Originally, Phoebe and David were supposed to end up together, but Paul Rudd was so charming as Mike Hannigan, that producers had to change the plot.
Hank Azaria, who portrayed Phoebe's scientist boyfriend David, allegedly revealed that the course of events for Phoebe was supposed to be different. They had some good times on the show, but their relationship ended when he traveled to Minsk to conduct significant research.
Later, Mike and Phoebe fall in love, but their relationship ends when Mike declares he will never get married again in light of his failed first union. Phoebe receives a marriage proposal from David when he returns from Minsk, inspiring Mike to follow suit. She declines them both but later reconciles with Mike and marries him because he's her “lobster.” It turns out that Phoebe was originally intended to marry David, but the writers had to change the plot because Mike, a.k.a. Paul Rudd was so incredibly entertaining.
"The plan always was to kind of bring [David] back," In a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Hank said. "I think, honestly, what happened was that Paul Rudd is so awesome that they sort of found a groove with him, and [my character] became more of just the grist for that mill. as opposed to the other way around." He felt a little let down for David, as did we all.
What alternative plot was used for Phoebe?
The arc of David is similar in both plots, except for when David returns from Minsk in the ninth season to express his love for Phoebe. In contrast to Paul Rudd's portrayal of Mike Hannigan, he ought to have been married to her.
When Phoebe's guitar playing is interrupted by David's loud conversation with fellow scientist Max in "The One With The Monkey," Phoebe yells at him. All is forgiven when David explains that they were complimenting her on how gorgeous she was, and she decides to break the "no date" resolution for the new year. David, regrettably, is torn between his love and his research because Max and he received funding to attend university in Minsk, Belarus. He eventually departs, leaving Phoebe inconsolable.
He makes a cameo appearance in the Season 7 episode "The One With All The Cheesecakes," and Phoebe must choose between seeing him for one night or keeping her dinner with Joey. Despite chastising Joey for doing the same thing, she chooses to do the former. After completing his research in Minsk, he makes a second appearance in the second half of Season 9. He declares his love for Phoebe, but she has already moved on to Mike and eventually accepts Mike's marriage proposal.
What happens after Mike declines to marry Phoebe?
Initially, Mike rejects Phoebe's proposal of marriage because he is apprehensive about getting married again after his contentious divorce from his first marriage.
After Mike and Phoebe split up, Phoebe decides to give David and her another chance but it's clear that she still has feelings for Mike, much to David's dismay. On their trip to Barbados as a group, David decides to propose to Phoebe after receiving bad advice from Chandler (Matthew Perry). Knowing that Phoebe is still in love with Mike, Monica makes the decision to step in and call Mike to inform him of David's proposal strategy. Mike wants Phoebe to be able to marry David if she so chooses, but he changes his mind and arrives at the hotel as David is about to pop the question to Phoebe.
Phoebe is shocked when Mike proposes to her instead. She declines his offer, telling him that she is just pleased that he is considering marriage. As David finally leaves the scene, Mike and Phoebe are happily reunited once more.
Was there a plotline to bring Joey and Phoebe together?
There were rumours of Joey and Phoebe sharing a relationship on the show, and fans were really expecting this to happen after Chandler and Monica’s marriage and Ross and Rachel’s complicated co-parenting. The only one left was Joey. Producers attempted to end Joey and Rachel together, but it was changed after receiving poor viewer feedback.
The fact that Phoebe's ex-boyfriend David traveled to Minsk suggests that she and Joey might end up together. Kudrow and LeBlanc were questioned by EW in 2016 about why their characters never dated.
LeBlanc responded by saying that they had proposed the idea that Joey and Phoebe had been seeing each other all along in secret. He went on to say that they would have gone back and reshot all the historical scenes, and just before a moment that everyone recognizes, there's Joey and Phoebe coming out of a broom closet together. It goes without saying that the idea was rejected by the production team.
FAQs
Q. What is the net worth of Hank Azaria?
A. Hank Azaria’s net worth is estimated to be $90 million as of 2022.
Q. Did Phoebe and Joey make a better couple?
A. Regardless of what the production team decided, a myriad of fans were counting on it when there was time. It surely doesn’t make sense now, but maybe they would have.
Q. Who is Lisa Kudrow?
A. American actress Lisa Kudrow gained worldwide recognition for her role as Phoebe Buffay on the sitcom “Friends.” She has won or been nominated for a number of prestigious awards, including Primetime Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Satellite Awards, and American Comedy Awards.
