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Friends could have looked drastically different. Stephen Colbert once auditioned for a cameo, while Joey's twin Carl almost played Joey for real during the casting stages.

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Ultimately, we really can't imagine a different cast, as the show thrived for ten seasons. Behind the scenes, things were also just as great, though there were some awkward moments at times. Here's one of them, featuring James Michael Tyler, Lisa Kudrow, and Lisa Kudrow's husband.

James Michael Tyler Had Little Expectations When He Started On Friends

James Michael Tyler certainly didn't know what to expect when he agreed to do Friends. As far as he knew, the show was airing for at least six episodes and in addition, all he had to do was be in the background near an espresso machine at the coffee house. Although the role didn't sound like much at the time, we can safely say that Tyler made the correct decision.

He recalls the casting process, "I’d worked with the assistant director, Joel Wang, and he gave me the call. He said, ‘Hey, do you want to come on and be in the background in a coffee shop? I would love you to just stand by the espresso machine and pretend like you’re actually really working it, just so it would look authentic. The show will probably go about six episodes at least.’ No one really expected until after that first season that it was going to continue. And 10 years! Who would have thought?"

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Tyler admitted that the show changed drastically after the first season, moving to a bigger studio. Not only that, but Tyler's Gunther character would also be fed lines and turn into an iconic part of the sitcom.

He had so many wonderful moments on the show, however, there was an awkward scene he did not feel entirely comfortable shooting alongside Lisa Kudrow.

Gunther's Kiss With Phoebe Turned Awkward Due To Kudrow's Husband Standing In The Background

Especially during the earlier seasons, Phoebe found herself in some odd predicaments. One of them, saw Phoebe try to purposely get sick, due to how it altered her singing voice.

Well, in an attempt to stay sick, Phoebe was all over Gunter when she found out he had a cold. The scene was truly hilarious and light-hearted, though the actor recalls the vibe being a weird one, given that Kudrow's husband was backstage for the moment.

"I love Lisa, but it was weird because her husband was there when we shot. He was standing there! But that was great. I just adore Lisa and think she’s a marvelous person and fantastic actor, so that was a really fun scene. I told her I’d brush my teeth right before the scene and have some gum or something."

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This wasn't a first, as the cast typically brought their loved ones on-set - this included Brad Pitt during his time with Jennifer Aniston. Eddie Cahill who played Tag was also incredibly nervous meeting Pitt backstage, not only due to the actor's fame but given his relationship with Aniston on-camera.

James Michael Tyler Had Several Favorite Moments On The Show

The late James Michael Tyler had a few memorable scenes - he discussed some of his favorites alongside EW. Of course, perhaps the most emotional was the final send-off scene alongside Jennifer Aniston. Tyler was grateful that his character was given some closure during the finale. Though he would further reveal that shooting the scene was exactly easy.

"They didn’t have to add that but it was a nice thing for them to do to close out that character,” he says. “It was a really difficult scene for me and Jennifer to shoot because we were both in tears. She would look at me and burst into tears and I would burst into tears. The makeup and hair people were not very happy with us, but we got through it.”

We can safely say that Tyler made the sitcom that much better, despite the fact that he started on the show as basically an extra.

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