she isn't the one singing.

What is Ross Geller's profession?

Paleontologist: Ross is forced to take time off from his museum after exploding at a colleague who ate his sandwich, and he later moves into teaching the subject at university.

What phrase does Ross repeatedly shout while trying to move a couch up the stairs?

Ross yells "Pivot!" on the stairwell in The One with the Cop; the sofa ends up cut in half, and the store offers him four dollars of credit for it.

Which actor plays Richard Burke, the eye doctor Monica dates on Friends?

Tom Selleck plays Richard, a friend of Monica's father who is 21 years her senior; they split because she longs for a family and he has already raised one.

What is the name of Joey's stuffed penguin?

Joey's bedtime penguin is Hugsy; in season nine he buys Ross and Rachel's baby her own Hugsy but cannot bear to part with the original.

Which language does Gunther unexpectedly turn out to speak fluently on Friends?

Gunther speaks fluent Dutch; in The One with the Stain he calls Ross an 'ezel' (donkey) to his face in Dutch.

Which Friends cast member was the first to be cast?

David Schwimmer was cast first: the creators had worked with him before and wrote Ross, the lovable neurotic of the six, with him in mind.

What is the name of Ross's first wife who leaves him for another woman?

Carol leaves Ross for Susan and then tells him she is pregnant with his child, so all three end up at the sonogram arguing over whose surname the baby should carry.

What name does Monica give up so it can go to Ross and Rachel's daughter?

Monica had been saving the name Emma for her own future daughter and hands it over to an indecisive Rachel in The One Where Rachel Has a Baby.

What is Janice's iconic catchphrase?

'Oh... my... God!' comes with a braying laugh that Maggie Wheeler invented at the first rehearsal, so she could laugh at Matthew Perry's jokes without breaking character.

What animal does Ross own as a pet that eventually has to go to the zoo?

Ross's pet is a capuchin monkey named Marcel; he is sent to a zoo after reaching sexual maturity and later resurfaces as a movie star.

What soap opera does Joey star in?

Days of Our Lives is a real soap, running since 1965; Joey's character is dropped down an elevator shaft after Joey tells an interviewer that he writes his own lines.

What does Phoebe drive around New York on Friends?

A taxi: in the finale Phoebe's reckless driving gets Ross to the airport in it, where the two have to buy a ticket just to get past security and look for Rachel's flight.

What is the name of Phoebe's twin sister?

Lisa Kudrow was already playing Ursula on Mad About You, so the writers made her Phoebe's twin.

Which city's job offer nearly takes Rachel away from Ross at the end of Friends?

Rachel accepts a Louis Vuitton job in Paris; Ross races to the airport, and in the finale's last minutes she gets off the plane.

On which real game show does Joey appear as a celebrity guest in season 10?

Pyramid: with Donny Osmond hosting, Joey hears the clues 'you put this in your coffee' and 'it's white' and shouts 'Paper! Snow! A ghost!' instead of cream.

In which city does Ross marry Emily Waltham?

Ross marries Emily in London and says Rachel's name at the altar; Phoebe stays behind in New York because Lisa Kudrow was too heavily pregnant to fly.

What does Joey refuse to share, as he roars in a famous Friends outburst?

Food: after his date Sarah takes a few of his fries, he won't call her again and roars 'Joey doesn't share food!' at Phoebe, who set them up.

In which city do a drunk Ross and Rachel marry on Friends?

Las Vegas: Ross and Rachel stumble out of a chapel married at the end of season five, and because he can't face a third divorce he secretly skips the annulment.

Which animals does Phoebe say Ross and Rachel are on Friends, because they mate for life?

Lobsters, Phoebe insists, fall in love and grow old holding claws in their tank; when Rachel kisses Ross after the prom video, Phoebe says, 'See, he's her lobster.'

Who does Phoebe marry in the final season of Friends?

Mike Hannigan marries Phoebe in the snow-covered street outside the coffee house, after a freak blizzard wrecks the wedding they had planned.

In The One with the Embryos, what name is on Chandler and Joey's TV Guide label?

The TV Guide at Chandler and Joey's is addressed to Chanandler Bong; Chandler insists it is actually 'Miss Chanandler Bong', a question from The One with the Embryos.

What do Monica and Chandler name their adopted twins?

Jack and Erica arrive in the finale as a shock: Monica and Chandler were expecting one baby, and they name the surprise second, a girl, after her birth mother.

What is Monica's catchphrase?

"I know!" is Monica's high-pitched cry of agreement; in season five she and Rachel swap catchphrases over an answering-machine message, Monica wailing 'Noooo!' and Rachel squealing 'I know!'

What do Ross and Monica call the old school dance number they revive to get on TV on Friends?

The Routine wins them a place on the dancers' platform at last, but only because the director wants the cameras to catch it for the bloopers show.

What is the name of the soap-opera doctor Joey plays?

Dr. Drake Ramoray is killed off down an elevator shaft after Joey claims to write his own lines, then brought back years later with a brain transplant.

In 'The One with the Embryos,' what does Monica lose to Joey and Chandler in a bet?

Her apartment goes to the boys when she and Rachel can't name Chandler's job; the women win it back by switching while the boys are at a Knicks game, then offering a one-minute kiss.

Under which working title did its creators first pitch Friends in 1993?

Insomnia Cafe was the title on the 1993 pitch; the pilot script became Friends Like Us, the series was ordered as Six of One, and it finally aired as Friends.

What is Chandler's middle name?

Muriel slips out in season eight, while Chandler is telling Ross about a colleague who thinks his name is Toby; Ross's verdict is that his parents never gave him a chance.

Where does Rachel first land a buying job, after her stint at Fortunata Fashions?

Bloomingdale's hires Rachel after Mark, a stranger who overhears her complaining in a diner, arranges the interview, and Ross's suspicion of his motives starts there.

In a season-5 flashback episode, what does Monica put on her head to make Chandler forgive her?

Monica puts a turkey on her head, adds a fez and sunglasses and dances; Chandler is so amused he blurts out that he loves her for the first time.

After leaving the museum, where does Ross become a professor?

New York University takes Ross on as a guest lecturer in season six; he is so nervous at his first class that he slips into a fake English accent and then has to phase it out.

Which job does Chandler move into late in Friends after quitting his corporate career?

Advertising copywriter: Chandler starts over as an unpaid intern in his thirties, far older than the others on the scheme, before winning a junior job.

Which actress plays Rachel's spoiled sister who dates Ross to spite her on Friends?

Reese Witherspoon's character turns up after their father cuts her off for buying a friend a boat, and Ross ends the fling before it really starts.

On Friends, which brand's packet is the real source of the secret family cookie recipe Phoebe promises Monica?

Nestlé Toll House: Phoebe says the recipe came from a French ancestor called 'Nestlé Toulouse', which is how Monica, after batch upon batch of test cookies, works it out.

In the Friends roommate quiz, what does Monica sort into 11 categories?

Her towels: with two seconds left the boys have named everyday use, fancy, guest and fancy guest, and Joey blurts out 'Eleven?', which turns out to be right.

How much did each Friends star earn per episode in the final two seasons?

$1 million an episode came from bargaining as a bloc: the six had insisted on negotiating together ever since their third-season talks, against the studio's wish for separate deals.

On which streaming service did Friends: The Reunion premiere?

HBO Max planned the special for its own launch day in May 2020, alongside every episode of the show, but the pandemic pushed it back a full year.

Which actor plays the stripper hired at the last minute for Phoebe's bachelorette party on Friends?

Danny DeVito plays Officer Goodbody, who bursts into tears when Phoebe insults him; she relents and lets him finish his dance.

Which actress plays the birth mother Phoebe tracks down on Friends?

Teri Garr plays Phoebe Abbott, who lets Phoebe believe she is only an old friend of her parents before admitting that she is her birth mother.

Where does Chandler claim his company is transferring him, to get away from Janice?

Yemen: he gives her the address '15 Yemen Road, Yemen' and, when she insists on waiting at the gate to see him off, actually boards the plane.

What is the name of Joey's agent on Friends?

Estelle Leonard dies near the end of the final season, and Phoebe impersonates her on the phone, so Joey is terrified to get a call from 'Estelle' after learning she is dead.

What does Phoebe find in her can of soda in an early Friends episode?

A thumb: the soda was a thank-you from a homeless friend Phoebe had just given money to, and the drinks company pays her $7,000 for the shock.

Which parade balloon breaks free and sends the gang to the roof in the first Thanksgiving episode?

The Underdog balloon breaks free in The One Where Underdog Gets Away (17 November 1994); the dash to the roof leaves them locked out while dinner burns.

With the holiday dinner ruined in season one, what does Monica end up serving instead?

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is the meal Chandler, who boycotts Thanksgiving dinner, had planned to eat alone; once the dinner burns, it ends up feeding all six of them.

In 'The One with the Football', what serves as the Geller siblings' fiercely contested trophy?

A troll doll nailed to a plank is the Geller Cup: their father hurled it into a lake after Monica broke Ross's nose, and she fished it out while Ross was at the hospital.

What did Monica and Ross's family call the annual touch football game they had stopped playing?

The Geller Bowl was banned by their parents after Monica broke Ross's nose in its sixth edition; the siblings revive it years later with their friends as teammates.

In 'The One with All the Thanksgivings', what does Monica drop on Chandler's foot?

A knife slips from Monica's hand as she tries to seduce Chandler in revenge for his calling her fat, and it severs his toe; in the rush to hospital she brings a piece of carrot instead.

In a Friends Thanksgiving episode, what does Joey put on so he can keep eating?

Phoebe's maternity pants: Joey has vowed to finish the whole bird by himself, and when she protests that they are hers he announces, 'These are my Thanksgiving pants!'

On Friends, what news at a childhood Thanksgiving dinner turned Chandler against the holiday?

His parents were divorcing: they announced it over the holiday meal, with his father about to run off with the houseboy, and Chandler has boycotted Thanksgiving dinner ever since.

Rachel's famous English trifle goes wrong because a layer of what ends up in it?

Rachel's trifle has a layer of beef sauteed with peas and onions because two recipe pages stuck together, merging a trifle with a shepherd's pie; Joey eats it anyway.

Why does Chandler spend a Friends Thanksgiving inside a crate?

Joey is punishing him for kissing Kathy, Joey's girlfriend: Chandler serves the same time Joey once spent locked in their entertainment unit, and his silence in the crate wins Joey round.

Which film star played Will Colbert, an old classmate who still loathes Rachel, on Friends?

Brad Pitt was married to the actress who plays Rachel when he took the part of Will, co-founder of a high-school club devoted to hating her; the cameo earned him an Emmy nomination.

What did Ross's high-school club do to Rachel on Friends?

Spread a rumour that she was a hermaphrodite: Ross and Will's 'I Hate Rachel Green Club' started it, Rachel never knew, and Chandler reveals it had even reached his school.

Joey mangles the phrase 'moot point' into what kind of point on Friends?

A moo point, Joey tells Rachel, is like a cow's opinion: it just doesn't matter. She wonders whether she has lived with him too long, because it almost makes sense.

What name does Joey give his beloved reclining chair on Friends?

Rosita is broken by Rachel, but Chandler sits on the wreck, thinks he did it and secretly swaps in his own recliner, so Joey decides his chair has healed itself.

In which California city was Friends, set in New York, actually filmed?

Burbank: every season of the Manhattan sitcom was shot at Warner Bros. Studios there, and Stage 24 on the lot was renamed The Friends Stage after the finale.

The Friends finale drew 52.5 million viewers, the biggest entertainment audience since which sitcom's finale in 1998?

Seinfeld signed off in 1998 with its four leads in a jail cell and 76.3 million people watching; no entertainment broadcast in the six years after drew more than the Friends farewell.

Which two main cast members are the only ones to have won an Emmy for Friends?

Lisa Kudrow won Outstanding Supporting Actress and Jennifer Aniston Outstanding Lead Actress, the only main cast members to win; Courteney Cox was the only one never nominated.

Which sitcom won the comedy series Emmy five years running before Friends got one?

Frasier won every year from 1994 to 1998, shutting out the first four seasons of Friends, which finally took the award in 2002 for its eighth season.

Roughly how much did Friends earn Warner Bros. yearly from syndication as of 2015?

$1 billion a year was the reported syndication take as of 2015, with each of the six stars said to receive about $20 million of it, a figure that has since been disputed.

Which streaming service added every Friends episode on New Year's Day 2015, winning the show a new generation of fans?

Netflix later paid a reported $80 to $100 million just to keep the show for 2019, then lost it to a rival service at the start of 2020.

Which Friends star would have been lost to the show if the CBS sitcom Muddling Through had been renewed?

Jennifer Aniston had already filmed the CBS sitcom, which had first call on her, so casting her was a gamble; it ended its brief summer run two weeks before Friends began.

Which two birds do Joey and Chandler keep as pets in their apartment?

A chick and a duck join the household in season three; in the finale Joey buys a new chick and duckling as a house-warming gift for Monica and Chandler.

Which late-night host taped his programme on the Central Perk set right after the Friends finale?

Jay Leno moved The Tonight Show onto the Central Perk set for the night of the finale, with all six cast members as his guests.

What do Joey and Chandler buy in season one to replace their broken kitchen table?

A foosball table wins when the pair cannot agree on a new kitchen table; in the finale neither can bear to break it open, so Monica gleefully does it for them.

Which millionaire, played by Jon Favreau, does Monica date?

Pete Becker, played by Jon Favreau, is a software millionaire Monica dates in season three; she isn't attracted to him at first, and he later tries to become Ultimate Fighting Champion.

Which actor plays David, the scientist who leaves Phoebe for a research post in Minsk?

Hank Azaria plays David, who breaks Phoebe's heart by taking a research trip to Minsk in season one and comes back years later to tell her he still loves her.

Which Bruce Willis character, Elizabeth's father, ends up dating Rachel?

Paul Stevens is played by Bruce Willis, who is said to have taken the part after losing a bet to Matthew Perry while they filmed The Whole Nine Yards; his three episodes won him an Emmy.

Who officiates Phoebe's wedding in the snow outside Central Perk?

Joey, still ordained from Monica and Chandler's wedding, steps in when a blizzard strands the minister and the ceremony moves to the street outside Central Perk.

Which orthodontist does Rachel leave at the altar in the Friends pilot?

Barry Farber is the fiancé Rachel jilts in the pilot; he goes on their Aruba honeymoon anyway, taking Mindy, to whom he later gets engaged.

Which two languages, besides English, can Phoebe speak?

Phoebe speaks French and Italian: her fluent French is shown when she tries to coach Joey in The One Where Joey Speaks French.

Which musical role got Joey noticed by the agent who signs him?

Sigmund Freud in Freud! is the role: an agent signs him after the show in The One with the Butt, then finds him work as Al Pacino's butt double, which he loses for overacting.

Which of Joey's relatives does drunk Chandler kiss?

Sister: at Joey's birthday party Chandler fools around with one of the seven, then can't remember which; it was Mary Angela, and her sister Cookie punches him for it.

Which relative of Jennifer Aniston starred on a real daytime soap for almost four decades?

Her father John Aniston played Victor Kiriakis from 1985 until his death in 2022; that June she appeared by video at the Daytime Emmys to accept a lifetime achievement award for him.

Under what drag name does Chandler's father star in Viva Las Gay-gas?

Charles Bing, played by Kathleen Turner, performs as Helena Handbasket in the Las Vegas drag show Viva Las Gay-gas; Chandler invites him to the wedding in season seven.

Which sleeping technique did Chandler learn from Ross while dating Janice?

Hug and Roll is Ross's trick for escaping a cuddly sleeper; Chandler rolls Janice right off the bed, then lets the secret slip, and it gets back to an unimpressed Rachel.

Which child actor plays Ross's son Ben in seasons six to eight?

Cole Sprouse took over Ben from a pair of twins who had shared the part, in what was his own first role without his twin brother Dylan.

Emily Waltham is the niece of whom?

Emily is the niece of Rachel's boss Mr. Waltham; Rachel was meant to take her to the opera, but Ross went instead and the two fell in love. Helen Baxendale played her.

Which fashion house does Rachel work for from season five to the end?

Ralph Lauren hires Rachel in season five, and the designer cameos as himself a year later, in an episode where she gossips to her boss that Phoebe kissed him.

Which role was Courteney Cox first offered before asking to play Monica instead?

Courteney Cox was first offered Rachel because the producers liked her cheery, upbeat energy, but she preferred Monica as the stronger character and won them round at her audition.

To which city does Joey Tribbiani move in the spin-off Joey?

Los Angeles is where Joey heads from New York, joining his sister Gina and his genius nephew Michael; the spin-off was pulled from the air midway through its second season.

Where did Warner Bros. release the final eight unaired US episodes of Joey in 2025?

YouTube finally brought Americans the last eight episodes, which had been shown abroad but never at home after falling ratings got the spin-off axed in 2006.

Who hosted Friends: The Reunion, interviewing the six stars in front of a live audience?

James Corden hosted the sit-down interview, while the six also walked the rebuilt sets, re-read old scripts and faced a trivia quiz about their own show.

In the final scene of Friends, what do all six leave on the counter of Monica's empty apartment?

Their keys go down on the counter before the six head out for one last coffee, and Chandler gets the final line of the show: 'Where?'

Whose apartment does Ross apply to sublet in The One Where Everybody Finds Out?

Ugly Naked Guy's flat draws rival bribes that dwarf Ross's basket of mini muffins, so he wins the tenant over by joining him in the nude; from its window he then spots Monica and Chandler.

Which two actors play Frank Jr. and Alice, for whom Phoebe is a surrogate?

Giovanni Ribisi plays Frank Jr. and Debra Jo Rupp plays Alice, his former home-economics teacher; Phoebe carries their triplets in a storyline written around Lisa Kudrow's real pregnancy.

Who directed both the Friends pilot and The One with the Prom Video?

James Burrows, co-creator of Cheers, directed both; before the show aired he flew the six unknowns to Las Vegas for dinner and told them it was their last shot at anonymity.

Which dating term is The One with the Blackout credited with coining?

Friend zone is credited to this episode, where Joey warns Ross that he has waited too long to ask Rachel out and is now 'mayor of the zone'.

Which Victoria's Secret model is trapped with Chandler in The One with the Blackout?

Jill Goodacre, playing herself, is stuck in the ATM vestibule with Chandler, who finally accepts her gum, spits it out by accident, chokes on a stray piece and has to be saved by her with the Heimlich manoeuvre.

Which format describes The One Where No One's Ready?

A real-time bottle episode: it barely leaves Monica's living room as Ross begs the others to get dressed and Joey, feuding with Chandler over a chair, puts on all of his clothes.

Which businessman cameos selling Joey a Union Flag hat in The One with Ross's Wedding?

Richard Branson plays the souvenir vendor who sells Joey the hat, which so embarrasses Chandler that he refuses to spend the rest of the day with him.

Which two actors play Emily's father and stepmother in The One with Ross's Wedding?

Tom Conti and Jennifer Saunders play Stephen and Andrea Waltham, who fall out with Ross's parents at the rehearsal dinner over who pays for the wedding.

Which film star played Chandler's old classmate Susie in the most-watched Friends episode?

Julia Roberts played Susie, who uses a date with Chandler to take revenge for a fourth-grade prank; 52.9 million watched The One After the Superbowl in January 1996.

Which Simpsons voice actor plays the zoo janitor who tells Ross the truth about Marcel?

Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, plays the janitor who reveals that Marcel did not die, as the zoo's boss had claimed, but was taken and put to work in showbusiness.

What is the gravy-soaked middle slice of bread in Ross's Thanksgiving leftover sandwich called?

The Moist Maker is Ross's own name for the extra slice in the leftover sandwich Monica makes him; when his boss eats it at work, his rage earns him a forced sabbatical.

Which alternate title does the Friends pilot carry on DVD?

The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate was added for the DVD release; the roommate is Rachel, who turns up in her wedding dress after running out on her own ceremony.

Whose rent-controlled apartment is Monica illegally subletting?

Monica is illegally subletting her grandmother's rent-controlled apartment, which is why Mr. Treeger can threaten eviction in The One with the Ballroom Dancing.

Which R.E.M. hit played over the opening titles of the Friends pilot before the show had its own theme?

Shiny Happy People scored the pilot's first title sequence; when R.E.M. turned down the chance to make it the theme, the producers had I'll Be There for You written instead.

Which Japanese word does Ross insist means a state of total awareness?

Unagi is the secret of self-defence, Ross tells Rachel and Phoebe, who point out that it is a kind of sushi; the word is simply Japanese for eel.

Allee Willis, who co-wrote the Friends theme, also co-wrote which 1978 Earth, Wind & Fire hit?

September was a hit long before the sitcom; she later joked that I'll Be There for You was the whitest song she ever wrote.

Which soap character had Gunther played before Central Perk, killed in an avalanche?

Bryce on All My Children was Gunther's old acting job, ended by an avalanche; he confides it to Joey, who has just been written out of a soap himself.

Which hairstylist created 'The Rachel'?

Chris McMillan cut 'The Rachel' during season one to grow out Aniston's fringe; she later called the style the ugliest haircut she had ever seen.

Which rock star guest-stars as Stephanie Schiffer, the professional singer hired to play at Central Perk?

Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders plays Stephanie, whom a resentful Phoebe ends up teaching her best-known song; Hynde shares the real writing credit for it.

With which pop star did Lisa Kudrow sing Phoebe's best-known song live on tour in 2015?

Taylor Swift brought Lisa Kudrow on stage during her 1989 World Tour, and footage of the duet went viral.

Which animal does Ross dress as to teach Ben about Hanukkah when he can't find a Santa suit?

An armadillo is his fallback: as the Holiday Armadillo he tries to win Ben over to Hanukkah, because the boy has only ever known Christmas with Santa.

What does Ross wear on a first date that he then can't pull back up in the bathroom?

Leather pants were Ross's New Year's resolution to try something new; overheating, he takes them down to cool off and, on Joey's advice by phone, ends up smeared in cosmetics instead.

Which instrument does Ross take up as a surprise for Monica and Chandler's wedding?

Bagpipes are the special surprise Ross cooks up for his sister's wedding, and when he plays them for the others the result is dreadful.

Which famous character does Rachel dress up as to fulfil Ross's fantasy?

Princess Leia in her gold bikini from Return of the Jedi is the fantasy Ross confesses; Rachel tells Phoebe, who teases him by holding two buns to the sides of her head.

Which downstairs neighbour dies in season two of Friends after endless complaints about noise?

Mr. Heckles dies after one last bang on his ceiling with a broom and leaves everything to the noisy girls upstairs; clearing his flat, Chandler fears ending up just as alone.

Where does the tenth season premiere open, continuing the ninth-season cliffhanger?

The tenth season opens in Barbados, picking up The One in Barbados cliffhanger: Joey sees Ross kissing Charlie and then kisses Rachel.

Which memoir did Matthew Perry publish in 2022?

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing recounts his long struggle with addiction; after a backlash he promised to cut its jibes at Keanu Reeves from future editions.

To which city does Chandler's company transfer him in season nine?

Chandler is transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after dozing off in a meeting and accidentally agreeing to run the office there; he quits at Christmas to come home.

Which real-life job won James Michael Tyler the role of Gunther?

Barista: he had worked in coffee shops, so an assistant director put the extra behind the Central Perk counter to make the set look authentic, and the nameless part grew into ten seasons.

Who plays Charlie Wheeler, the professor who dates Joey and then Ross?

Aisha Tyler plays Charlie, who leaves Joey for Ross and then drops Ross in turn for an old flame, Benjamin Hobart, played by Greg Kinnear.

Which Friends guest star won the 2003 Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series?

Christina Applegate won as Rachel's self-absorbed sister Amy, who turns up at Thanksgiving and decides it would be great if Ross and Rachel died, so she could inherit their baby.

What did marrying Phoebe get ice dancer Duncan?

A green card: Phoebe believed the Canadian was gay, so she is crushed when he returns in season two wanting a divorce because he has realised he is straight.

What do Joey and Chandler guess about Rachel to spark the Friends trivia contest?

What is in her shopping bag is the test the two men pass, item by item. Monica answers by proposing a full contest, with Ross writing the questions and a $100 bet on the result.

In the Friends trivia contest, which film is Rachel's real favorite movie, not the one she claims?

Weekend at Bernie's is the favorite Rachel keeps quiet about. She tells people it is the period drama Dangerous Liaisons, and the men know better.

In the Friends trivia contest, what job did Joey's imaginary childhood friend Maurice hold?

A space cowboy was the calling of Maurice, the friend Joey invented as a boy. Monica and Rachel split the answer between them, one supplying the name and the other the job.

Chandler's work stumps Monica and Rachel in which deciding part of the Friends trivia contest?

The lightning round settles a contest tied at nine-all, and the pair lose it because neither can say what Chandler does all day. Entertainment Weekly picked Rachel's stumbling guess as the episode's best line.

In The One with the Embryos on Friends, for which relative does Phoebe agree to carry a baby?

Her brother Frank Jr. and his older wife Alice have put all their savings into one attempt. The doctor implants five embryos, and the episode ends with Phoebe's good news.

Which term did the Friends writers use for fake stakes, a trap The One with the Embryos avoids?

Schmuck bait was the writers' room name for a threat a show never carries out. Having raised the stakes of the contest, the team agreed the result had to stick.

Which sport gave young Monica the unkind goalie nickname revealed in the Friends trivia contest?

Field hockey was Monica's game, and the nickname mocked her size in goal. The writers wanted every answer in the contest to reveal something new about a character.

Which famous dancer terrifies Chandler, as Monica and Rachel answer in the Friends trivia contest?

Michael Flatley, of Lord of the Dance fame, is the answer Monica calls out at once. The question comes from the contest's Fears and Pet Peeves category, and Joey can hardly believe it.

Joey Tribbiani became an actor on Friends instead of following his father into which trade?

Pipefitting is the family trade Joey turned down, carrying a Screen Actors Guild card instead. He began in stage plays before a soap opera part made his name.

Joey Tribbiani, the only boy among eight children on Friends, comes from which New York borough?

Queens is home turf for the Tribbianis, a working-class Italian-American family. Joey has seven siblings, every one of them a girl.

On Friends, Joey stars in a cable series as Mac, a detective whose crime-fighting partner is what?

A robot called C.H.E.E.S.E. is Mac's partner, and Joey gets himself fired by mocking the clumsy machine within earshot of its operator. The series is canceled partway through its first season.

How is Joey's soap opera character killed off on Friends after he boasts of writing his own lines?

An elevator shaft fall is the writers' revenge after Joey tells Soap Opera Digest he makes up most of his dialogue. Losing the part soon sends him back to sharing with Chandler.

Which job does Joey briefly take on Friends at the natural history museum where Ross works?

Tour guide is one of Joey's many stopgap jobs between acting parts. He has also sold Christmas trees, handed out perfume samples and waited tables for Gunther.

In a Friends infomercial, Joey plays a man who cannot open which everyday item without a new gadget?

A milk carton defeats Kevin, Joey's hapless character, until a pouring gadget comes to the rescue. The infomercial is one of the odd jobs that fill the gaps in his acting career.

In The One Where No One's Ready on Friends, what does Joey wear in revenge for his hidden underwear?

All of Chandler's clothes go on at once, layer over layer. The feud between the two begins as a squabble over who sits in an armchair.

Which screen legend is Joey Tribbiani's acting idol on Friends?

Al Pacino is the hero whose Scarface poster follows Joey from New York to his new home in the spin-off. Joey once landed a film job as his idol's body double, a part he lost by overacting.

Which sandwich is Joey really shielding when he seems to save Ross from a gunshot on Friends?

A meatball sub was sitting next to Ross when a car backfired during a ride-along, so Ross believed Joey had leapt across to protect him. Chandler, left unprotected, takes it personally.

On Friends, what does Joey mean when he places an order for the Joey Special?

Two pizzas make up the Joey Special, an order meant for one. At a restaurant birthday dinner he once worked his way through six meals by himself.

Which Friends building super, played by Michael G. Hagerty, practices ballroom dancing with Joey?

Mr. Treeger makes Joey his practice partner by threatening to report Monica's illegal sublet. The super wants to impress a woman at an upcoming social event.

Why has Rachel's father cut off his spoiled younger daughter when she arrives in Friends season six?

She bought a friend a boat, and her father holds up Rachel as the one daughter he is proud of. Sent to learn self-sufficiency from her, she dates Ross to spite Rachel instead.

Which comedian shares a cameo with Billy Crystal in the cold open of a season-three Friends episode?

Robin Williams appears as Tomas opposite Crystal's Tim, two strangers who take over the opening scene of The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion.

Which ER star joins Noah Wyle on Friends as one of two doctors who date Monica and Rachel?

George Clooney plays Dr. Mitchell in The One with Two Parts. Rachel has sprained her ankle and is using Monica's insurance, so the pair must answer to each other's names all through the date.

Which action star plays himself on Friends, with Monica and Rachel fighting over him on a film set?

Jean-Claude Van Damme appears in The One After the Superbowl, shooting a sequel called Outbreak 2. Joey wins a small part in the same film and overacts his way down to playing a corpse.

Which former child star plays a fan on Friends who believes Joey really is his soap opera doctor?

Brooke Shields plays Erika, who sends Joey his first fan letter and cannot tell the actor from the part he plays. He dates her anyway.

Which Mystic River star plays Eric, the fiancé of Phoebe's twin, at a Friends Halloween party?

Sean Penn plays Eric in two season-eight episodes. Once the engagement is off he wants to date Phoebe, but he cannot look at her without being reminded of her twin.

Which 30 Rock star plays Parker, a boyfriend too enthusiastic even for Phoebe on Friends?

Alec Baldwin plays Parker, who finds everything wonderful. His delight annoys everyone at the Gellers' anniversary party, and in the end Phoebe herself.

Which Oscar winner plays a soap diva on Friends whose character's brain is transplanted into Joey's?

Susan Sarandon plays Cecilia Monroe, the veteran star written out so that Joey's comatose doctor can wake up with her character's brain. Joey lets the news slip before anyone has told her.

Ross Geller marries three times on Friends: which blunder at the altar dooms his second marriage?

He says the wrong name, swapping his bride's for Rachel's in the middle of his vows, and the marriage soon dissolves. A third wedding and a third divorce are still to come.

Ross's pet Marcel on Friends, played by a female animal named Katie, belongs to which species?

Capuchin is the species: Marcel is a white-headed capuchin, an exotic animal Ross keeps illegally in New York. A run-in with animal control nearly costs him his pet.

Which instrument did a young Ross Geller play for hours in the family basement on Friends?

Keyboard was Ross's teenage obsession. When Phoebe coaxes him back to it as an adult, his compositions leave everyone aghast except Phoebe, who thinks they are brilliant.

Which theme park bans Ross and his first wife for life on Friends after a tryst on a ride?

Disneyland handed the couple a lifetime ban after they slipped behind one of the displays in It's a Small World.

From which country does Ross return at the start of Friends season two with a new girlfriend, Julie?

China was the site of a dig Ross joined in the season-one finale. Rachel, who has just learned how he feels about her, is waiting at the airport when he walks off the plane with Julie.

Which zoo takes in Ross's pet Marcel on Friends when Ross can no longer keep him at home?

San Diego Zoo accepts Marcel, and the gang see him off at the airport. When Ross later visits, he learns that Marcel has left for a career in commercials and films.

On Friends, Ross insists in a lecture that he had the idea for which blockbuster first?

Jurassic Park is the one a dinosaur lover would claim, and Ross makes his case to a classroom of students. He also says he gave up a career in basketball and takes credit for a well-known dairy slogan.

Where were Ross and Monica Geller raised on Friends, before each moved to Manhattan?

Long Island was home to the whole Geller family. Rachel grew up there too, the daughter of a wealthy surgeon, and went to the same high school as Ross and Monica.

At a Friends Halloween party, Ross's costume crosses a Soviet satellite with which vegetable?

A potato plus Sputnik makes Spudnik, a goofy pun costume. Ross spends the party lamenting what the outfit actually makes him look like.

Ross risks being fired on Friends by secretly dating Elizabeth, who is what to him?

His student in his first year as a professor, Elizabeth is 20 years old. The pair go to great lengths to hide the romance from the faculty until Ross ends it over her immaturity.

Which instrument does Phoebe play on Friends while singing her offbeat songs at Central Perk?

Guitar, an acoustic one, backs every song Phoebe writes. She also busks with it in the subway and once played for children at a public library.

A record company films a video of Phoebe's best-known song on Friends: what is secretly changed?

Her voice is dubbed by a far more polished singer, which Phoebe at first fails to notice. She turns down the record deal once she understands the deception.

Which alias does Phoebe use on Friends when she wants a fake name, even at a blackjack table?

Regina Phalange grew out of Dr. Phalange, the physician Phoebe plays on the phone in season five. She gives the full name to a casino dealer, and a version of it helps her stall a plane in the finale.

Which diet does Phoebe keep on Friends, a commitment Joey once offers to take on in her place?

Vegetarian Phoebe craves meat while carrying the triplets, so Joey gives it up until the birth, keeping the number of animals eaten the same.

Which tearjerker about a dog does Phoebe learn on Friends she has never watched to the end?

Old Yeller always ended happily in Phoebe's childhood home, because her mother switched off sad films before the tragic part. Her grandmother confirms it was done to shield the girls from pain.

Which scientific theory does Phoebe refuse to accept on Friends, to the exasperation of Ross?

Evolution fails to convince Phoebe, who has her doubts about gravity as well. Her New Age instincts clash again and again with the scientist among her friends.

What does Phoebe's former singing partner Leslie do with Phoebe's best-known song on Friends?

Sells it for a commercial is what Leslie does, against Phoebe's wishes, and the revived partnership collapses once more.

Why did Phoebe move out of Monica's place about a year before the Friends pilot?

Her obsessive cleaning was more than Phoebe could live with, though the two stayed close friends. Rachel takes the empty room in the first episode.

Which gift does Ross buy Phoebe on Friends, only to learn she has never learned to use one?

A bicycle was Phoebe's childhood dream, so Ross buys her one in season seven. He then threatens to take it back unless she finally learns to ride.

What did a teenage Phoebe steal when she mugged a young Ross, as Friends later reveals?

His homemade comic book, Science Boy, was the prize. The truth comes out after the pair are held up by one of Phoebe's old friends from her years on the street.

Which classic novel does Rachel persuade Joey to read on Friends while she tries The Shining?

Little Women wins Joey over completely, and by the end he is dreading the death of one of its characters. Rachel offers to put the novel in the freezer, his own cure for a frightening story.

Which Hot Shots! star plays Ryan on Friends, a Navy man on leave during Phoebe's chickenpox?

Charlie Sheen plays Ryan, an old flame who has never had the illness but stays close to her anyway. The two spend his leave sick together, trying not to scratch.

Which Zoolander star plays Tommy on Friends, Rachel's date who bullies anyone who crosses him?

Ben Stiller plays Tommy in The One with the Screamer. Only Ross sees the outbursts at first, and the others put his warnings down to jealousy over Rachel.