And it wasn't just on the show. In real life, the cast of Friends were pals. Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Leblanc, Mathew Perry, and David Schwimmer became very close. And on camera, that real-life chemistry showed. No matter what happened, no matter who did what, or who said what, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey ,Chandler, and Ross were friends. Americans could relate to the series and to the cast. It didn't need fancy locations or elaborate special effects. All it needed was the friends.