The beloved sitcom ‘Friends‘ featured some of the most memorable guest-star appearances over its run. Yet, some ended up being a little too awkward.
However, it has been revealed that the show had very different plans for Rachel Greene and Joshua Burgin. But they had to scrap the whole idea when Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan, who played the roles, faced real-life tension.
Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan’s Real-Life Break-Up Was The Culprit
Tate Donovan had a five-episode arc in the 4th season of ‘Friends‘ as Joshua Burgin. He appeared first in the episode “The One With Rachel’s Crush” as Joshua Burgin, a freshly divorced, cute guy who needed to buy an entire wardrobe after his ex-wife burned all his clothes. Rachel, who was on the verge of quitting the job at Bloomingdale’s, changed her mind after getting a huge crush on Joshua.
Related: Ross and Rachel’s Iconic “We Were On A Break” Moment Was Never Part Of The Original ‘Friends’ Plan
Joshua and Rachel were together in the show for a while, but did not end up together. He made it clear that his recent divorce has left him unwilling to pursue any romantic relationship at the moment. It obviously didn’t help that, when he tried to talk to Rachel, she appeared in a wedding dress.
Donovan and Jennifer Aniston also dated in real life for two years. He was not a stranger to the ‘Friends‘ set and regularly attended tapings to support Aniston. Donavan even pitched the idea of Rachel being interested in a man who doesn’t like her back to the producer and eventually played the role that he himself came up with.
However, during the shooting of “The One With Rachel’s Crush,” they were in the middle of a breakup. They officially broke up a little later. But Donovan still remained on the show. He appeared in 4 more episodes after that, in which Joshua and Rachel faced an awkward situation themselves.
‘Friends’ Had To Drop A Huge Cliffhanger Storyline Involving Joshua
It has been reported that the show’s writers originally mapped out a dramatic season-ending cliffhanger. Both Ross and Rachel were to be engaged; Ross to Emily and Rachel to Joshua. But only one relationship would actually lead to marriage.
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But after Aniston and Donovan broke up, the decision was made to write Joshua out of the show. The original cliffhanger was scrapped, and the writers reshaped the storyline to what we finally saw in season 4.
In an interview with The Independent, Tate Donovan revealed what it was like to be working with his then-recent ex. He revealed that it was “tough” because people on the set already knew them both personally.
“Everyone was so supportive, but it was hard. It’s like going to class when you’re in high school, and you’ve broken up with the girl who you sat next to.” Now, he states that though it was a tough situation, he looks back at his time on the show fondly.
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