Over the recent months, I’ve gotten back into watching Friends thanks to Netflix and Comedy Central here in the UK and it’s amazing to think this show ended 15 years ago!! It shows what a history this sitcom has found a new generation of fans thanks to the likes of Netflix.
While modern-day sitcoms like The Goldbergs, Black-ish and Brooklyn Nine-Nine are utterly brilliant and while How I Met Your Mother tried and I enjoyed the show (apart from that ending, which I’m still pissed about) there hasn’t been another Friends.
In our current age of reboots and with WarnerMedia planning to launch their own streaming service what a way to get people interested and while the original cast is 100% the reason for the series’ success.
I thought it would be fun to think about who would now star as the characters we came to know and love in this romanticised version of New York.
I want to add the rebooted series wouldn’t be a 20+ episode series. Instead, be close to 8-12, 45-minute episode series and being on their streaming service would be uploaded all at once and beige worthy.
Ross Geller – Cole Sprouse
The original character description of Monica’s older brother was – “Intelligent, emotional, romantic, suddenly divorced, facing singlehood with phenomenal reluctance. A palaeontologist. Not that it matters.”
I would think about changing some things within that original description but keep that he divorced and his wife left him for another woman (which for the time well ahead) and my pick for Ross would be trippy for fans.
My pick for Ross is Cole Sprouse!
That’s right! The boy that was Ross’ son Ben in the original series becomes his dad in the rebooted series.
Sprouse has shown in shows like Riverdale that he could handle the characteristics and bring emotion and humour to the role.
Monica Geller – Blu Hunt
“Smart, cynical, defended, very attractive. Had to work for everything she has, an assistant chef for a chic uptown restaurant. And a romantic disaster area.” This is how the character description for Monica for the original series.
As for this updated version, I’d look at making Ross and Monica half-brother and sister and from an ethnic background.
I’ve been thinking about it with Kiersey Clemons as my original idea and then Diane Guerrero, who has been nothing but praised for her performance as Crazy Jane in Doom Patrol, but at 32 would be too old sadly.
Then Blu Hunt came to mind. The Native American had the chance to be a big screen star playing Danielle Moonstar in New Mutants. Now that people don’t give a shit about a film that was supposed to come out last year having been delayed twice or maybe more now.
The 23-year-old has worked under the Warner family playing The Hollow in the WarnerMedia owned The CW series The Originals.
Rachel Green – Skyler Samuels
The description of Rachel reads like this, “spoiled, adorable, courageous, terrified. Monica’s best friend from high school. Has worked for none of what she has. On her own for the first time. And equipped to do nothing.”
This role would be the most sort after by actresses. I had two in mind, Hailee Steinfeld and Skyler Samuels.
While 22-year-old Steinfeld would be in the running for both Monica and Rachel and would be a big name to help bring younger audiences in. The great thing about the original Friends was that they were slightly unknowns and the name brand will be enough to get people interested.
Which is why I went for the 25-year-old Samuels. She’s best known for playing Esme/ Sophie/ Phoebe Frost in The Gifted. She’s had other roles like Scream Queens’ Grace Gardner and Jess in the rather good The Duff.
I think has everything that makes her the ideal actress to take the fish out of water character in this modern look. Additionally, she would still work in fashion but has more of an Instagram model about her.
Chandler Bing – Justice Smith
Chandler in this modern updated version, especially 10ish years ago would’ve been played by Donald Glover.
As the original character description goes, a lot wanted by changed even now.
“Droll, dry. A wry observer of everyone’s life and his own. Works in front of a computer doing something tedious in a claustrophobic cubicle in a nondescript office building. Survives by way of his sense of humor, and snacks.”
His version of Chandler would be working for a tech giant or even as a journalist in a newsroom.
Justice Smith is an actor whose star is continuing to rise and this would be a good get both for the show and his career.
23-year-old Smith is a fantastic actor and will only continue to get better. I believe he could bring the comedy to the show with ease.
Joey Tribbiani – Noah Centineo
Joey is a great character and would be so much fun for an actor to play and had it be 8-10 years ago would’ve gone to Billy Magnussen easy.
Joey is described as “handsome, macho, smug. Lives across the hall from Monica and Rachel. Wants to be an actor, actually wants to be Al Pacino. Loves women, sports, women, New York, women and most of all Joey.”
The first person to came to mind for this role is the internet’s boyfriend Noah Centineo and at 22 would make sense to make the character slightly younger than the others. Just looking at him screams Joey.
The same can be said of Charles Melton, who at 29 would be the oldest member of the cast but he’s played a high schooler in Riverdale and due to being on The CW show and a Warner Bros film called The Sun Is Also A Star.
He also has an air of young Matt LeBlanc about him.
It’s honestly a flip of a coin, but for the added bonus he is the internet’s boyfriend, Noah would get it.
Phoebe Buffay – Newcomer
“Sweet, flaky, new age walf. Monica’s former roommate. Sells barrettes on the street and plays guitar in the subway. A good soul.” This is how Phoebe was originally described for the original series.
I wouldn’t change a hell of a lot about the character but in this modern update would be either gay or bi because the character also had that free spirit about her and that she would full in love with anyone whatever the sexuality.
This will probably be seen as a cop-out but I do think because Phoebe isn’t as big of a main character, it would be the character a newcomer could bring to life.
So anyway here are my choices to play the characters from Friends a modern reboot.
The Bear Cave 