Summary
- Most Friends fans prefer the love story between Rachel and Ross over Rachel and Joey.
- Matt LeBlanc jokingly predicted the Rachel and Joey storyline in a 1990s interview.
- The cast members were against Rachel and Joey exploring their romantic feelings for each other.
Few Friends fans like the relationship between Joey Tribbiani and Rachel Green. Whether someone rewatches the sitcom regularly or has only seen it once, most viewers prefer the back-and-forth love story featuring Rachel and Ross Geller. There's something special about the fact that the characters are pals before falling deeply in love with each other. Of course, the dramatic storylines add to the allure.
In the decades since the Friends series finale, the cast members have shared their opinions on their famous characters. But back in the '90s, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry did an entertaining TV interview where the subject of Rachel's love life came up. In particular, the actors chatted about Rachel's ill-fated romance with Joey Tribbiani. Fans of Rachel and Ross from Friends will definitely want to check the interview out.
Matt LeBlanc Predicted The Rachel/Joey Friends Storyline In An Interview With Co-Star David Schwimmer
A few years ago, a Friends fan posted an interview with Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry on Reddit that many people likely hadn't seen before. The fan wrote that it was "A 1996/7 interview where Matt LeBlanc low-key trolls David Schwimmer and says Joey should sleep with Rachel if Ross and Rachel break up."
When Gaby Roslin, a TV and radio reporter in England, asked "What's the future for Ross and Rachel? Can you give me any clues?" David Schwimmer shared his opinion. He said, "I think they should eventually kind of find problems within the relationship. That's kind of like a fantasy relationship right now. This is the girl he's wanted for years and it's not very realistic." He added that the characters should split up.
Matt LeBlanc joked:
"And She slept with Joey right?"
At the time, Schwimmer kept talking, and the interview continued smoothly. However, it's an entertaining moment to look back on since, later on, Joey and Rachel would examine their romantic feelings for each other. It doesn't seem like LeBlanc knew that his character would date Rachel. He must have just been trying to be funny.
Years after Matt LeBlanc made this comment, the Friends actors would share that they were against Rachel and Joey exploring their feelings for each other. According to People, Kelsey Miller's book "I'll Be There For You" reported on this Friends plotline. LeBlanc said, “Everyone knows that Ross and Rachel are supposed to be together, and we’ve spent 10 years keeping them apart."
David Crane, who created Friends along with Marta Kauffman, was interviewed by Radio Times about Rachel and Joey dating on Friends. Crane praised LeBlanc's performance since it was "emotional," which was new for Joey. He also said that the intent was never for the characters to remain a couple. Crane said:
"The Joey/Rachel thing I know is controversial. I love it. I love it because it’s wrong – and we knew going in: this is wrong. And that happens in life. There is the relationship that shouldn’t be. Even though you love someone, that’s not who you’re going to be with."
Besides the moment when LeBlanc commented on Rachel and Joey, Schwimmer, Perry, and LeBlanc's interview with Gaby Roslin is a lot of fun to watch. Fans of Rachel and Ross from Friends will love the moment when Roslin called the romance between these characters "a bit of a rollercoaster."
After the chat about Rachel and Ross, Roslin brought up "the other big deep relationship on the show." She was referring to the friendship between Chandler Bing and Joey. Matt LeBlanc said that while they are "macho" they are also "sensitive" and he liked that the characters discussed their emotions. Now that Matthew Perry has tragically passed away, that comment feels heartbreaking.
When Did Joey And Rachel Date On Friends?
Rachel and Joey date in season 10 of Friends. However, Joey realizes that he likes Rachel in season 8, and in the timespan between seasons 8 and the beginning of season 10, both Joey and Rachel want to have a relationship that is more than just platonic.
In season 8, episode 12, which is called "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel," Rachel helps Joey figure out what he's doing wrong on dates. While the characters spend time together, Joey begins to fall for Rachel.
In the season 8 finale, "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby," Rachel believes Joey is asking her to marry him and agrees. This upsets Ross, who of course still loves Rachel and doesn't want his friend marrying his ex-girlfriend. Also in the last episode of season 8, Rachel has her baby daughter Emma. Things become complicated between Rachel and Joey as they begin dating and wonder if they should stay friends or not.
| The Best Friends Episodes About Joey And Rachel's Relationship |
|---|
| "The One Where Joey Tells Rachel" (season 8, episode 16) |
| "The One in Barbados" (season 9, episodes 22 and 23) |
| "The One After Rachel And Joey Kiss" (season 10, episode 1) |
| "The One Where Ross Is Fine" (season 10, episode 2) |
Over the years, both Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston have said that they weren't on board with the relationship between their Friends characters. Those who have always shipped Rachel and Ross from Friends will be glad to know that the cast members prefer this relationship. The actors have also explained their thoughts on the debate about whether Rachel and Ross took a break from their romance or not. In 2021, Entertainment Weekly reported that Jennifer Aniston posted a photo on Instagram wearing a hat that was part of a new line of Friends merch. She wrote in the caption, "For the record… we were SO not on a break."
