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Despite making their relationships look effortless on screen, the cast of Friends really had to work hard to cultivate relationships when the cameras stopped rolling.
Lisa Kurdrow, who played Phoebe Buffay in the world-renowned series, recently appeared on comedian Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, revealing that the cast "really did get along," and that the key to being real-life friends with David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), Courteney Cox (Monica Gellar), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing), and Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), was "respectful communication."
"Really talking things through. If someone said something or did something, it didn't get too big, because it was, 'Can I talk to you?' Usually not me because I had to learn to — 'Can I talk to you about something?' Because I never knew that was allowed. But I saw it modeled really well..."
Friends ran from 1994 to 2004 (per Entertainment Weekly), and the last episode (which saw each friend embarking on a new chapter of life as they headed back to the all-too-familiar Central Perk for a cup of coffee) aired over 20 years ago.
Despite being rooted in the '90s and early 2000's, the series lives on generations past its creation due to the relatability of each character and the notable friendships that were strengthened and salvaged time and time again.
Perry passed away in October 2023 due to the acute effects of ketamine, and all four cast mates reunited at his funeral.
Listen to Kudrow's full Armchair Expert interview with Dax Shepard via iHeartRadio now!