Fictional character from the American sitcom Friends
Fictional character
Monica Geller
Friends character
Courteney Cox as Monica Geller
First appearance
"The Pilot" (1994)
Last appearance
"The Last One" (2004)
Created by
David Crane Marta Kauffman
Portrayed by
Courteney Cox
In-universe information
Full name
Monica E. Geller
Occupation
Chef at Iridium (seasons 1–2) Waitress at Moondance Diner (seasons 2–3) Head chef at Alessandro's (seasons 4–9) Head chef at Javu (seasons 9–10)
Family
Jack Geller (father) Judy Geller (mother) Ross Geller (brother) Althea (maternal grandmother)
Spouse
Chandler Bing
(m. 2001)
Significant others
Richard Burke (ex-boyfriend) Pete Becker (ex-boyfriend)
Children
Jack Bing (b. 2004) Erica Bing (b. 2004)
Relatives
Ben Geller (nephew) Emma Geller-Green (niece) Rachel Green (sister-in-law) Sylvia Geller (paternal aunt) Iris Geller (paternal aunt) Cassie Geller (cousin) Nathan (uncle) Phyllis (maternal aunt) Lillian (maternal aunt) Cheryl (aunt) Freddie (uncle) Marilyn (aunt) Frannie (cousin)
Religion
Cultural Judaism[1]
Nationality
American
Monica E. Geller[2][3] (born June 15, 1969/1970)[4] is a fictional character, one of the six main characters who appears on the American sitcom Friends (1994–2004). Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and portrayed by actress Courteney Cox, Monica appears in all of the show's 236 episodes, from its premiere in 1994, to its finale in 2004. A chef known for her cleanliness, competitiveness and obsessive-compulsive nature, Monica is the younger sister of Ross Geller and best friend of Rachel Green, the latter of whom she invites to live with her after Rachel forsakes her own wedding. The two characters spend several years living together as roommates until Monica begins a romantic relationship with long-time neighbor and friend Chandler Bing, whom she marries. Unable to conceive children on their own, Chandler and Monica eventually adopt twins Erica and Jack and move out of their apartment into a larger house in the suburbs.
The creators' first choice for the role of Monica was comedienne Janeane Garofalo. Cox had originally been offered the role of Rachel but declined in favor of playing the character's best friend Monica because she was drawn to her strong personality. Meanwhile, the role of Rachel went to actress Jennifer Aniston. Before Friends aired, Monica's characterization was greatly debated among writers in regards to the character sleeping with someone on their first date during the pilot. Kauffman in particular greatly defended Monica, arguing with NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer over whether or not this would make the character too promiscuous. Ultimately, the episode aired unchanged after the studio surveyed the audience, the results of which returned in favor of Monica's existing storyline. The character's struggles with childhood obesity, challenges with romantic relationships and complicated relationship with her mother would eventually become popular staples of the show.
Several months before Friends premiered, NBC had conducted a research report, the results of which determined that Monica was the only character to have been remotely well received by test audiences. When Friends first aired, critics initially perceived Monica – who was immediately established as the show's "mother hen" – and Cox as the series' main character and star, respectively. Critics have been largely receptive towards both Cox and her character; the Los Angeles Times holds Cox's acting responsible for disproving the stigma that attractive women are incapable of delivering comedic performances. Revered as a television icon, Monica famously addressed several topics that were rarely discussed in prime time television at the time, including safe sex, casual sex, and age disparity in relationships. Despite garnering positive reviews for her performance, Cox is the only main cast member never to have been nominated for an Emmy Award during Friends' ten-year run.
^Weber, Lindsey (December 17, 2014). "Friends Countdown: Is Rachel Green Jewish?". Vulture.
^Loiacono, Rita (September 17, 2014). "5 Reasons Monica is, hands down, the best character on Friends". SheKnows. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
^Galindo, Buzz (August 7, 2013). "25 Fascinating Facts You Might Not Know About "Friends"". BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed, Inc. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015. The full names of the characters are ... Monica E. Geller (we never learn what the E stands for).
^”https://screenrant.com/friends-character-ages-change-wrong-explained/”[permanent dead link] Screenrant, Friends: The Characters' Ages (& How They Get It Wrong)
Monica E. Geller (born June 15, 1969/1970) is a fictional character, one of the six main characters who appears on the American sitcom Friends (1994–2004)...
elder brother of MonicaGeller (Courteney Cox), and son of Jack (Elliott Gould) and Judy Geller (Christina Pickles). Ross and Monica are Jewish and see...
Chandler was Ross Geller's roommate in college. Chandler met his future wife MonicaGeller while celebrating Thanksgiving with the Geller family during his...
director, and filmmaker. She rose to international prominence for playing MonicaGeller in the NBC sitcom Friends (1994–2004) and Gale Weathers in the horror...
as a naïve runaway bride who reunites with her childhood best friend MonicaGeller and relocates to New York City, Rachel gradually evolves from a spoiled...
Cox as MonicaGeller Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing David Schwimmer as Ross Geller Jennifer...
characters also have the last name Geller: MonicaGeller, a character from the American television sitcom Friends Ross Geller, a character from the American...
a tight-knit group of his best friends: Chandler, Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), MonicaGeller (Courteney Cox), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), and Phoebe...
that MonicaGeller and Chandler Bing are secretly dating, and decides to "mess" with them by pretending to flirt with Chandler. Meanwhile, Ross Geller learns...
working in New York City: Rachel Green, MonicaGeller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing, and Ross Geller played by Jennifer Aniston, Courteney...
Bullock. In 1994, McKeon and Courteney Cox auditioned for the role of MonicaGeller on the sitcom Friends. The role went to Cox. When asked in interviews...
Baseball, and Lassiter. He appeared in recurring television roles as MonicaGeller's love interest Dr. Richard Burke in Friends, as Lance White, the likeable...
1994 to 2003, Pickles played the recurring role of Judy Geller, the mother of Ross and MonicaGeller (David Schwimmer and Courteney Cox), in the NBC sitcom...
their neighbors, Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani, and also Monica's brother Ross Geller. She plays acoustic guitar and sings simple, awkward songs at...
Maggie Wheeler, it was rumored that she auditioned for the role of MonicaGeller in Friends. She denied this in an interview, stating that she only auditioned...
Perlman and Dan Hedaya). In 1994, Remini auditioned for the role of MonicaGeller on Friends, but the role went to Courteney Cox. Remini later appeared...
Cox as MonicaGeller Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing David Schwimmer as Ross Geller Lauren...
fall lineup. The producer wanted Aniston to audition for the role of MonicaGeller, but Courteney Cox was deemed more suitable, and Aniston was cast as...
Reverend Timothy Johnson on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. He also played MonicaGeller's boyfriend Alan in the Friends episode "The One With the Thumb". Lower...
with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College, appearing in productions of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. Her...
as MonicaGeller, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, it...
taken over by a fitness guru. Multiple episodes of Friends mention that MonicaGeller, who used to be overweight before the beginning of the show, went to...
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