The Friends Role Courteney Cox Actually Turned Down

To describe Friends as "iconic" doesn't do it justice. The sitcom wrapped in 2004 and it's still on TV every single day — multiple times a day — holding onto its existing fanbase and attracting new viewers all the time. Sure, the cast members have gone on to play other parts, but on some level, they will always be associated with the characters that they played on Friends. As perfecting as the casting turned out, the show was almost very different. In fact, actress Courteney Cox was not actually supposed to play chef Monica Geller.

In 2012, Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman told Vanity Fair, "It was a fascinating casting experience." She revealed, "We originally offered Rachel to Courteney Cox." However, Cox didn't think it was the right part for her, with Kauffman revealing, "She said she wanted to do Monica, not Rachel." Kaufman's writing partner David Crane divulged, "When we originally wrote the role, we had Janeane Garofalo's voice in our head." The Facts of Life alum Nancy McKeon also auditioned to play Monica, but Kaufman and Crane eventually realized that Cox's instincts were right. She got to play Monica and, ultimately, Jennifer Aniston secured the opportunity to play Rachel Green. Clearly, Cox made the right call, but what made her turn down the job opportunity?