There's no doubt the Friends gang loved to joke around with one another and pull all kinds of pranks. Obviously, the NBC comedy was all about making viewers laugh, but that didn't mean the characters couldn't have a little fun of their own. Friends' Chandler, Monica, Joey, Phoebe, Ross, and Rachel had their fair share of messing with one another. Remember that time Joey stole Chandler's essence? What about that time Ross drew a mustache on Rachel? These six New Yorkers pulled off some of the best pranks on the small screen, and they definitely should be honored for it.
Now, I could easily list joke after joke, but, as we Friends fanatics know, all the jokes are funny, so that would end up being a very long list. Instead, let's focus one some of the best pranks and scares my favorite six people in the entire world did to one another throughout the series. As Phoebe once put it, "They thought they could mess with us?!" Um, yes, you all thought you could mess with one another and it would all be OK.
Well, even though some of the jokes didn't turn out like these pranksters expected, most of it worked out in the end. Plus, viewers got a ton of great laughs thanks to these shenanigans and some of the best memories in Friends history.
Here are 11 amazing pranks crafted by the Central Perk gang.
When Rachel Scared Joey With Gladys
As we all know, Joey scared easily, so when Rachel used Phoebe's creepy artwork of Gladys to scare the crap out of her roomie, well, it was pretty spectacular.
When Everybody Found Out About Monica & Chandler
Not only was this episode noteworthy because everybody (except Ross) finally found out about Monica and Chandler, but also because Monica, Chandler, Rachel, and Phoebe couldn't help but mess with each other. From Phoebe pretending she had feelings for Chandler to Monica forcing Chandler to play along so they could win, everybody's attempt at secret keeping was spot-on. Oh, and we also got to hear Chandler and Monica declare their love for one another. Win-win.
When Rachel Taught Ben All Those Pranks
Rachel might have been the best prankster out of everyone, which she proved when she taught Ben all those irritating pranks that he used on his family, including Ross. However, when Ross used a dummy to make it look like he fell down the stairs, well, Rachel definitely met her match.
When Frank & Alice Used Chandler's Name For Their Baby
Remember when Joey and Chandler competed to have Phoebe choose one of their name's for one of Frank Jr. and Alice's triplets? Chandler was so smooth at hating on himself about his name and, eventually, declaring he would change it. Yep, it was all a ruse to get Phoebe to pick Chandler. It so worked, even if Chandler turned out to be a girl.
When Phoebe Told Rachel She Wasn't Pregnant
At first, this might have come off as mean, however, it all ended well. Phoebe tricked Rachel into thinking she wasn't pregnant to make sure Rachel actually wanted to have the baby. As Rachel said, "That's a tricky little game!" Yeah, it all could've ended horribly, but thank goodness it didn't.
When Phoebe & Joey Set Up Ross & Rachel On Horrible Dates
Even though Phoebe and Joey were trying to show Ross and Rachel that they were perfect for one another, the fact that they set them up on horrible dates (Rachel had the company of Jon Lovitz's character, while Ross' date didn't even show up) was pretty terrible — and, let's face it, also hilarious.
When Will & Ross Started That Rumor
Despite Ross being in love with Rachel his entire life, he and Brad Pitt's character, Will, started a rumor about Rachel that she had a both male and female parts. Yep, it was the rumor heard 'round New York.
When Ross Tried To Teach Unagi
All Ross wanted to do was teach Phoebe and Rachel the valuable lesson of Unagi, the state of total awareness. Well, they got him back by giving him a taste of his own medicine, but this time using the state of salmon skin roll.
When Ross & Rachel Had An Embarrassing Vegas Flight
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I bet that's what Ross and Rachel hoped would have happened after the two tried to embarrass the crap out of each other on their way to Sin City. This was one time the jokes went too far, because not only did they get super drunk, but they also ended up as Mrs. Ross and Mr. Rachel.
When Joey Stole Chandler's Essence
In one of the best Friends episodes ever, Joey and Chandler couldn't help but mess with one another, all while Ross worried over the fact that no one was ready to leave for his big night that involved dinosaurs. From wearing all of Chandler's clothes to stealing Chandler's essence to Chandler hiding Joey's underwear, well, these pranks turned out to be some of the most memorable.
When That Turkey Got Stuck On Joey's Head
Oh, Joey. All he wanted to do was prank Monica by sticking a turkey on his head. Well, that didn't turn out like he expected. The joke was definitely on him.
Images: NBC (2); plumkat, anistonland, drake-ramoray (2), jenaniston, chandler-getspedicures, todeborahwithlove/Tumblr; Giphy (4)
