Watching Friends has been a tremendous experience and it has made me go through a plethora of emotions and observations. In this post, I just want to narrate how I've perceived each one of them over the ten seasons and who ranks as my favorite!
1. Chandler Bing - Matthew Perry: He was my first favorite - his sense of humor out of the world. He went through a lot during the 10 years that the series was shot and it reflected on his character and health. There's no comparing his witty, incisive remarks...
Joey: Oh mommie, oh daddie, I am a big old baddie! Oh mommie, oh daddie, I am a big old baddie!
Ross: I guess he musta gotten the part in that play.
Monica and Phoebe: Oh.
Chandler: Yeah, either that, or Gloria Estefan was right, eventually, the rhythm is going to get you.
2. Rachel Greene - Jennifer Aniston: She's probably had the most dignified presence of the lot in the series. Drop-dead gorgeous looks, always poised and collected and acting with elan.
3. Monica Geller - Courtney Cox: I somehow considered her to be the weak link in the show - there have been times when I've found her presence being compromised, but I attribute this to the exceptionally tight packaging that Friends brought to the table. The crew really did master the art of story-telling in spite of a thousand loose ends. That, I believe, is the ultimate achievement for any story-teller - people ready to accept whatever you throw at them, and wanting more!
4. Phoebe Buffay - Lisa Kudrow: With arguably the most peripheral of roles amongst the six, Phoebe nonetheless managed to portray her goofy character to perfection. I thought her to be radiantly beautiful with the most amazing smile!
5. Ross Geller - David Schwimmer: He's managed to fit into his decidedly geeky and comparatively unglamorous role in the best possible manner. I'd call him the 'solid performer', ever dependable, but not the 'hero'.
6. Joey Tribbiani - Matt LeBlanc: Undoubtedly the numero uno performer amongst the cast. Don't remember where I'd read it but the toughest acting assignment is to act dumb, and there's nobody dumber than Joey!
Joey: Oh, right. Okay, ducks is heads because ducks have heads.
I never really quite realized just how amazing a performer he is until I saw the six of them in an interview for the first time... There was such a marked difference on his facial expression and general body-language! It just brought about the stark contrast between his real-life self and the portrayed character!
So there you are. Joey's the best according to me! Sad that the series with the same name failed so miserably. It was plain to be seen that his talents were thoroughly being wasted there! Goes to show that just putting a solid front-end doesn't guarantee success. The back-end is just as important, if not more!
