Friends Easter Eggs You Definitely Missed

For ten seasons, including 236 episodes, the world laughed along with the incredible sitcom that was ‘Friends.’ The show instantly won over the critics and earned millions of fans across the world, with plenty of people enjoying everything our favorite six friends gave us all these years later.

Even if you’re on your 15th rewatch, there are still plenty of ‘Friends’ easter eggs you definitely missed. After all, with so much going on in the show and so many storylines to keep up with - will Rachel ever get off that plane?! - it’s easy for some details to pass by.

There’s a reason the gang always gets the same table at Central Perk

It’s perhaps no secret that New York is one of the busiest places in the world, so how come the gang in ‘Friends’ always get their own table at a busy coffee store? It turns out there might be a reason they always got that famous couch - and not just because they needed it for the TV show.

If you look closely at the table, there’s actually a little reserved sign, which goes to prove the group never had to cross their fingers and hope no one else was in their seats. Whether the sign is a beloved gesture from Gunther to Rachel is yet to be seen, but there are certainly fan theories about it.

Ursula Buffay was all because of Lisa Kudrow’s other acting gig

If you’re a fan of ‘Friends,’ there’s a good chance you know Ursula Buffay as Phoebe’s twin sister. However, if you were a fan of the sitcom ‘Mad About You,’ you might recognize Ursula from her former time as the ditzy Riff’s waitress in the show. So, how did Ursula end up in ‘Friends’ in the first place?

That’s all because Lisa Kudrow was already playing Ursula when she landed the role of Phoebe in the sitcom. Rather than confuse people as to why the same actress was appearing on different shows at the same time, ‘Friends’ decided to write Ursula into the show, with her forgetful nature making its way over, too.

Rachel Green actually meets Chandler Bing for the first time multiple times

Throughout ‘Friends,’ there are plenty of times we get to see glimpses into the past to see what the gang was up to before the show started. However, that’s where things get a little confusing. In the first episode of the show, we get to see Rachel Green arrive at Central Perk and meet everyone for the first time.

While we know she knows Monica and Ross, Rachel is introduced to Chandler Bing. The problem? In later flashbacks, we see that Rachel has already met Chandler multiple times, including the famous toe-cutting Thanksgiving and when Rachel and Monica crash Ross and Chandler’s college party. So, did Rachel just forget they had met, or was this a continuity error?

Huggsy was a part of Friends for longer than some people realize

Joey Tribbiani is easily one of the most loveable characters from ‘Friends,’ and things only get better when we learn just how attached to his cuddly penguin, Huggsy, the character is. While many fans think Huggsy was first introduced in season nine when Rachel’s daughter, Emma, falls for the penguin, that’s not actually the case.

In fact, looking at the background of previous seasons shows that Huggsy has actually been around for a long time. That’s right; Huggsy can be seen chilling on Joey’s couch, in their kitchen, and as a background character in various other scenes in the build-up to Emma trying to steal him away as her own cuddly penguin.

There’s a time Monica moves apartments without mentioning it

If you have a keen eye for detail - and you’ve seen ‘Friends’ more times than you can count - there’s a good chance you know all there is to know about the characters, including the fact that Monica and Rachel live in apartment 20. The twist? That wasn’t always the case, but the number change is never mentioned in the show.

At some point in between seasons, Monica seems to move from apartment 5 to apartment 20. The first season shows Monica living lower down in the building, but when Rachel races Ross and his new girlfriend Julie up to the apartment in season two, the door number has changed. Why? Perhaps to make up for the view from their balcony?

No one’s entirely sure if Ross Geller actually likes ice cream

While there have been plenty of debates about whether or not Ross Geller is a good guy, there’s one thing we do know: he has some pretty strong opinions. After all, he makes it no secret that he will always stand by what he believes in, but there are times when Ross’ views seem to get a little shaky.

In season seven, Ross says that he doesn’t like ice cream because “It’s too cold!” While that might not sound like much, several episodes before that - and several episodes after - Ross is seen enjoying ice cream more than once. Character preferences can be hard to track, but it certainly shows that Ross’ opinions can sometimes change when they need to.

Changing TV ratios showed a secret hole in Chandler and Joey’s wall

‘Friends’ has been one of the biggest sitcoms ever since it hit the small screen in the mid-’90s. Of course, things have changed a lot since then, which means the 4:3 aspect ratio that was used for TVs back in the day is no longer a thing. It also means there are now extra aspects of the show.

When it comes to TVs today, most have an aspect ratio of 16:9, which means we get to see more of a view from the set. While it wasn’t a problem before, it now reveals Chandler and Joey had a huge hole from their apartment into the hallway. Of course, this was all for the cameras to use.

The creators of Friends make plenty of cameos throughout the show

Fans of the sitcom likely know it was David Crane, Kevin Bright, and Marta Kauffman who brought the show to life. Did you know we actually get a chance to see them throughout ‘Friends,’ too? Perhaps even more hilariously, when they did make cameos, it was often talking about producing shows included in the series.

When Joey auditions as Holden McGroin, the trio are the ones running the audition. He also runs into the three again when they bring producers of the ‘Outbreak’ sequel to life. Still, the funniest cameo from the trio comes when the gang goes to enjoy their famous couch at Central Perk only to find a group has taken their spot.

Bruce Willis only appeared in Friends after losing a bet to Matthew Perry

The stars of ‘Friends’ might be famous for their parts in the sitcom, but they’ve all appeared in plenty of side projects, too. One of the most famous was Matthew Perry’s time in crime comedy movie ‘The Whole Nine Yards,’ and while the sequel might not have done so well, the original smashed all box office expectations.

While working on the movie, Matthew grew pretty close with his co-star, Bruce Willis, and actually made a bet stating that if the film opened at the top of the box office, Bruce had to appear on ‘Friends’ for free. He agreed, and true to his word, Bruce ended up in a multi-episode arc, eventually donating his earnings to charity.

There was a time when the entire Friends cast was an Arquette

While everyone was building their acting careers through the side project, Courteney Cox was making her name as a movie star during the original run of ‘Friends.’ In 1996, she was one of the leading stars of the original slasher ‘Scream,’ which just so happened to be the place where she met her eventual husband, David Arquette.

Of course, the opening sequence of ‘Friends’ was one of the most iconic parts of the show, which is why they used this to honor the fact Courteney and David got married just before the premiere of season six. As a result, ‘The One After Vegas’ has credits that adds Arquette to the end of everyone’s names.

Alexis Arquette made a sneaky guest appearance at the drag club

It turns out the Arquettes were more a part of ‘Friends’ than many people realize. That’s because David’s sister, Alexis Arquette, got her chance to appear in the show not once but twice. The first came as a background character in season six during ‘The One With Rachel’s Sister,’ where you can spot Alexis playing a customer.

However, Alexis got a bigger role by the time season seven and ‘The One With Chandler’s Dad’ rolled around. It’s brief, but when Monica and Chandler go to find his dad at the drag club, the waitress who comes over is actually Alexis. It’s small, but it shows how much ‘Friends’ gave the cast’s family a chance to get involved.

Matthew Perry’s biological dad got to make a special Friends appearance

Introducing Joshua to ‘Friends’ made plenty of people think Rachel Green had finally found her one. Sure, things didn’t quite work out, but we did get to see some hilarious scenes as their relationship took quite a turn. Joshua thinks his parents are in Europe, so he invites Rachel to their house for their date. However, there’s a problem.

Joshua’s parents unexpectedly come home only to find Rachel wearing her undergarments, thinking she’s in for a night of fun with her love. While she manages to convince everyone it’s some kind of daring fashion statement, it means it’s harder to miss that Joshua’s dad is actually played by Matthew Perry’s biological father, John Bennett Perry.

Joey Tribbiani’s ATM PIN is much more than four random numbers

Sure, Joey Tribbiani might not be known for his intelligence, but some think the character has more street smarts than he lets on. For a time, it looks as though he’s going to get his big break as an actor as he heads off to Vegas to make his dreams come true. Sadly, things don’t quite work out.

Instead, Joey actually ends up working at Caesars Palace and needs Phoebe’s help because he’s forgotten his ATM PIN but scratched it onto the side of a machine to remember it. While she replies, “Oh, so you’re 5639?” they’re more than just four numbers. If you type them into a keypad, the numbers actually spell out Joey!

Tate Donovan and Jennifer Aniston were also going through a breakup in real life

They say never work with children or animals, but what about working with your ex? Sadly for Tate Donovan and Jennifer Aniston, that quickly became the case. The pair brought Joshua and Rachel to life on ‘Friends’ and were actually dating in real life, but by the time their big storyline came around, their love was almost over.

That’s right; Jen and Tate were in the middle of a breakup when they had to play all those swoony scenes where Rachel tries to win Joshua over. While the characters were getting closer and closer in the show, the real-life actors were simply drifting apart, not that they let it affect either of their performances.

Pat the white dog statue is actually owned by Jennifer Aniston

Things take such a turn in season two of ‘Friends’ when Joey Tribbiani lands his ‘Days of Our Lives’ gig and finally has enough money to live on his own. The problem? After moving out, Joey spends all of his money on anything and everything, including that famous rain wall and a host of animal sculptures.

Perhaps the most famous of them all is the white dog - actually called Pat - that Ross buys for Joey to prevent him from losing everything. It turns out Pat was already a part of the cast as Jennifer Aniston was given the sculpture as a good luck gift when she tried to make it as an actor.

The burglars left Chandler and Joey a note after the entertainment unit drama

The dry-erase board in Chandler and Joey’s apartment might be just a background thing for the first couple of watches of the show, but once you notice how much it changes, you might start to look at it a little closer. One of the best easter eggs comes in season four during ‘The One With the Cat.’

After Joey makes his giant TV entertainment unit - and is forced to sell it by Chandler - he ends up locked in the cupboard while burglars steal all of their things. While that alone is funny enough, the robbers really rubbed salt in the wound by writing “Thanks for all your stuff!” on the dry-erase board before they left.

Chandler and Joey seemingly forgot they even owned the chick and the duck

There was a time when the chick and the duck were constantly in ‘Friends,’ and they brought plenty of hilarity during their run on the show. Not only do they offer plenty of memorable moments with Chandler and Joey, but they even manage to ruin one of Rachel and Joshua’s dates by simply being there.

However, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the chick and the duck seemingly disappear without a trace. They’re there one minute and gone the next, but what happens to them? That’s something even the characters seem to forget until it’s eventually later revealed they’re “on a farm,” and that’s it. We guess we’ll never know.

Treeger might have known that the chick and the duck were living in the building

Just because the characters of the show seem to forget about the chick and the duck doesn’t mean everyone in the building forgets they are there. Of course, one part of the birds living with Chandler and Joey is that Mr. Treeger, the building’s superintendent, isn’t meant to know that they’re there. However, that might not have been the case.

In fact, in one scene, the dry-erase board in Chandler and Joey’s apartment reads “Clean up the duck feathers in the hallway!” signed “Treager” - only adding the mystery behind how his name is spelled. So, if he knows the guys are the ones who left the feathers there, surely that means Treeger knows the chick and the duck exist?

One of Ross Geller’s shirts has a bigger Friends connection than it seems

One thing about ‘Friends’ is how many storylines were gently woven into the rest of the story to keep things moving forward. While there are plenty of hidden easter eggs to discover among them all along the way, some have been hiding in plain sight. One is when Ross wears a particular shirt while at Central Perk.

Those who don’t know American Sign Language might not even realize it’s a thing, but the hands on Ross’ shirt are actually a sign for a particular word. The word in question? “Friends!” The fact Ross is talking about his salmon shirt - which we all know is code for pink - while wearing this only makes it even better.

Joey Tribbiani’s dry cleaner knows more about Air Force One than he lets on

One of the more hilarious Joey storylines we get later in ‘Friends’ comes in season six during ‘The One Where Paul’s the Man.’ Here, we get to see him argue with his Russian dry cleaner about getting his face on the Wall of Fame. Unfortunately for Joey, the film he’s starring in happens to be an offensive depiction of Russians.

Instead, Joey does what he has to and throws Harrison Ford under the bus. He states the action thriller movie ‘Air Force One’ is actually offensive to Russians, so he should be removed, but the dry cleaner says he’s never seen it. The twist? Ilia Volok - who plays the dry cleaner - actually appears in ‘Air Force One,’ too.

Ross Geller had a special way to say goodbye to Marcel at the airport

Plenty of characters came and went throughout ‘Friends,’ but one who made more than a splash during the first season of the sitcom was none other than Marcel. The capuchin monkey ultimately lives with Ross, but he causes plenty of mischief - especially when it comes to Monica and her need to keep things clean or the language for the TV.

Sadly, things take a turn as Marcel matures, and he needs to be with other monkeys if he’s going to be happy. Ultimately, Ross manages to get Marcel a spot at San Diego Zoo, but not before a heartfelt goodbye at the airport. If you look closely, Ross truly does honor his friend by wearing a banana lapel pin.

It seems the writers got a little confused about Ross Geller’s actual birthday

Running any show for ten seasons and having over 200 episodes means it’s always going to be tough to keep on top of the small details. However, there’s a pretty big detail that the writers seemed to forget as the show moved forward: Ross Geller’s birthday. After all, Ross initially tells Gunther that his birthday is in December.

That all changes later in the show when Joey is filling out forms for Ross at the hospital. Here, he says that his birthday is October 18. Of course, there’s every chance Ross told Gunther the wrong date on purpose, but why? All in all, it seems it was just a continuity error, as the writers forgot.

Rachel Green seemingly changes star signs throughout the show

It seems that keeping track of birthdays is something ‘Friends’ might not have been the best at, as Ross wasn’t the only one who forgot when he was born. Another to add to the list is Rachel Green, who initially tells Gunther that her birthday is May 5. If that’s true, that would make Rachel a Taurus.

However, by the time that season seven rolls around, that’s all changed. When Rachel is pulled over by a cop, he checks her details and comments that “You’re an Aquarius, huh?” Sadly for Rachel, that’s not even close to her birthday, as she’d have to have been born between January 20 and February 18 to have this star sign.

Rachel Green’s surname seems to change throughout Friends

Forgetting your birthday is one thing, but what about when you have no idea how your surname is spelled? Okay, that might be a bit of a stretch, but it appears there is a little bit of confusion over whether or not it’s Rachel Green or Rachel Greene. After all, we see it written down in season four.

That moment comes when Ross and Emily are arguing over whether or not to invite Rachel to their wedding, with Ross ultimately standing at the mailbox trying to decide whether or not to send the invite. It’s here we see the name Rachel Greene written on the envelope, but was this a spelling mistake or the truth?

Jennifer Aniston’s family name gets a special mention in Friends

For years, people shipped Monica and Chandler together so hard that they eventually got the relationship that so many wanted to see. What better way to see out season seven than with the pair making it down the aisle? Of course, nothing goes according to plan, and plenty of problems crop up, including needing a last-minute minister.

During the search, they stumble across a Greek wedding that just so happens to involve the “Anastassakis” family. If you think that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s Jennifer Aniston’s Greek family name before they changed it to Aniston after moving to the US. It’s a small detail but a great one when it comes to honoring the actress.

Chandler and Joey might have been even more unhappy with Ross for marrying Emily

It’s perhaps no secret to fans of ‘Friends’ that Emily and Ross’ wedding didn’t bring the gang that much joy. While Monica seemed to be happy for the pair, the others were particularly worried about what it would mean for their friendship group, especially when it came to how Rachel would fit into it all.

Now, it appears that Chandler and Joey might have been less pleased than we first realized. When Joey is showing off the t-shirts they’ve had made for Ross’ bachelor party, the dry-erase board in the background reads, “Another one bites the dust.” Maybe this was their way of getting their point across without saying something directly?

There’s a moment Central Perk has an important potato on display

Even though ‘Friends’ is set in New York City, the gang spends most of their time in Central Perk enjoying their fair share of coffee and sweet treats. Of course, if you’ve been to a coffee shop, you might have seen some of those delicious things on offer. What about a very special potato taking center stage?

While that might sound something completely out of the ordinary, it didn’t stop Gunther from putting a potato out for the world to see in its very own display case. It’s a quick shot that’s easy to miss, but if you look closely, you might just notice it sitting there when Joey is talking to Gunther.

Gladys goes through several wardrobe changes in Friends

If there’s one thing so many people love about Phoebe Buffay, it’s the fact she’s not afraid to be who she is. That includes when it comes to her art, with her songs being just the start. She might not have been a leading part of the gang, but Gladys certainly left a lasting impression on fans of the show.

Although Gladys makes her grand debut in season ten, we actually get to see her on Phoebe’s grandma’s wall for the first time in season two. Here, the ghoulish piece of art is dressed in red, but when she turns up at Monica and Rachel’s doors, she is dressed in blue. Perhaps she needed something fresh for the move?

Carol might not have been Ross Geller’s first experience after all

It’s no secret on ‘Friends’ that Ross and Chandler have been friends since college and have shared and protected each other’s secrets all that time. Well, mostly. Still, that came back to bite Ross in season seven when they all started to expose everyone else’s secrets. At the start of the show, we learn Carol is leaving Ross.

A lot of why Ross is so upset about his divorce is because Carol was his first - or was she? When Ross explains Chandler drank too much and was intimate with “the lady that cleaned our dorm” in season seven, Chandler reminds him, “That was you.” So if all of that is true, Carol can’t have been Ross’ first experience.

Central Perk’s chalkboard contains a host of hidden easter eggs

So much of ‘Friends’ takes place inside Central Perk that it can be easy to forget the coffee shop even has an outside. Still, there’s a lot more to the front of the place than it seems. One of the most overlooked parts of it all is the giant easter egg in the form of the chalkboard out the front.

Every time we see the front of Central Perk, we get a new chalkboard, and it’s often covered in everything from upcoming sets from Phoebe to the specials of the day and everything in between. While there aren’t usually any spoilers, it helps to add more to the lives of the main gang and what goes on in their world.

The famous Jouets poster actually had a reason to be in Monica Geller’s apartment

If you’ve seen ‘Friends’ even a few times, there’s a good chance that Monica and Rachel’s apartment is burned into your memory. After all, it’s tough to forget those bright purple walls and the iconic decorations dotted around the place. That includes the giant Jouets poster that sits above the TV. Of course, most people know it’s French.

Still, did you know it's actually a poster for an ad for a rocking horse? That’s not all. Although the Jouets poster perfectly fits in with the rest of the decor, there’s a reason it was there. That’s because it was often used to hide the cameras when they needed to film from other angles. Clever!

Jennifer Aniston couldn’t hide her amusement when Phoebe becomes the bagpipes

With all the hilarity that was ‘Friends,’ we’re not sure we’re surprised that the cast often couldn’t contain their laughter. In fact, it seems that it was so hard for Jennifer Aniston not to react that her laughing actually ended up in the final shot. The moment comes in season seven during ‘The One With Joey’s New Brain.’

As a surprise for Chandler and Monica’s wedding, Ross reveals that he wants to play the bagpipes. However, when Phoebe tries to cheer him on and help by “Eeeee”ing along to his song, Jen couldn’t help but break character and laugh. In fact, Matt LeBlanc later admitted if Jen’s covering her face, she’s probably breaking character and laughing.

Matt LeBlanc couldn’t help but laugh at David Schwimmer during a famous Friends scene

It turns out it’s not just Jennifer Aniston who ended up adding something special to the final cut of an episode. Matt LeBlanc was also caught breaking character, and there was no way it could be cut out of the shot. This time, the moment comes in season four during ‘The One With the Worst Best Man Ever.’

When Ross’ wedding ring goes missing, it’s up to the group to track it down - including asking the adult dancer for the bachelor party. While Ross is losing his mind and all his cool interrogating the dancer, Matt can be seen trying to stifle his laughter with his hand behind the others. Sadly, he wasn’t quite out of the shot.

Estelle actually appears earlier in the show as a nurse

Season two of ‘Friends’ is the first time we officially get to see the character of Estelle and what a treat she is. She’s the no-nonsense agent of Joey who promises to make him a star, but did you know it’s not actually the first time we see actress June Gable in the sitcom? It’s actually season one.

However, there’s no Estelle in sight, as June plays the part of a nurse in the delivery room with Carol. Of course, without the hair and makeup, it can be easy to miss that it’s her, but that’s what makes it so great. We wonder if there’s some kind of lore behind it all and nursing just wasn’t Estelle’s thing?

Joey Tribbiani’s embarrassing ad makes more than one appearance

Season one really sets the bar high with what we can expect from ‘Friends,’ especially when it comes to giving the characters their background. We quickly learn that Joey Tribbiani wants to be a star actor, but he has to take several other jobs along the way to make ends meet. One is posing as a model for a poster.

The twist? His headshots actually end up being used as an advert for intimate illnesses. In fact, once his family sees the posters, Joey is banished from his family’s Thanksgiving and can’t pick up a girl at the station. While it seems like just one joke, the poster actually appears in the background of several other scenes.

Chandler Bing actually cries more than one episode suggests

Out of the six friends, Chandler Bing is easily the one with the most sarcasm up his sleeve. Sure, it might be a defense mechanism and all a part of his bitter past, but Chandler also claims it means he can’t show emotions that well. In fact, he even has an entire episode called ‘The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry.’

The moment comes in season six, but there seems to be something untrue about it all. In fact, Chandler actually cries quite a few times throughout the show - and appears to forget any of those moments happen. At one point, Chandler even confesses, “I’m not a crying kind of guy,” so which one is it?

Rachel Green is ultimately pregnant for an extraordinarily long time

One of the great things about ‘Friends’ is how the group all welcomes babies in unconventional ways, such as when Rachel Green suddenly learns that she is pregnant and has to decide if she is going to be a single mother or not. Although it’s eventually revealed that Ross is the dad, that’s not the confusing part of it all.

Instead, it’s the fact Rachel appears to be pregnant for an extraordinarily long time. We first find out that Rachel’s pregnant at Monica and Chandler’s wedding in the summer. That would mean she’s due around February, but when she complains about it being 100 degrees, it seems to show it’s already summer again - and she’s still pregnant a year later.

There’s a lot more to Jessica Lockhart’s slap in Friends than meets the eye

A lot of Joey’s time on ‘Friends’ revolves around him being Dr. Drake Ramoray on the soap opera ‘Days of Our Lives.’ However, just like most other soaps, his character is confusingly written back into the show after having his life ended the first time around. This is all thanks to a brain transplant, seeing Drake Ramoray effectively become evil.

Here, Joey decides to follow Jessica Lockhart, played by actress Susan Sarandon, to learn how to play her character when he returns to the show, including learning all about her famous slap. Amazingly, the person Susan slaps as Jessica on the show is played by Eva Amurri, who just so happens to be her real-life daughter.

Friends once forgot to edit out Courteney Cox’s stand-in

While ‘Friends’ might not be an action show, the cast all hand their own body doubles to use when shooting certain scenes. A lot of the time, it’s used for post-production purposes, meaning it doesn’t make that much difference to the show, but there was a time when Courteney Cox seemingly changed before our eyes.

Phoebe and Monica are talking on the couch in Central Perk when the camera looks back at Phoebe. However, that’s not Monica sitting opposite her. Instead, we get to see the side of Courteney’s stand-in, which they failed to edit out of the final cut. It truly is a blink and you’ll miss it moment, but it’s certainly there.

All of the Friends characters’ names are inspired by All My Children

Have you ever wondered what inspired the creators of ‘Friends’ to name the six famous characters? It seems that even more soap operas were involved, this time in the form of ‘All My Children.’ It turns out David Crane, Kevin Bright, and Marta Kauffman all took inspiration from the show when they needed memorable names.

Rachel Green comes from Janet Green, Phoebe Buffay comes from Phoebe Tyler, and Monica Geller comes from Monique Cortland. Then there is Joey Tribbiani who was named after Joe Martin, Ross Geller who was named after Ross Chandler, and Chandler Bing who was named after the entire Chandler family in general. Who would have thought?