A big part of what made watching FRIENDS so fun is that the six friends had their own love lives that made up for interesting plot twists. And while they moaned about being unlucky in love, it was the experience that counted.
We are taking a look at the top seven love affairs in FRIENDS. These brief flings gave us some of the best cameos in television history. Think Julia Roberts, who was, in fact, dating Matthew Perry at the time. Scroll down for some of our favorite love interests from the popular sitcom.
Reese Witherspoon as Jill and her fling with Ross
Reese Witherspoon played the role of Jill, Rachel’s spoilt younger sister, and had a brief fling with Ross. In an episode titled ‘The One with Rachel’s Sister,’ she essayed the character who engaged in flirtations with Ross, much to Rachel’s chagrin. This comes at a time when Rachel and Ross were broken up and were in their ‘we were on a break’ phase.
However, witnessing Jill and Ross flirtatiously, Rachel gets jealous and wants to do everything she can to nip it in the bud. One of the famous lines from the episode that stayed with Witherspoon till decades later is one where Rachel orders her, “I say, you can’t have Ross,” to which Jill replies, “Can’t have? Can’t have? The only thing I can’t have is dairy.”
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Geoffrey Lower as Alan and Monica from season 1
In the first season of FRIENDS, Lower plays Alan, Monica’s love interest, who is loved deeply by the other five friends. In the episode ‘The One With The Thumb’, we see that Monica and Alan started strong, but soon Monica wanted to break things off with him because she felt that he was ‘too Alan’.
However, things take a dramatic turn because he is Monica’s only boyfriend, who is liked by all her FRIENDS. They went to attend games together, and he was also the one to convince Chandler to stop smoking. Therefore, when the time came for Monica to tell them that she would break up with him, the five of them were distraught. What was funny, though, is that when Monica broke up with Alan, he shared that he had a great time with Monica but couldn’t stand her friends.
Elle Macpherson as Janine and Joey from season 6
Janine Lecroix appeared on the show as Joey’s roommate briefly after Chandler moved out of his apartment. And while Joey initially finds himself attracted to her and tries his catchphrase ‘How you doing?’ which doesn’t work its charm on her. Eventually, his friends manage to convince him against dating a roommate, which could result in complications. However, sparks fly between them when Janine realizes she likes Joey, after which both of them date briefly.
Things, however, go differently than planned when Janine mentions that she found Monica too loud and Chandler just blah. Joey then decides he wouldn’t choose her over two friends who are like family.
Julia Roberts as Susie Moss and Chandler from season 2
Julia Roberts makes a special appearance as Susie Moss in ‘The One After The Superbowl, Part 2’ as Chandler’s love interest. They run into each other on the movie sets and reminisce about being together in grade school. Chandler soon asks her out, and they begin dating. During one of their dinner dates, Susie convinces him to wear his panties post, and they sneak off to the men’s room, where she asks him to strip. She then proceeds to take his clothes and run out.
We then get to know that Chandler had pulled up her skirt in the fourth grade. She then got the nickname ‘Susie Underpants’ till she was eighteen, and this was her sweet revenge.
Helen Baxendale as Emily and Ross from season 5 & 6
Emily and Ross fall in love during season 5 and decide to tie the knot in London. However, things take an unfortunate turn when Ross takes Rachel’s name on the altar instead of hers. To save face, they get married, but Emily goes into hiding after the terrible incident.
She occasionally appears on the show where Ross tries to win back her affection. But she puts down her terms and says he must stop seeing Rachel to regain her trust. The fact that she lost her trust in him becomes a deal breaker for them, after which they call it quits.
Paul Rudd as Mike and Phoebe from season 9 & 10
Joey introduces Mike and Phoebe in a blind date gone wrong, but the duo hit it off instantly. They soon fall in love due to their childlike behavior and similar temperaments. When his upper-class parents disapprove of Phoebe, he confesses his love for her. In the final season, we can see the lovebirds having the most adorable wedding outside the Central Perk coffee house.
Eddie Cahill as Tag and Rachel from season 7 & 8
Tag Jones plays Rachel’s 24-year-old assistant at Ralph Lauren, whom she quickly gets attracted to. Despite warnings from Mr. Zelner and her gang, the couple engage in an illicit affair. However, when Rachel turns 30, she realizes that she wants to be with someone more mature and ready for a serious relationship. She then decides to break things off with him.
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