(“Monica E. Geller” is a fictional character, one of the 6 main characters who appear in the American sitcom “Friends”)
(created by show creators ‘David Crane’ and ‘Marta Kauffman’, and portrayed by actress ‘Courteney Cox’, ‘Monica’ appears in each of the show’s 236 episodes, from its premiere on 24 September 1994 to its finale on 6 May 2004)
(a chef known for her cleanliness, competitiveness and obsessive-compulsive nature, Monica is the younger sister of ‘Ross’ and best friend of ‘Rachel’, the latter of whom she invites to move in with her after ‘Rachel’ forsakes her own wedding)
(the 2 characters spend several years living together as roommates until Monica becomes romantically involved with neighbor ‘Chandler’, whom she marries)
(unable to conceive children on their own, the couple eventually adopts twins and moves out of their apartment into a larger house in the suburbs to raise their growing family)
(the creators’ first choice for the role of ‘Monica’ was comedian ‘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’, Cox’s co-star to whom the role of ‘Monica’ had originally been offered)
(before Friends aired, Monica’s characterization was greatly debated among writers in regards to the character sleeping with a man 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 struggles with childhood obesity and challenges with romantic relationships, and has a complicated relationship with her mother, each of which would become popular staples of the show)
(several months before Friends premiered, NBC 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 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’ remains the only main cast member to have never been nominated for an ‘Emmy Award’ during Friends‘ ten-year run)
(in addition to being widely recognized as one of the most famous fictional chefs, Monica’s Greenwich Village apartment, one of the series main locations, is considered to be among television’s most famous sets)