Lisa Kudrow became world-famous as Phoebe in Friends. Unfortunately, shooting a scene that everyone knows was anything but fun
Friends is one of the most successful and popular sitcoms of all time. In its ten-year run, it gave us great moments, but also gags that have aged really badly. What stayed with us from start to finish, however, was the intro to the series, which everyone who has ever switched on a television set is likely to know.
As I’ll be there for you by The Rembrandts blared from the speakers, we watch the gang of six splashing around and getting silly in a fountain. But the shoot was anything but funny
Lisa Kudrow tells us why the Friends intro shoot was so awful
Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe in the series, was a guest on Conan O’Brien’s podcast. In it, she talks about the scene in the well, as reported by Cinema Blend . These shots were apparently an ordeal for the whole gang.
Shooting those covers in the fountain was a nightmare. […] And the fountain was cold. And it was very late at night. We had danced, I think, 500 takes. Unmotivated dancing is hard too, isn’t it? It’s just hard. It was so cold and we had to keep dancing.
Lisa Kudrow is not alone in her opinion. Jennifer Aniston also reported a few years ago that it felt strange to dance in the fountain
Here you can watch the fountain action in the famous intro:
Matthew Perry saved the day on set
The situation was saved for the cast by none other than Matthew Perry. According to Kudrow, the recently deceased Chandler actor kept his colleagues’ spirits high with his typical reactions. When the director said they needed one more take, he replied:
‘One more? Yes, with pleasure. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in a fountain. Seriously, can you? I can’t remember ever not being wet. What, are we wet? What, are we wet in a fountain? What, are we dancing in a fountain?
The actor proved very early on in the production that it was right to cast him in the lovingly ironic role. After all, he almost didn’t get Matthew Perry the part. His manner made work easier for everyone on set
