Usually when you watch an awards show red carpet, you hear talk about the stars' exciting new projects, the details of their outfits, and maybe a few awkward jokes. What you don't expect to hear is a story that reveals how television could've been changed forever. At the 2015 Emmys red carpet, Jane Krakowski revealed she auditioned to play Rachel on Friends when Giuliana Rancic asked the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star if there are any roles she didn't get, but wished she had. Considering the enormous success of Friends, I'm sure that any actor who auditioned for the series, in any capacity, and didn't nab the role feels the same way, but for Krakowski, I think it all worked out for the best.
Earlier in her interview with Rancic, Krakowski expressed a ton of gratitude for Tina Fey and Robert Carlock for giving her excellent, wacky roles on both 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Had she played Rachel for 10 years, Krakowski's career probably would've taken a very different path, and she may not have ever played Jenna Maroney or Jacqueline Voorhees. And considering that Ally McBeal's run overlapped with Friends, she definitely wouldn't have been able to play Elaine Vassal. But what if things had gone differently? Here's what Krakowski would've looked like as Rachel Green.
Since this all went down at the Emmys, I think it's worth noting that Krakowski has four Emmy nominations under her belt for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series on 30 Rock, plus another for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Jennifer Aniston, meanwhile, was nominated for five Emmys (two as a supporting actress and three as lead) for Friends. Clearly, both actresses ended up in the roles they were meant for. Watch Krakowski share her Friends connection on the red carpet in the videos below.
Krakowski would've totally rocked it on Friends, but we all know Jenna Maroney would never let Rachel steal her thunder — her whole life is thunder.
Image: Warner Bros. Television, FOX, Tanya Ghahremani/Bustle
