Filming Friends’ Fountain Opening Was a Miserable Experience

Lisa Kudrowthe actor behind the character of Phoebe Buffay on the hit sitcom friendsThe show's producers have said that filming the opening scene of the series “was a nightmare.” Part of the show's legacy is its playful tone, perfectly delivered in the opening credits of each episode, with the six New Yorkers frolicking in a fountain and on a couch in the middle of the park while The Rembrandts play their song “I'll Be There for You.” The problem is that, apparently, during filming, it wasn't all smiles and laughter.

As Screen Rant reported, during an appearance on Conan O'Brien's podcast, Conan O'Brien needs a friend.Kudrow revealed details of the shoot, which took place while the cast was still getting to know each other and the future of the show was still up in the air. Fortunately, the late Matthew Perry, aka Chandler Bing, appears to have saved the day off-camera.

“Honest with God,
Calling those titles in the fountain was a nightmare.
You know, I don't like discomfort at all. I don't like mild discomfort, whatever it is.
And that fountain was cold, and it was very late at night, and we had done what I think was 500 takes of dancing.
– Dancing without motivation is hard too, isn't it? It's really hard. Then the question comes, “Hey! What if you play with this scarf?”, and you're like, “No! I don't want to! It's not funny!” You were really a joy!”

Kudrow then goes on to talk about how freeing Perry's presence was:

”
And it was so cold, we had to keep filming, and Matthew said, “We're going to do another take,” and he said, “Another take? Okay. I can't remember a time when I wasn't in a fountain. Seriously, I can't remember a time when I wasn't wet.”
What are we? Wet? Are we wet in a fountain? What? Are we dancing in a fountain?… They haven't written it for him yet,
I don't know when I've laughed so hard, and I just – so I'm not kidding, you see us laughing, and it's because he just said, “Are we ready? Are we going again? Are we going again? Are we going again?” And I just hysterically laughed, and that's in the headlines.
”

You can be part of the iconic opening sequence of Friends.

Well, sort of. The opening sequence in friends This is one of those shows that doesn’t make you hit “skip intro” right away when it starts airing. It’s engaging, refreshing, and such a part of pop culture that it makes you want to spend 20+ minutes in front of the TV because you know you’re going to get a few laughs. The producers behind the show knew how important this moment was, so they decided to do something about it.

If you’re headed to Los Angeles and find yourself planning a studio tour, you’ll likely want to take the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. No matter which option you choose (there are several), part of the tour involves sitting on a fake couch in front of the real studio. friends The fountain where the opening scene was filmed. Yes, it looks like they actually moved the fountain to give fans the chance to recreate part of their favorite opening scene. As you settle into your couch, you’ll find yourself singing along to the song you’ve listened to countless times. But who knows, you might also find yourself walking on a patch of grass where Phoebe tried to run like a madman while Rachel looked embarrassed. Exactly, the studio tour also includes a walk over the area that resembles a piece of Central Park where Phoebe did her famous run.

friends

release date

September 22, 1994

Seasons

10