‘Friends’ Cast Was ‘Unhappy’ and Would Ruin Jokes Later in the Series, Writer Claims

Former Friends writer Patty Lin is spilling the tea on what it was really like behind the scenes of the hit NBC sitcom. In a feature for TIME Magazine, Lin, who joined the Friends‘ writers’ room in Season 7 and served as executive story editor, detailed her time on the series. From her nerves to writing for such a big show and the cliques and jokes that would come along with it. Even working on Friends, it wasn’t always paradise.

Lin details that while table reads and seeing “Big Stars” up close were great at first, it “wore off fast.” Seven seasons in, she could tell that the “actors seemed unhappy to be chained to a tired old show when they could be branching out.” She also felt like they all were “constantly wondering how every given script would specifically serve them.” Not only that, but Lin says that “they all knew how to get a laugh, but if they didn’t like a joke, they seemed to deliberately tank it, knowing we’d rewrite them. Dozens of good jokes would get thrown out just because one of them had mumbled the line through a mouthful of bacon.”

Of course, not every actor will like everything that is written in a script. But deliberately ruining the joke because you don’t like it is taking things a bit far. The series did last three more seasons after that, so maybe the actors weren’t as unhappy as Patty Lin thought they were. Not everything on the set of  was great, especially when it came to behind-the-scenes stuff. Like the cast demanding to be paid equally, as they should be. It does make me wonder just how many jokes didn’t make the cut, especially since there are a lot of episodes and a lot of seasons.

Writing for comedy is definitely a tough job, and not everyone thinks about the hard work that really goes into it. Not only does the script and, most importantly the jokes have to be approved by peers and the higher-ups, but it also has to go through the audience and the actors as well. Plus, being on a show for so long can have its pros and cons. At least the Friends cast still have a genuine love for the series and each other, and likely the crew as well. Especially with the ongoing WGA strike that many actors have been showing solidarity for, and not just with SAG-AFTRA.