Jennifer Aniston NEARLY missed out on playing Rachel in Friends
OMG
Author: Emma DoddsPublished 4th Oct 2018 Last updated 5th Oct 2018
Friends is now an iconic piece of history. Despite the fact that it only finished airing 14 years ago, it's already a staple piece of our culture. The six main actors - Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt Le Blanc - will forever be known as their fictional counterparts. In our hearts, at least.
But according to some BRAND NEW INFORMATION, Jennifer Aniston very nearly missed out on the role of Rachel Green, as fellow actress Tiffani Amber Thiessen claims she was almost offered the part.
The 44-year-old, who is best known for her performance as Kelly Kapowski in Saved By The Bell, opened up to Nikki Glaser on her Sirius XM radio show to reveal that she was shortlisted for the role.
The Beverley Hills 90210 star said, "Did you know I tested for Friends, for Jennifer Aniston?. I was just a little too young. I was a little too young to the pairing of the rest of them," before adding that she found 49-year-old JenAn "very, very funny."
Swipe through to see what your favourite TV shows were very nearly called...
Friends
We all know and love it as Friends, but the TV show could have been called something very different...
Jennifer Aniston NEARLY missed out on playing Rachel in Friends
2 of 20
NavyNCIS
Starring Duane Henry, Emily Wickersham, and Wilmer Valderrama (above) NCIS was originally going to be called NavyNCIS.
Friends
We all know and love it as Friends, but the TV show could have been called something very different...
Six of One
Six Of One just doesn't have the same ring to it! Here are the cast Jennifer Aniston, Matt Le Blanc, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow,
Only Fools and Horses
We know it as Only Fools and Horses with Del Boy's infamous Reliant Regal Supervan.
Readies or Big Brother
But it was originally due to be called Readies or Big Brother. Good job they went with Only Fools and Horses, then!
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory could have been called something a lot less catchy...
Lenny, Penny and Kenny
Yep - Sheldon was very nearly called Kenny!
Saturday Night Live
US variety show Saturday Night Live is well known around the world - here's Star Wars actor Adam Driver introducing the show.
Hannah Montana, was a musical comedy starring Miley Cyrus in the lead role and was named after the main character, but it could have been very different.
Alexis Texas
The lead character was originally going to be called Alexis Texas... Which means that the show would also have been called Alexis Texas!
Lost
The gripping TV show Lost, starring Terry O'Quinn as John Locke (pictured), kept people guessing the ending for years.
Nowhere
Lost could have been called Nowhere!
New Girl
Known as New Girl, the TV show starring Zooey Deschanel as kooky teacher Jess Day could have been called something else entirely.
Chicks and D---s
While New Girl was the name they finally settled on, it had a much ruder working title - and Zooey Deschanel refused to sign onto the project whilst that was the name.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Supernatural TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer was a hit in the late 90s and early 00s. It was named after the lead character Buffy Summers, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Slayers
It was originally going to be called Slayers.
The Good Wife
Known as The Good Wife, the TV series starred Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart (pictured), as a top litigator and senior partner of a Chicago law firm.
Leave the B-----d
The series, which also starred Sex and the City's Chris Noth (pictured), was originally going to be called Leave the B-----d.
NCIS
NCIS finished its 14th season earlier this year - this moment is from the gripping season finale.
NavyNCIS
Starring Duane Henry, Emily Wickersham, and Wilmer Valderrama (above) NCIS was originally going to be called NavyNCIS.
Friends
We all know and love it as Friends, but the TV show could have been called something very different...
Six of One
Six Of One just doesn't have the same ring to it! Here are the cast Jennifer Aniston, Matt Le Blanc, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow,
Only Fools and Horses
We know it as Only Fools and Horses with Del Boy's infamous Reliant Regal Supervan.
Readies or Big Brother
But it was originally due to be called Readies or Big Brother. Good job they went with Only Fools and Horses, then!
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory could have been called something a lot less catchy...
Lenny, Penny and Kenny
Yep - Sheldon was very nearly called Kenny!
Saturday Night Live
US variety show Saturday Night Live is well known around the world - here's Star Wars actor Adam Driver introducing the show.
Hannah Montana, was a musical comedy starring Miley Cyrus in the lead role and was named after the main character, but it could have been very different.
Alexis Texas
The lead character was originally going to be called Alexis Texas... Which means that the show would also have been called Alexis Texas!
Lost
The gripping TV show Lost, starring Terry O'Quinn as John Locke (pictured), kept people guessing the ending for years.
Nowhere
Lost could have been called Nowhere!
New Girl
Known as New Girl, the TV show starring Zooey Deschanel as kooky teacher Jess Day could have been called something else entirely.
Chicks and D---s
While New Girl was the name they finally settled on, it had a much ruder working title - and Zooey Deschanel refused to sign onto the project whilst that was the name.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Supernatural TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer was a hit in the late 90s and early 00s. It was named after the lead character Buffy Summers, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Slayers
It was originally going to be called Slayers.
The Good Wife
Known as The Good Wife, the TV series starred Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart (pictured), as a top litigator and senior partner of a Chicago law firm.
Leave the B-----d
The series, which also starred Sex and the City's Chris Noth (pictured), was originally going to be called Leave the B-----d.
NCIS
NCIS finished its 14th season earlier this year - this moment is from the gripping season finale.
NavyNCIS
Starring Duane Henry, Emily Wickersham, and Wilmer Valderrama (above) NCIS was originally going to be called NavyNCIS.
This comes after the news that the producers very nearly had a completely different ending intended for Ross and Rachel, whose relationship was one of the main storylines throughout the 10 seasons of the show.
Executive producer and director of Friends Kevin S. Bright told Metro.co.uk that writers Marta Kauffman and David Crane changed their minds about the course of Ross and Rachel's love - and how it was originally going to run MUCH more smoothly.
He said, "I would say initially when Ross and Rachel was planned, it wasn’t planned that way, that came a little bit later. It allowed us to have fun with the show and give people something to root for.
"We were well aware the audience wanted to keep them together but everything that was keeping them apart... We realised when we got them together when the first kiss happened we thought, 'Wow, the air has kind of gone out of the balloon.' There wasn’t that sexual tension anymore.
"I thought what Marta and David did, which was such a brilliant and brave move with their relationship, as soon as everyone got their wish the wish was taken away. It made it so much better when they did get together."
Thank GOODNESS for that.
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