It’s been 20 years since we said goodbye to our “Friends.” And now, the creators of the hit 90s sitcom, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, are speaking out about the show’s legacy and how the script for the final episode, entitled, “The Last One,” was leaked before the show aired.
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‘Friends’ Producers ‘Wanted To Get It Right’ With Finale
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“We were incredibly nervous because we wanted to get it right,” Crane told “The Today Show.” When the interviewer said the last episode made him cry, Crane responded, “Then we did our job right.”
But the last episode didn’t air without some mystery. Fans were desperate to see whether the show’s long-time, off-and-on couple Ross Geller and Rachel Green ended up together (spoiler alert: they did).
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Final Episode Script Was Leaked: ‘Inside Job’
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“Oh my god, we tried so hard to keep it a secret. We were desperate to keep it a secret and it got out. And it was it was an inside job,” said Kauffman.
Production sent out a limited, numbered amount of scripts in order to avoid leaks.
“We knew how many people knew what it was going to be. So it did, through an element of… it became a behind-the-scenes detective show. It was frustrating, but at the end of the day, what are you gonna do?” Crane said.
The mystery, it appears, was semi-solved.
When questioned about whether the source of the leak was ever discovered, Kauffman coyly replied, “Ish.”
“Ish,” was echoed by Crane. The identity of the leaker was not revealed in the interview.
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‘Friends’ Finale Was ‘Surreal,’ Said Aniston
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Back in 2004, as the finale was gearing up to air, the cast sat down with “The Today Show” to reflect on its legacy.
“It’s all just so incredibly surreal,” said Jennifer Aniston, who portrayed Green, the feisty fashion executive whose up-and-down relationship with Gellar, played by David Schwimmer, led to many of the shows buzziest moments.
“We hate talking about it, we hate thinking about it,” said Matthew Perry at the time. Perry played Chandler Bing, one of the biggest comedic forces on the show. His character ended up moving to the suburbs with his wife, Monica Geller, played by Courteney Cox, with their new twins.
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Perry’s Untimely Death
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Perry’s Legacy ‘Incredibly Poignant’
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Before his death, Perry published an autobiography, “Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing,” in 2022. In it, he described the ending of the classic sitcom and the special wish he had for his beloved character.
“Before that final episode, I’d taken Marta Kauffman to one side. ‘Nobody else will care about this except me. So may I please have the last line?’” Perry wrote.
Today, Kauffman says that his request was particularly sentimental now, in light of his untimely death.
“It’s incredibly poignant. It’s a legacy for him. One of his many legacies. But that moment… that moment,” she said.