"Joey wouldn't do that"
After ten years of being there for us, Friends left our screens in 2004 – leaving a Central Perk shaped hole in our hearts – and we’re still not over it.
Yes, it may have been 18 years since Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Monica, Phoebe and Joey made their last appearances but it still feels like it was just yesterday.
We’re still deeply invested in Rachel and Ross’ tumultuous relationship, we’ve never given up hope on Parker (Alec Baldwin) coming back into our lives, and we can’t believe how quickly the Friends children have grown up. Are we the only ones confused by our feelings for Ben now that he’s grown up and starring in Riverdale?
But it’s not Cole Sprouse or the Friends reunion that became a conversation topic this week. Instead it was the characters, Rachel and Joey, that made news as it emerged that both actors strongly objected to their most famous storyline.
Yes, Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston were reportedly uncomfortable with the storyline where Joey and Rachel date.
In an interview with Express.co.uk, Dr Simone Cox, one of the brains behind Friends: A Reading of the Sitcom, explained how Matt LeBlanc in particular was heavily against the storyline.
Recalling her conversation with one of the Executive Producers, Kevin S. Bright, Dr Simone Cox explained: "He told us when they first started floating the idea of a storyline involving Joey developing feelings for Rachel that Matt LeBlanc was very uncomfortable with this.
"He said these actors were so invested in their characterisations, and Matt LeBlanc’s objection was: 'Joey wouldn’t do that.'"
Cox continued: "Joey is many things: He’s a womaniser; he is into his food; but he’s also a very loyal friend. So Joey would never go for Rachel because that would be devastating for Ross. But in this case they went for it because, I guess, they thought they would get some interesting storylines."
And Matt LeBlanc wasn’t alone, with Jennifer Aniston reported to also be against the storyline.
"It had to be a crush, and it had to be more funny than emotional, otherwise, this arc would go from risky to unwatchable," Kelsey Miller, author of I’ll Be There for You: The One About Friends, has previously explained of Jennifer Aniston’s opinions of the season 9 relationship.
Jen reportedly insisted that Rachel’s attraction for Joey could not be love and had to be purely physical, with it always being about Rachel and Ross.
Well, that’s that.
