Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry had to pause filming of iconic Friends bed scene after audience reaction
Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry once had to stop filming one of their most iconic scenes on Friends because of noise from the audience.
The pair were part of the star-studded ensemble that made up the beloved TV cast, with the NBC series running for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.
Friends produced a whole host of hilarious moments during its decade-long run, but some scenes stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Whether it be the quiz for the apartments, the red sweater dilemma, or Ross saying the wrong name at the altar, fans were never disappointed.
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However, one scene between Chandler (Perry) and Monica (Cox) had to be paused following the crowd's reaction.
Let me cast your minds back to the show's one-hour season four finale - Ross (David Schwimmer) is about to marry his British girlfriend Emily in London, though Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) has realised that she still has feelings for him and makes her way to the ceremony.
Before Ross sees her and says her name instead of Emily's though, another memorable moment takes place.
At the rehearsal dinner the night before the ceremony, Chandler's best man toast doesn't go as planned, while a drunk guest thinks Monica is Ross' mother.
The two then talk it out and console each other over drinks.
They then wake up in the same bed the next day, which is revealed after Ross comes into Chandler's room to share his wedding day cheer, with Monica emerging from the sheets as he leaves.
The reveal of Monica was taken better than expected, generating one of the best reactions from the audience as they cheered for 27 seconds after seeing that the two had finally gotten together.
Because of the long-winded reaction, filming had to be paused and writers took the feedback onboard.
The idea of the two characters being together was flirted with throughout the seasons.
Chandler had promised Monica he would have kids with her if they were both single by 40 in season one, and he also asked if she would go out with him if he was the last guy on Earth at the start of season four.
According to Vulture, writers had initially decided against making the two a couple but the reaction from fans was too good to ignore.
Executive producer Shana Goldberg-Meehan ultimately said it was too soon to introduce a second couple after Ross and Rachel.
Writer and producer Scott Silveri recalled after the bed scene: “The goal from the get-go was to treat Monica and Chandler’s hookup as a surprise, a jolt in the second half of the hour-long episode to add some energy and fun.”
He added that the aim was to map out how they'd get to that point to lead the audience to the reveal, 'in hopes' that them waking up together 'wouldn’t feel unmotivated and false'.
Silveri recalled: “The first time, I was huddled around a monitor, watching [the actors] perform. And when Monica popped up from beneath the sheets, there was just this explosion from the audience.
“It was a combination of a laugh/gasp/cry/shriek. They were just blown away by it.
“It was so intense, for the second or third takes, instead of watching the monitors, I just turned around and watched the audience.”
He admitted that the scene was a 'trial' to see if the characters had sexual chemistry and to see if the audience were fans.
And in the end, Chandler and Monica would be considered the show's most successful couple.
Topics: Celebrity, Matthew Perry, TV and Film, Friends
Joshua Nair