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This famous comedian almost played Joey in Friends — and it would’ve been so different

By Natalie Zamora

BURBANK, CA - SEPTEMBER 12: (EXCLUSIVE, NO U.S. TABLOID SALES) Matt LeBlanc of the hit NBC series "Friends" smiles during one of the last shows on the Warner Bros lot Sept. 12, 2003 in Burbank, CA. "Friends," which is in its ninth and final season, debuted in 1994, has won 44 Emmys, and is one of the biggest successes in television history. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images) This image is not included in any subscription deal. Use of this image will incur a charge.
BURBANK, CA - SEPTEMBER 12: (EXCLUSIVE, NO U.S. TABLOID SALES) Matt LeBlanc of the hit NBC series "Friends" smiles during one of the last shows on the Warner Bros lot Sept. 12, 2003 in Burbank, CA. "Friends," which is in its ninth and final season, debuted in 1994, has won 44 Emmys, and is one of the biggest successes in television history. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images) This image is not included in any subscription deal. Use of this image will incur a charge. /
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It’s hard to choose a favorite character in Friends when the six main players — Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), and Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) — are all so great in their own unique ways. Of course, it was Joey who was chosen to have his own spinoff after the sitcom concluded in 2004, and though the show did not last long, LeBlanc did his iconic character justice.

Joey Tribbiani might just be the funniest part about Friends, and LeBlanc is certainly one of the reasons why. He does such a wonderful job bringing the silly character to life. And his one-liners? The best! He’s still so quotable years after the show ended.

It’s hard to imagine, but LeBlanc wasn’t the only actor considered for the role of Joey way back when. In fact, another very famous face tried out for the character, but ultimately was rejected. According to HuffPost, comedian Vince Vaughn was in the running for Joey!

Friends casting director Ellie Kanner spoke to the publication back in 2015, revealing some behind-the-scenes secrets about the show. She recalled Vaughn auditioning for the part of Joey, remembering that he was “handsome and tall” and  “good actor,” but ultimately not what they were looking for.

“That would have been a little different,” Kanner said when imagining Vaughn portraying Joey.

At the time Friends premiered in 1994, Vaughn wasn’t the big star that he is today. But that soon changed when he started picking up comedic roles in movies such as Swingers (1996), Old School (2003), Starsky & Hutch (2004), and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), to name a few. Now, he’s a household name.

It doesn’t look like Vaughn has publicly spoken out about almost playing Joey in Friends, but we’d be curious to hear his thoughts looking back. If you’re in need of a rewatch, you can stream all 10 seasons of the beloved sitcom right now on HBO Max.

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