#20. Real Life Ross And Rachel
Rachel and Ross' on-and-off-again onscreen relationship is one of the most memorable in the history of television, and they have become one of the most iconic and easily recognizable TV couples ever. The two even had a baby together, and this palpable onscreen chemistry always made fans wonder if there was something more to it than just great acting.
In 2009, The National Enquirer reported that Jennifer Aniston "wanted a baby with David Schwimmer". In that year, Aniston had just separated with Brad Pitt and was dating a lot but hadn't settled down with anybody, yet apparently wanted a family. Neither Aniston nor Schwimmer have ever confirmed these claims, and the beloved blonde remains childless.
#19. Jennifer And Paul Rudd
Long before Paul Rudd became Ant-Man, he was mostly casted in sappy rom-coms and gained somewhat of a heartthrob fame. In 1998 Rudd starred alongside Aniston in The Object of my Affection, where he played Jen's best friend with whom she falls in love with, despite him being more interested in men.
The two fell in love in real life and pursued a two-year long relationship before Aniston moved on to date Brad Pitt. According to GQ, the two met in Los Angeles as young actors trying to make it big in Hollywood and hit it off. Funnily enough, they also played a couple in the 2012 rom-com Wanderlust. When asked if it was weird to kiss on-screen, Rudd replied “we’ve made out for decades”.
#18. Sugar Daddy
Matt Le Blanc played the womanizer Joey Tribbiani for ten years, so it's really not surprising that the character and him are a bit similar in real life. After his divorce from Melissa McKnight, the actor went on to date several women including his Joey co-star, Andrea Anders, but none of his relationships seemed to last —until now.
On late 2017 Le Blanc was photographed looking very affectionate with Top Gear producer, Aurora Mulligan, and in May 2018 The Sun confirmed their relationship. What's interesting about this couple is that the Irish beauty is 17 years younger than her partner, but despite this significant age difference, the two appear to be very much in love.
#17. Sharing Is Caring
There's a universal rule in dating that everyone, despite their age, are very familiar with: if you date someone and you break up, going after their best friend is forbidden. Most people usually respect this unspoken rule —and then there's Counting Crows' frontman, Adam Duritz.
In 1995, Jennifer Aniston was enjoying her newfound fame and Counting Crows' music was everywhere. Aniston met Duritz and began a relationship that only lasted a few months before he committed the ultimate sin and dumped her for Courteney Cox —but it didn't last, either. Thankfully, the girls' friendship didn't seem to suffer, as the two remain close friends to this day.
#16. The Uninvited
Although it may seem shocking, Matthew Perry wasn't invited to Jennifer Aniston's second wedding and the reasons behind it are rather surprising. According to People, Aniston and Perry 'briefly dated' in the height of the show's popularity. In Touch Weekly reported that things got a bit uncertain between cast members when lines were being crossed, and after Friends ended, Perry and Aniston became somewhat estranged.
In fact, when asked whether the cast had been required to sign any contract soliciting that relationships remained strictly professional, David Schwimmer answered "well, that was broken". Regarding rumors of their alleged romance, neither Aniston nor Perry have confirmed its authenticity, and the latter referred to Aniston's 2015 wedding to Justin Theroux as "a surprise".
#15. Lady And The Funnyman
Unlike her sitcom alter-ego, Lisa Kudrow has been going strong and steady with her husband, Michael Stern. The two have been together since 1995, and more than twenty years later the two seem to be just as crazy about each other as the first day. But not a lot of people know that before she met her current husband, Lisa Kudrow had an unexpected relationship.
In an interview with More, the actress declared that she briefly dated talk show host and comedian Conan O’ Brien. In another interview with NY Daily News, Kudrow revealed more about their relationship, stating that they had tons of fun together and he “really encouraged” her career but that they were better off as friends.
#14. The Chick
Ok, this is somewhat of an inside joke. For anyone who isn't familiar with it, Joey adopted a pet chick and a duck, but Chandler was still unsure about the idea. The two spent most of their time watching TV with their new pets, and in one episode, while Baywatch was playing, Chandler decided to name the chick 'Yasmine Bleeth', after one of Baywatch’s gorgeous protagonists.
What makes this so funny is that Matthew Perry allegedly dated Yasmine Bleeth between 1996 and 1997, according to IB Times. Although Perry and Bleeth were spotted together on several occasions, their relationship unfortunately didn't prosper. But Bleeth is not the only one among Perry's beautiful and various conquests.
#13. America's Sweetheart
Despite playing such an awkward and insecure character, Matthew Perry had dated more than his fair share of gorgeous women on an off-screen. When doing an interview with The Daily Mail, the actor rhetorically asked himself how did he "get girls to go out with [him]" and subsequently answered that "being on Friends always seemed to help".
Well, according to the same media source of that interview, Perry surprisingly had a torrid romance with America's Sweetheart, Miss Julia Roberts. Roberts even made a guest appearance in season two, playing "Susie Underpants", a high school friend that Chandler used to bully.
#12. How You Doin'?
Everyone is familiar with Joey Tribbiani's catchphrase and his obsession to chase nearly every woman he met. In real-life, Matt Le Blanc may not be such a shameless womanizer, but he does have a bit of a reputation —which his family is not very happy with. Reflecting on his son's romantic behavior, Matt's father stated in a 2016 interview with News Australia that he "hates" what his son has come to be.
This was after his split from fellow Joey castmate, Andrea Anders. Rumors had spread that, since his separation, Le Blanc had been spiraling out of control and behaving just like his on-screen character. In fact, when the actor was filming Episodes in London a British soap actress confessed that Le Blanc had dumped her via text, with him saying "I can't see you anymore. Too much drama". Ouch.
#11. Courteney and Jim
The year was 1994 and Courteney Cox was not as famous as she would later become, still, she was being cast alongside the eccentric yet immensely talented Jim Carrey on Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Despite having a bizarre storyline that mostly revolved around dolphins, the movie provided Cox with the opportunity to really get to know the funnyman, and rumors of a romance flourished.
Celebrities can be extremely secretive about their relationships, and it's understandable. Who would like to be chased around all day by the paparazzi and not be able to enjoy intimacy without being worried about them? Unsurprisingly, both Cox and Carrey have never confirmed nor denied their alleged relationship, so we guess this will remain a mystery.
#10. The Awkward Dinner
Jon Stewart has been hosting The Daily Show since 1996, which has made him a household name. But the talk show host has also had a few uncomfortable moments, for example, in 2010 he had Jennifer Aniston as his guest and things took a bit of an awkward turn.
In the interview, Stewart mentioned that the two went on a date together but according to the talk show host it didn't go smoothly. The reasons for this failed date? Stewart took her to an Italian restaurant —and Aniston brought many of her friends along for the ride.
#9. Giovanni Ribisi And The Supermodel
Like many other sitcoms, Friends also had an ensemble of regular characters. Alongside Gunther, Rachel's Parents and Janice, there was also Phoebe's brother, Frank Buffay Jr. The foolish yet adorable character was played by Giovanni Ribisi, who is also known for his roles in Saving Private Ryan and Avatar. Unlike his sitcom counterpart, who chose to pursue a relationship with a woman twice his age, the Hollywood actor's personal life is a bit more traditional, in a showbusiness sort of way.
In 1997 he married model and actress Mariah O' Brien, but they divorced in 2001. He then had a five-year long relationship with indie songstress Chan Marshall, a.k.a Cat Power, from 2007 to 2012. But his most surprising conquest is British supermodel and actress Agyness Deyn, known for being the face of major brands like Adidas and Calvin Klein. The couple married in 2012, a few months after Ribisi’s split from Marshall, but sadly divorced three years later, in 2015.
#8. Rumor Has It
Monica and Chandler, alongside Ross and Rachel, are one of the most beloved and memorable TV couples of all time. The two shared countless funny and heartwarming moments during Friend’s ten seasons, and made fans wish they could have a relationship as wholesome as theirs. This awesome chemistry also made people wonder if there was something else going on off camera.
It's fair to say that during Friend's ten-year-long existence, the cast have expectedly grown close. Sometimes, too close. According to Hollywood Life, Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry had a real-life relationship back in 2015. A source revealed to the media outlet that this wasn't the first time they've leaned on each other; however, fans were disappointed to learn that there was no evidence to support this rumor. Still, it's fun to dream.
#7. On Set Awkwardness
Every fan remembers Joshua, the divorced shopper that Rachel had to dress when she worked at Bloomingdale's. Rachel did almost everything to try and seduce him, from throwing a fake party to wearing a revealing nightgown and eventually her efforts payed. Romance blossomed not only onscreen, but also when cameras stopped rolling.
Joshua was played by Tate Donovan, who dated Jennifer Aniston from 1995 to 1998. But time waits for no one, and while the two had split in real life they still had to shoot scenes together as their on-screen counterpart's relationship continued. According to Donovan, "working with Jennifer Aniston was awful" and having the producers throw "six episodes" at him was very painful. Even Aniston thought it was an April's Fools joke.
#6. Minnie Driver, The Heartbreaker
Back in the 90s, The Sun reported that David Schwimmer and Good Will Hunting's actress Minnie Driver were dating, and fans were happy to see Schwimmer having fun, since he hadn't had tons of relationships —unlike his Friend's costar, Matt Le Blanc.
In 2016, while Le Blanc senior was venting all of his son's affairs to News Australia, Minnie Driver's name popped up. According to the man, Driver was one of the countless women his son had messed around with during his reckless post-marital bender.
#5. Odd Couple
Heather Graham is an actress mostly known for her role on 1999's Austin Powers, and although she made some TV show appearances, the actress kind of disappeared for a few years. In 2003, during her acting hiatus, she began a torrid romance with Matthew Perry, who was at the height of his fame. Their relationship didn't last, and they both moved on to other projects and other affairs.
Back in 2014, more than ten years after Perry and Graham's breakup, The Daily Mail predicted some rather uncomfortable filming when the media outlet reported that the exes would be starring in a sitcom, The Odd Couple. Not only that, but they would also be playing exes. Sadly, Graham never showed up on the cast list, and we wonder if it had something to do with the fact that she dated Perry, despite ending it all in apparent good terms.
#4. Breaking Renée's Heart
While Matthew Perry is a notorious heartbreaker, The Diary of Bridget Jones' actress and two-time Oscar winner Renée Zellweger is known for having her heart broken countless times. The actress dated many Hollywood stars, including Jim Carrey, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper and, surprisingly, Matthew Perry.
According to The Mirror, the stars dated for a few months back in 2002 after a chance encounter at a party. According to an anonymous source, the two had met before but that night romance blossomed between them. Still, their romance was short-lived, and the actress took a break from Hollywood life before returning with her Oscar-winning performance as Judy Garland in 2019.
#3. Janice And Mulder
It's hard to mention Janice and not think of her annoying yet iconic catchphrase, "OH.MY.GOD". The character, played by Maggie Wheeler, will be forever remember as the whiniest, clingiest, most unnecessarily dramatic background characters ever. But outside of Janice, Maggie Wheeler has had a prolific career and romantic life.
Years after the ending of Friends, Wheeler regularly appeared alongside David Duchovny in Showtime’s Californication, where she played Ophelia Robbins. The two had known each other for years, and according to EW, had a relationship long before Friends had even started. Although it didn't last, Duchovny and Wheeler ended on good terms.
#2. A Day Off With Ferris Bueller
Four years before Jennifer Aniston got her big break by starring as Rachel Green on Friends, the actress was struggling and appearing in shows that had little to no success. After making her debut in the failed sitcom Molloy, Aniston was cast in the TV adaptation of the emblematic movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off alongside Charlie Schlatter, with whom she had a brief romance which Aniston herself has reflected on in recent years.
The show was unsuccessful and was cancelled after just one season but at least provided Aniston a steamy and chaotic romance with her co-star. According to NY Daily News, the entire cast thought the young actress was beautiful, but it was Schlatter who got a chance with her. The awkward part is that Jennifer Aniston played Schlatter's sister. Thankfully, there were no family ties involved in the next one.
#1. Almost Famous
In 2017, and to celebrate Matt Le Blanc's 50th birthday, IB Times had a look at the actor's life. They revealed some interesting facts, for example, Le Blanc's first acting gig was in a Heinz Tomato Ketchup commercial back in 1987. But the article didn't just center around his career, but also his messy personal life.
IB Times reported that Le Blanc had briefly dated Kate Hudson in the late 90s, when she was still relatively unknown. Hudson is the daughter of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson, so she was familiar with the Hollywood scene but still hadn't gotten her big break, which came with her role as Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous.