NBC’s iconic sitcom Friends is one of the most beloved TV shows of all time. Seventeen years after going off the air, fans are still passionate about the six New Yorkers trying to navigate their 20s and 30s. But back in 1994 when it premiered, no one could have predicted the show's phenomenal success. But Courteney Cox — whose catch phrase as Monica Gellar was, appropriately, “I know!” — actually did seem to have a good bit of confidence about the role, according to And Just Like That… star Kristin Davis.
Kristin Davis, who plays Charlotte York in the Sex and the City universe, spoke recently about her early acting days, saying she — along with “like 8,000 young ladies” — auditioned for the part of Monica on Friends that would ultimately go to Courteney Cox. Davis said she and Cox hung out back then, and Cox had a pretty bold reaction after reading for the part, Davis said on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Courteney and I were in the same yoga class at the time. And we used to hang out. The rest of us were like unemployed actor, waitresses types, and we would hang out after class, and one day Courteney was like, ‘Hey guys, do you want to come car shopping with me?’ We were like, ‘Wow, car shopping.’ And she said, ‘I did this pilot. I’m feeling really good about it. I think I’m going to buy a Porsche!’ We were like ‘Wow! Is she for real?’ And it was Friends. And it did go very well.
Yes, I’d say it did go pretty well. Courteney Cox must have had a really good feeling about the success of the show to be talking about buying a car before the series even premiered — and a Porsche at that! I'd have maybe sprung for an expensive bottle of wine, but clearly Cox knows how to splurge. Luckily for her, it worked out, and any big spending that was done after beating out Kristin Davis and many, many more to play Monica Gellar could be easily justified.
Things worked out well for Kristin Davis, too, as she joined HBO’s Sex and the City in 1998 for a role that she continues today on the HBO Max series And Just Like That… Davis also made a guest appearance on Friends, playing one of Joey’s love interests, Erin, in Season 7.
Perhaps there was a little bit of art imitating life for Courteney Cox and her preferred mode of transportation? In Season 7, the same season as Kristin Davis’ appearance, Monica inherited a Porsche from her father, who felt guilty for letting her childhood memories get ruined in a flood.
You can catch Kristin Davis on HBO Max’s And Just Like That…, which is currently streaming, and you can relive all of Courteney Cox as Monica Gellar, as all 10 seasons of Friends are streaming on HBO Max, along with the reunion special that premiered earlier this year. Be sure to take a peek at our 2022 TV schedule to see what’s coming up.
