Friends at PaleyFest LA 1996: Full Conversation

Cast and creators of NBC's Friends gather at PaleyFest LA 1996 to celebrate their show. Topics include: changes requested by network executives after hearing the show's premise; the casting process; how the actors helped their characters evolve; the slow burn of the Rachel-Ross romance; real-life friendships among the cast; the fate of Marcel the monkey; fan rumors about Chandler and Joey's relationship; whether the characters' futures have been mapped out; reactions to the lesbian plotline; Kudrow's dual role on Friends and Mad About You; and reactions to the show in foreign markets.

[@ValitaC1]

Jen using Matthew's jacket to cover her legs and keep them warm is the sweetest thing ever. Friendship goals

[@rufersalonky9547]

Sma ait sang pho

[@dvchel]

@Valeria Corvalán If Matthew hadn't done it, David would've if he had been there. I'm sure, because, of the existing friendship between them.

[@AdityaSharma-pc6ms]

Yes and as a return gift she didn't even invite him to her wedding

[@saintpixie2765]

@@AdityaSharma-pc6ms None of the guys were invited only Cox and Kudrow were from friends.

[@SweeranSwift]

stop trolling its embarrassing @@AdityaSharma-pc6ms

[@fr0zenintimeee]

i'm obsessed with friends interviews

[@eunice8426]

same

[@s.tiwari928]

Same

[@marciapinas425]

Yes me too 😃

[@vitaflood6677]

Same omg

[@rens9588]

i cant believe im finding you here omg fr0zenintimeee x a friends interview is the biggest crossover event in history

[@GEMINICHAI]

You can tell Matthew and Jen were very close in real life which makes me even more sad about their lack of scenes on screen. Their comedic chemistry was always on point! Cheesecake/handcuff episode, anyone? 😭

[@charlotted1321]

I think they were both the youngest and closest in age too

[@bijou201]

They had crush on each other in 1994/95

[@spencergwin9454]

Well, yeah, it's established that they were friends before the show

[@GEMINICHAI]

@@spencergwin9454 Yeah exactly, that was the point I was making in my comment

[@georginalewis837]

@@bijou201 I feel like Jen had a thing with all of them at some point lol! I always thought Matthew and her had a thing, Matt Le Blanc's dad did a tell all to the press saying that they used to make out backstage - and then we find out that her and David Schwimer were into each other!! At the end of the day she was the IT girl of the 90s, in personality and looks - they all wanted her!

[@myatyadanarhtun8637]

I really love it when Matthew laughs he always looks down and makes that little noise, it makes my heart skips a beat every time.

[@edaciouseddy3956]

28:14 43:05

[@myatyadanarhtun8637]

green blue yeah exactly what I mean! My heart is so happy.

[@scarlett2102]

green blue THANK YOU FOR SENDING THAT

[@edaciouseddy3956]

Scarlett I'm just happy to being in the same comment section with the people I feel the same

[@dvchel]

And when he introduces his own sarcasm to make jokes.😂

[@thesimpsons17]

Every video with the Friends cast, the comment section is always overflowing with love for Matthew Perry. I so hope he knows how absolutely beloved he is by us all, i hate that hes had so many struggles. And so much toxicity on social media and the gutter press about his appearance. We love you Matthew

[@gitikakar685]

People love him anyways ! 🤩

[@hardika5512]

Yea he is the best

[@FatimaSorianoOfficial]

Amen to that! I hope all the love we're all pouring out here for him makes up for all that junk they publish about him. Love Matthew!

[@_max_250]

rip the legend… the best actor on friends

[@thesimpsons17]

@@_max_250 heartbroken 😔 RIP Matthew Perry, still can't believe it's true

[@Lorena-rp6zq]

Matt le Blanc is so shy and cute .

[@2Dreamxxbee]

Yes, so cute

[@micheleromola7266]

How Matthew Perry gave Jen his coat because she was probably cold. Such a sweet man. I can’t believe he’s gone. 😓

[@NwaHp3]

There will NEVER be another group of people and show like this! The best has been done..

[@kylestadler743]

Could this BE any more amazing?

[@dvchel]

I guess only in a higher quality of footage, as in HD.

[@leslie6938]

I KNOW!

[@cursospremiungratis]

The very beginning - when Matthew and Jennifer were talking about how they almost weren’t able to do Friends because they had other commitments…thank god those other shows didn’t either come to fruition or got cancelled because this cast was 1000% perfect The very beginning - when Matthew and Jennifer were talking about how they almost weren’t able to do Friends because they had other commitments…thank god those other shows didn’t either come to fruition or got cancelled because this cast was 1000% perfect The very beginning - when Matthew and Jennifer were talking about how they almost weren’t able to do Friends because they had other commitments…thank god those other shows didn’t either come to fruition or got cancelled because this cast was 1000% perfect The very beginning - when Matthew and Jennifer were talking about how they almost weren’t able to do Friends because they had other commitments…thank god those other shows didn’t either come to fruition or got cancelled because this cast was 1000% perfect vThe very beginning - when Matthew and Jennifer were talking about how they almost weren’t able to do Friends because they had other commitments…thank god those other shows didn’t either come to fruition or got cancelled because this cast was 1000% perfect vThe very beginning - when Matthew and Jennifer were talking about how they almost weren’t able to do Friends because they had other commitments…thank god those other shows didn’t either come to fruition or got cancelled because this cast was 1000% perfect

[@tjhall9377]

The very beginning - when Matthew and Jennifer were talking about how they almost weren’t able to do Friends because they had other commitments…thank god those other shows didn’t either come to fruition or got cancelled because this cast was 1000% perfect

[@pamelalagree-kanotz6845]

1000%???

[@edaciouseddy3956]

a genuine matthew perry laugh 40:09 we don't hear him laugh very often. usually he is busy with making us laugh.

[@FatimaSorianoOfficial]

You're so right! You know when it gets a bit high-pitched and cute like that, it's real.

[@robertdowney2476]

Matthew comedic timing. Phenomenal.

[@tabaxikhajit4541]

Whichever Matt you mean, it's true.

[@sayanneogy3079]

I know the "Matthew Perry is Chandler in real life" Phrase is so overused... But truly speaking I will never get tired of seeing Matthew or Chandler...

[@Jessica-zt7oh]

Matt is so shy and quiet

[@kimcoffey-philbrick3058]

𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕙𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕗𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪

[@rachel.isabelle]

Was Matthew playing Chandler that whole time?? they are the same omg

[@wojtiuk7]

He said in his book that he was Chandler

[@caseystoran7435]

Matt Leblanc is so adorable

[@somitsoni2196]

Yess he looks so nervous and adorable at the same time with his head down and adjusting his Coat.

[@carriefletcher4156]

god hes adorable

[@ipekkomurcu]

I had no idea they did this!!!!!

[@mitchellhughes5180]

I know. I didn’t know they did these back in the day.

[@saurabhbandyopadhyay6310]

Perry is driving the conversation here. It's totally opposite than the Reunion in HBO. Watching Perry in HBO made me feel sad.

[@thrz6776]

probably bcs the rumors are true about perry didn't like the concept of their reunion

[@542pixie1]

@@thrz6776 i think he’s just in a bad place and he knew he’s gonna het hate over his appearance and slurring

[@PillyPolly]

He was in agony in the reunion as he had a surgery on his teeth.

[@eileencalabro7909]

No, the rumors were just rumors. Some of the BULLSH&T that was going out there was extremely hurtful, and made things worse for Matthew .SOCIAL MEDIA SUCKS

[@mred4061]

​@@PillyPolly yes, that is true. He had a dental emergency the first day of shooting the reunion. He was in agony w pain

[@carriefletcher4156]

when the marta kauffman said i love you to matt and he said back i love you too was so cute

[@ChiranjibiDewangan]

Don’t miss 42:51 The true Chandler in Matthew just bubbled up 😂. You’ll always be missed Matthew for all the good deeds and laughter you shared with the world ❤

[@MaxSharma1989]

So nice to see all of these guys and gals in their prime where they look great and sound so enthusiastic. These 6 people were the biggest TV stars of the 90s along with the cast of Seinfeld. Pre-Internet, celebrity was a rare commodity and the fact that even in that day & age they acknowledged the writers by giving them equal airtime along with the stars of the show speaks volumes 👍👍👍👍

[@cursospremiungratis]

Jen using Matthew's jacket to cover her legs and keep them warm is the sweetest thing ever. Friendship goals Here after Perry's sad demise. It's too, too sad that he is gone. Acerbic wit with perfect timing! What a gem of a person. RIP, dear Matthew. Your legacy lives on through Chandler and in the great work you did with helping people out with their problems. You can tell Matthew and Jen were very close in real life which makes me even more sad about their lack of scenes on screen. Their comedic chemistry was always on point! Cheesecake/handcuff episode, anyone? 😭 Every video with the Friends cast, the comment section is always overflowing with love for Matthew Perry. I so hope he knows how absolutely beloved he is by us all, i hate that hes had so many struggles. And so much toxicity on social media and the gutter press about his appearance. We love you Matthew

[@t.f_2315]

the writers for friends crack the best jokes. No wonder it is the best sitcom

[@netflixfaiza6229]

You may rest in peace Matthew 💔💔💔😢😢😢😢

[@sujitmahadik8392]

I came here after watching Friends: Reunion (27May2021). Finally something good happened in 2021 after the Covid in 2020. Thank you F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

[@rossen8384]

Yes me too!

[@lorielynmartinez7312]

Me too!!

[@leahbloom3752]

i kinda liked joey better when he was smart in the first season

[@helenas7605]

Me too, in the last season its just ridiculos how dumb they are making him look

[@mfagamer843]

@@helenas7605 yeah ikr, they could have at least given him some character development. It was annoying though LeBlanc played it well nonetheless

[@reallife231a]

Not much attention and credit has been given to the writers, producers and directors part in making Friends such a huge success.

[@jillrb7638]

omg that is not true. They have always spoken about the incredible writing and how the show would suck if not for that.

[@yamil.343]

It’s still surreal he’s gone.

[@lukav7348]

If Lisa kudrow was there her laugh would just have me dying the whole time

[@wojtiuk7]

Her laugh is hilarious! She makes me laugh so hard with her laugh.

[@SS-eriously]

It's funny and interesting to see how free everyone is, not worried that their words might be twisted, misinterpreted in social media the seconds they said it. It' s just fun without consequences

[@ericaespinosa4030]

I know.. right? I miss that. We live in a very sad annoying world where every one has to watch everything they say. I miss how free things used to be.

[@Irishgui83]

​@@ericaespinosa4030 lol no we don't. The only people who should be sad are hate mongers and bigots who are now held accountable for hate speech they use. Everyone else can continue being as free with our words that we've always been.

[@jackiesmalley3339]

You can really see how the writers in the early seasons reflected in the scripts!!

[@CharoArtundo1]

33:28 - 34:04 this moment right here! I can only see rachel, joey and chandler having a conversation

[@gracielakh]

Mathew we love you ❤️

[@tigress1girl]

35:02 Matthew lay his head down on Jen's shoulder

[@theR0NIN]

Matt LeBlanc sure was quiet...

[@youxarexmyxsunshine]

LOL 😂 I think Matt is more shy and quieter than most his co-workers.

[@briannacripps3065]

Has anyone ever noticed how Jennifer Aniston is always with Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry in interviews and photoshoots? She's always right next to them.

[@NatalieMllr]

That's not quite true. They were all in different positions.

[@kaerka87]

I think it’s rare for the producers to honour cast natural characters and let them fit it into the show. Often they just dictate how the characters should…I think letting them be themselves as well as play the roles really made this a success

[@karro_thatisall]

Matt is adorable!

[@henri191]

Matt Leblanc and Matthew Perry ❤

[@pillboy]

I don't know y this does not have millions of views!!

[@mfagamer843]

I think it will one day - not much people have found this yet😂

[@rufersalonky9547]

Matthew is such a chandler lol

[@simpysompywomb5470]

0:30 Jennifer laughing at Marta Kauffmans laugh was so cute 😭😭

[@ellenrose3274]

Thanks for uploading the full panels. Could the parenthood panel from March 7, 2013 be next? Stay safe and healthy everyone 💛

[@Noah_ol11]

Friends Forever 💚

[@Ghanshyam00000]

Also, I got too smitten with friends' interviews I would've seen a lot of interviews like all the six characters in the friend sitcom one of my favorite characters in friend sitcom is Chandler

[@boneappletea3858]

I always thought it was odd that the phones worked during the blackout episode.

[@kritikadhawan6299]

I am here after the reunion...

[@mafalda2319]

Jen is just wow 😍

[@SmartVideosJarkaWatched]

I wonder which characters the actors would get on those "which FRIENDS-character are you"-quizzes

[@geerace9861]

That’s a really good wonder actually

[@udayjeetsingh9585]

Look at Mathew he looks great yaar and excellent sense of humor

[@user-ls1lu7gu4u]

It’s ironic that Matthew and Jennifer had a close bond and in theory they could of ended up married because the writers originally wanted Courtney for Rachel which would of made Jennifer Monica.

[@suleihayasin536]

But it's so good Courtney got monica and jen got Rachel . Chandler and monica made the greatest pair according to me. They were just amazing, never expected the twist but their love story was and will always be amazing. Really miss them all.

[@wojtiuk7]

They actually tried out for each others roles & Courtney said she'd rather be Monica & Jennifer Rachel

[@estebancomulet]

Was this only in 1996? By the way they're speaking it feels like it had already been on the air for 3-5 years...and I'm sure it started in 1994...wasn't 'the Rachel' big in 97?

[@jtr549]

If you want to show someone why not to do hard drugs just show them the before and after of Matthew Perry, the man was so quick and sharp.

[@sajalgupta-p1v]

Imagine this whole interaction without Matthew Perry. It would be just ordinary.

[@valmacclinchy]

Heartbreaking to lose him so young. But at least he was able to write his book, and open a recovery place in CA. He said he wanted to be remembered for helping other people who struggle with addiction. RIP Matthew Perry

[@valmacclinchy]

​@@sajalgupta-p1vI can't imagine the show at all without Matthew Perry 💔

[@kathrynsmart1639]

Thank you so so much for uploading this 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[@rudrajitdey2910]

That was the problem, Ross and Rachel got together too fast and which led to that problems later on. Also it gave the iconic status to it.

[@leslie6938]

I’m sure I’m in the minority, but I wasn’t as invested in Ross and Rachel being together as most viewers. I liked the idea of them getting together and the build up to it and I was initially glad when they got together. I started to dislike Ross though, because of all the negative qualities they gave his character when he and Rachel were together. He became jealous, and insecure almost to the point of stalkerish, and selfish and unsupportive of Rachel’s happiness and excitement about finding the perfect career that paradoxically made her character a lot more interesting within the show and more likable to me. She gained confidence and lost the spoiled, irresponsible, shallow, pretty daddy’s girl personality that is such a common character type I probably would’ve gotten bored with her and might’ve started to dislike her too. (One of the things I loved about Friends was seeing the six in their various workplaces and occupations, fun and interesting to get all those workplace-comedy vignettes within the show that was not a workplace comedy.) I didn’t really think this deeply about the characters while the show was running, but I’ve seen every episode so many times now I usually know the exact dialog coming next. Just to wrap up on Rachel and Ross, they also had him sleep with the copy girl 5 minutes after they were on a break (lol) which made Ross unlikeable in a way that was completely opposite of clingy Ross.and again felt out of character for that character. I loved the whole we-were-on-a break running argument and I thought both R and R were more interesting apart. Ross went back to being more normal and likeable (except when they turned him into a rageaholic over a sandwich.). I was satisfied with getting R & R back together at the very end. I wouldn’t have wanted anything else for them, and I’m glad I don’t have to see Ross turn back into what happened to him last time. He was sure headed in that direction though with all of his conniving to manipulate Rachel into staying in NY instead of going to Paris. I did like Monica and Chandler together, a whole lot. Didn’t see their pairing coming so that was a fantastic twist that... If I don’t stop writing now there’s no telling how long this will go on and on and on. Bye now to anyone who made it this far! 😅

[@jadedjimmy]

@@leslie6938 I feel like that’s not the unpopular opinion at all, that’s how most people feel about Ross

[@karencincoitta3166]

I love Joey still I watch A man with a plan and he is just as adorable now. And it feels good to know they are all still the same age as me. Lol

[@NicoAngelus]

Please upload the Buffy panel from 1998.

[@elykalontar3847]

Why wasn’t this on the complete series BLU-RAY - why did I pay $150.00 for the whole series only to be deprived of this feature!!!!

[@tigress1girl]

13:40 Did anybody hear what did Matt say?

[@cerisskies]

"Does it mean what I think it means?" referring to the word "surreal"

[@fatyethot2519]

Jen just wow! Rachel’s my fav in Friends cioz of Jen.

[@eddacledera]

Jen is very gorgeous.

[@BDOS-98]

Ver o Matthew assim na entrevista e ver ele agora na reunião do elenco me deixou um pouco triste. Desejo muita força a ele

[@anehall01]

Não fique! Ele está bem. Tinha passado por uma cirurgia dentária de emergência no mesmo dia e estava com dor, por isso estava daquele jeito. Vi também que ele está noivo e feliz 😊

[@marianat1393]

​@@anehall01então...

[@ChannelStyle1]

❤#FRIENDS❣

[@Chloe-sb5ww]

Wish Courteney and Lisa were there💖

[@dvchel]

David was here neither. Perhaps they had other priorities as in interviews, auditions or simply wanting to spend some time with family.

[@krishikabalakrishnan7019]

@@dvchel these were the most liked, famous and iconic of the six so i'd be able to understand if monica (Courtney), Phoebe (Lisa) or Ross (David)

[@krishikabalakrishnan7019]

... were never asked

[@Chloe-sb5ww]

Krishika Balakrishnan weren’t they?

[@envirocat]

Mentioned they were at other events

[@rajscorpion4]

to me ... leblanc and jennifer have always shared a fantastic chemistry on and off screen ... but sadly its highly under rated

[@NatalieMllr]

I looked and looked and I couldn't find the chemistry

[@vminkookk5670]

​@@NatalieMllrheyy stop this

[@eileencalabro7909]

What in the world are babbling about?🤦‍♀️

[@nitetimerxdio2762]

18 days before I was born

[@n_km23]

I Love Matthew!!!

[@MothproofKT]

Writers: “We’re working on Friends Go To Japan Cuts to Joey’s “Ichiban for Men” commercial 😂 💄

[@ayatmuahaha]

The show was about BAG OF CHANDLERS not BAGGAGE HANDLERS

[@langdonalger9219]

That sounds dark

[@yanan4249]

Well, I loved when Joe was smart. I really think they went over the top with his naivety bordering on stupidity. That was not that funny by season 6 and after that it became just boring.

[@boomds5602]

Honestly there was other smart characters, it was way more funny that he was kind of dumb

[@carolandrews9406]

Where are Courteney, Lisa and David ?

[@WatchMySmoke]

Wondered the same

[@lucaswilliams4476]

It does explain it, Lisa was doing Saturday night Live that week, David doing a theatre show and they couldn't remember what Courtney was doing

[@parodiertilsigkajhehe3364]

33:00

[@MoisePicard-mk1nt]

Rest In Peace Matt ❤

[@user-tl4mk4en7n]

3:19

[@tykeandjonsieshow3595]

That guy who used the word "hip" in a serious way 😂

[@mreynolds1973]

Marta and her laugh! Omg

[@SSerebraSSana]

Could Marta Kaufman BE any more annoying? I bet Maggie Wheeler (Janice) took inspiration from her for the signature Janice laugh. It's really mindboggling that such a creepy weirdo group of seriously unfunny writers were able to write such a hilarious show. Really says a lot about how great the actors were. BTW note the strange eye movement and the devil horns getting flashed at 19:19.

[@adeeasrauf1710]

Ik i was thinking the sane thing. She hogged almost each question, and was pretty obnoxious. It's the same thing w the Gilmore Girls' writer Amy palladino. Exact same arrogant behaviour It's so annoyinggggg

[@CompleteMuffin]

@@adeeasrauf1710 she's the brain, heart and soul behind the show. it's her baby, the actors are there but she makes the most detailed decisions about what happened in it. i don't get why people never want to listen to the showrunners/writers.

[@MothproofKT]

Dude go outside and get some fresh air!

[@MothproofKT]

@@CompleteMuffin I know. People will just complain about anything. By the way, haute such nice people in real life too. Especially Klarik and Crane

[@jadedjimmy]

I get what you’re saying, she’s obviously very skilled in writing funny stories & plots but you totally wouldn’t get that just based off this interview 😂

[@ananthunath4450]

Who is that women on spec? She is always interfere when others are talking.

[@inga1721]

The lady in grey? She co-created friends, she is the creator, the writer, the soul.

[@ananthunath4450]

@@inga1721 whoever she is it's not a good behavior to interfere when someone is talking.

[@Keezie27]

​@@ananthunath4450I agree and she laughs (loudly) at everything. Annoying.

[@pedersenist]

Didn't know the had that many writers.

[@KeiraMorgan-xu1tz]

25:44 40:08

[@omega-male5493]

Broo....did that guy OUT Ellen DeGenerea a year before she actually came out as a lesbian???

[@andorgaraczi2288]

Yep On April 30, 1997, Ellen DeGeneres publicly came out as gay on her ABC sitcom

[@jadedjimmy]

Okay why does the girl speaking at 23:58 sound like she could only be out of the 80s/90s

[@liam89th]

Matthew, I'm the same. Always terrible approaching women.

[@amoolyanarayan2148]

Looks like Crane is really pissed with Bright

[@misterbobby8913]

Who's Bright?

[@mikeysexton1166]

why so?

[@tomo9126]

RIP MP

[@DefinitiveMedia22]

Seriously, chandler does this so effortlessly, he could have been a way bigger star than Jenifer Aniston if he didn't have a drinking problem, I feel so bad for him, he was so smart, witty and quick, he could have easily been up there competing with Jim Carey, like how Stallone and Arnold were

[@karinpalizgir9965]

13:40

[@ellendickinson6570]

Fair

[@GoldenDelicious78]

annoying laughter from some of them...

[@alyssaargent539]

Marta Kaufman’s laugh is worse than Janice’s.

[@HS-up7lk]

@@alyssaargent539 I don't find Janice's laugh annoying it's actually funny, Martha's laugh is very annoying

[@Keezie27]

​@@HS-up7lkAgreed. Very loud and annoying laugh.

[@Keezie27]

The only person whose laugh was annoying here imo was Marta's. She laughed at things that weren't even funny. The others were fine.

[@citylily]

Really wished they had released the Phoebe Buffay album. Comment your favorite non-Smelly Cat song below! I love the shower song: 🎵 Tagren spelled backwards is nergat! 🎵

[@yohann5235]

I don’t think it’s any strange way Mathew perry did amphetamin and alcohol.. da ppl behind da show don’t only killed changer they killed Mathew’s spirit too. I understand him.

[@Cici07xxx]

How have I never seen this before!!🦋

[@TinLeadHammer]

Martha Kaufman's laughter is unbearable.

[@sherwinpinugu]

legs and thigh

[@dennymedia1886]

22:00

[@rufersalonky9547]

Rossel

[@dusthue]

Rachel seems like that she doesn’t want to deal with Joey. That’s my opinion. Come on Matt say more next time.

[@gloriaachkar9867]

I think if Jen have Matt a chance it would of changed both their lives for the better

[@sunkara8158]

Unfortunately she deeply loved him like a brother. And that’s an absolute disaster waiting to happen if people with feelings like that get into a romantic relationship. It would not help anyone as much as I’d have loved to see that happen instead of him going down the route he took and her getting involved with that prick Pitt.

[@sajalgupta-p1v]

@gloria You have great instincts to read between the lines. Also the answer as to why she hesitated is given subtly by LeBlanc in this video.

[@varunshahvo-tv9854]

He's dead now

[@Billygoatsgrruff]

terrible writers. Watching back over, it was very repetitive dialogue. They said words like, Sex, porn, weird and oh my God far too much. That's just lazy writing. They wrote the women to be ok with having their male friends sexualise them and as though all women thought porn was ok. They wrote Joey as a complete moron who got laughs for using women? Really? Most the dialogue wasn't funny, just watch minus the laugh track and you'll see. A lot of it was awkward, hence the actors reactions to a lot of the dialogue, and they couldn't get continuity right. Turns out it was just a soap opera for women with some comedy mixed in. I will never understand the hype