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    1. Culture
    2. TV and Film

    This is why Monica’s apartment in Friends was painted purple

    And it makes complete sense…

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 11 August 2022 In News

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    And it makes complete sense…

    Friends left our screens in 2004 and 18 years later, we’re still not over it

    In fact, millennials everywhere are still trying to fill the Central Perk shaped void with exciting revelations and hidden Friends meanings - all that we previously hadn’t noticed over 10 years on.

    The revealing of the Friends original casting was probably the biggest shock so far - what would we have done if Eric McCormack and John Favreau had accepted the roles of Ross and Chandler, and what if Courtney Cox really had nabbed the role of Rachel from Jennifer Aniston? Yes, all of these things almost happened.

    The latest Friends revelation to take the internet by storm however revolves around Monica’s iconic apartment, with the set designer John Shaffner explaining the reasons behind his interiors decisions. And we have to say, it makes perfect sense.

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    In an interview with Great Big Story, Shaffner explained why he chose the colour purple for Monica's apartment and how difficult it was to convince the rest of the crew that it was the right idea.

    "Nobody likes change until I painted the little model [apartment] purple," he explained. "Colour is really important in establishing the show identity. When you switch to Friends, you see that it is purple and you stay tuned.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    "One of the responsibilities of a production designer is to look into the future," he continued, going on to reference the running joke of Monica’s locked cupboard door, eventually opened in season eight revealing Monica as a secret hoarder.

    Explaining how the plot hadn’t been decided upon at the time, Shaffner recalled, "We put a door all the way up this hallway and we really didn’t say where it went to. I said, 'Why don’t we just wait and see where the story is taken?'"

    So now we know the truth.

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
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    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

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