Joey was fabulous!

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never understood all the praise for Kudrow.

She has a very specific cadence and tone when she speaks that screams Phoebe in every role she plays. You can’t be a talented actor if most audiences just see you as your most recognizable character…or as your actual self (ahem…Jen Aniston).

She’s very different in the morning show

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Anonymous wrote:I always thought I hated Schwimmer, but I rewatched the show as an adult and realized how great his comedic timing is. Teenage me just didn’t like Ross.

"PIVOT!!"

Never thought the scene was funny.

I think Jennifer Anniston is great on the role. Go back and look at the flashback episode where each of them almost slept with another. She walks in at the very end, hits the jukebox, it turns on, and she walks in. There’s a moment there where she breaks character and you can see Jennifer. Then the Rachel mask slips back on and she goes on with the scene. That break is what convinced me that’s she’s actually acting and not just a living personification of Rachel. Normally it looks effortless, so her talent is way to downplay.

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Anonymous wrote:Lisa Kudrow, yes. Not the others. I also never got all the hype and tears over Matthew Perry.

Matthew created an entirely new cadence for the character of Chandler Bing. You can hear him emphasize the verb.

“Could I BE wearing any more clothes?”

That’s not the writers. That was Matthew Perry.

LeBlanc said those words

Good catch. I misremembered. I still think the quote makes my point. When Joey wanted to copy Chandler, he used the delivery that Perry developed.

“I’m Chandler Bing. Could I BE wearing any more clothes?”

Astoundingly good actors.

That was a fun moment, and certainly evidence of good writing, directing, editing, and acting.

It does not show "astounding" acting talent. Many HS theater kids could say those 7 words with emphasis on the BE.

Yes, but nobody was doing it at the time. He breathed life into the character.

I watched it when it was originally on and have watched reruns within the last year or so. I think the first season had bad writing and the characters/actors weren't comfortable together yet. Timing wasn't great, nor was delivery. Now when I see reruns of later seasons, I think all of the characters were good, with Kudrow probably being the worst of the group.

Anonymous wrote:I never watched an episode.

+1 I'm the same as you. The only bits of Friends that I saw happened when I was flipping through the channels or saw the trailers for the show.

OP has asked if we think the actors were talented? Well, none of them have gone on to become major Hollywood stars or anything. The film roles they have done have been nothing special and easily forgotten. So yes they were talented enough for a TV sitcom, but I don't think that any of them will go on to be the new Meryl Streep or Robert De Niro.

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Anonymous wrote:I also think Aniston created an extremely endearing character who would just have seemed annoying if played by someone who was less of a fit

100%

This is not some potential situation; this character was still annoying and so was she.

I’ve never understood all the praise for Kudrow.

She has a very specific cadence and tone when she speaks that screams Phoebe in every role she plays. You can’t be a talented actor if most audiences just see you as your most recognizable character…or as your actual self (ahem…Jen Aniston).

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Anonymous wrote:Jennifer Aniston is sort of the Taylor Swift of actors. She's popular and likeable but without an edge.

Horrible Bosses, The Morning Show? She's had her moments.

Isn't Horrible Bosses a bro comedy where she just plays a nymphomaniac? Hardly one of her better roles, and I do think she's a good actress.

This is about PP saying she never had an edge in her roles.

NO. Except Kudrow. Anniston is the next “best” but it’s a far second. Morning Show is probably her best work.

Anonymous wrote:No. Average at best, marginal as an ensemble popularity is largely due to the time it originally aired, hype, nostalgia and racism

No. Average at best, marginal as an ensemble popularity is largely due to the time it originally aired, hype, nostalgia and racism

Anonymous wrote:I also think Aniston created an extremely endearing character who would just have seemed annoying if played by someone who was less of a fit

100%

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Anonymous wrote:Ross was annoying, but Schwimmer's comedic timing and physicality were spot-on.
LeBlanc got more nuanced as the show went on, and definitely developed as an actor (which Perry chronicles in his book).
Perry was one-note. Could he BE any more one note?
I didn't understand Kudrow's character. Phoebe was just zany and off. No depth.
I think Aniston and Cox both brought a lot to roles that could have been stock characters (Type A and spoiled princess).

In the first season Joey seemed a little more intelligent than in later seasons. Not sure why they changed the character but he did a great job.

Every sitcom character becomes more of their signature trait as the seasons go on.