Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
from the television series,
FriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which premiered on NBC on September 22, 1994. The series revolved around a group of friends in the area of Manhattan, New York City, who occasionally live together and share living expenses. The series was produced by...
(1994–2004), portrayed by
Lisa KudrowLisa V. Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends. Throughout her career she has received many accolades for her work in film and television including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.-Early life:Lisa V. Kudrow was born...
, who won an
Emmy AwardThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
, as well as receiving a Golden Globe nomination for her performances.
Early life
Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan is the younger, (by one minute), twin daughter born to Phoebe Abbott and Frank Buffay on February 16, 1967. Frank was married to Lily at the time and Lily adopted Phoebe and her twin sister, Ursula. Phoebe was unaware that she was adopted until adulthood. Phoebe does not talk much about her early years except to note that her father abandoned the family when she was very young and her mother remarried. She occasionally mentions her mother’s strange behavior and methods of raising her children, such as keeping candy in a human skull at Christmas to remind Phoebe and Ursula that even though it was Christmas, people still died.
Phoebe's life dramatically changed when she was thirteen. Lily committed suicide just before Christmas. Phoebe’s stepfather was in prison at the time. By the age of fourteen, Phoebe was living on the streets of New York. She never mentions what happened to Ursula after the mother’s death but they did not stay together. She lived in many locations such as a burnt out
Buick LesabreThe Buick LeSabre is a full-size car made by the Buick division of General Motors from 1959-2005. For many years, the LeSabre was considered the entry level full-size Buick, carrying the lowest base price in the Buick lineup...
automobile. She never attended high school or college, but she met behind a dumpster with a small group to learn
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
, in which she is fluent. She also speaks some
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
, and has a short conversation in Italian with Joey's grandmother. However, her language skills are treated somewhat inconsistently. She misunderstands when one of Monica's assistants introduces himself as a "sous-chef" (although this could have been to simply endear herself to him by appearing dim, a device which Phoebe uses many times), and she does not appear to understand Rachel's Italian boyfriend when he speaks.
Phoebe occasionally resorted to
muggingRobbery is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear. Precise definitions of the offence may vary between...
to survive. At one point, when they were fourteen, she mugged
RossRoss Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , played by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovelorn demeanor.- Personality :...
near a bakery, back when the Friends were strangers (stealing the only copy ever existing of Ross's cartoon—Science Boy. Phoebe claims this book "taught [her] well"). Phoebe also mentioned that she lived in
PraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Nicknames for Prague have included "the mother of cities" , "city of a hundred spires", or Stověžatá Praha in Czech and "the golden city" or Zlaté město in Czech.Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the...
and stated that she lived with an albino man who washed windows outside the
Port Authority Bus TerminalThe Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City. It is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey....
, as well as a "guy named Sindey who talked to his hand." Phoebe claimed that she got
hepatitisHepatitis implies injury to the liver characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from ancient Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
when a pimp spat in her mouth. Her previous lifestyle and wild stories shocked her friends. When she told the story of the time when she stabbed a
copA police officer is a warranted employee of a police force. Police officers are generally responsible for apprehending criminals, maintaining public order, and preventing and detecting crimes...
, their obviously surprised looks caused her to retort, "Well he stabbed me first!" Phoebe picked up an impressive talent for
boxingBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
at a
YMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide movement of more than 45 million members from 124 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs....
, where according to her, the guys "weren't being
ChristianChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
enough". Phoebe also claims that Monica would not last long under torture and Monica asks "Like you would?" Phoebe responds "I did!"
After her grandmother's death, Phoebe inherited her yellow taxi and apartment (which Phoebe says is Apartment 14, 5 Morton Street in the episode, 'The One with Joey's Bag').
She moved in with
MonicaMonica E. Geller-Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , played by Courteney Cox Arquette. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places...
as a result of answering a roommate ad, which began their friendship. While living with Monica, she married a gay Canadian ice dancer (
Steve ZahnSteven James "Steve" Zahn is an American comedian and actor of both film and stage. He has appeared in many films, usually playing the role of a goofy comic relief sidekick.-Early life:...
) in order to help him obtain a
green cardGreen card may refer to:* "Green card" nickname of the United States Permanent Resident Card, an identification document issued by the United States of America affording non-citizens of that country some of the rights its citizens enjoy, sometimes with the prospect of naturalization.* Green Card ,...
. He later revealed that he is straight, and was just being gay "to fit in", resulting in a divorce.
Musical "Talent"
Phoebe's somewhat dubious musical skills were a popular source of entertainment. Her stunning array of rhyming songs include "The Double-Double-Double-Jointed Boy", "Bisexuals", "Sue, Sue, Suicide", "Sticky Shoes","Holiday Song" (in which she unsuccessfully finds a word to rhyme with Chandler), "Ode to a Pubic Hair (Little Black Curly Hair)", and most famously "Smelly Cat", which became both a jingle for a kitty litter commercial (not sung by her) and a serious commercial release (also not her singing). Other popular tunes include "The Grandma Song" (a song about grandparent death) and "The Cow in the Meadow goes Moo" (a song about meat production and packaging) which she sang to the children in the public library program, earning her the name "The Lady Who Sings About the Truth". She also sang a song called "Happy Birthday Emma" in Season 10, on the occasion of the birthday of Rachel and Ross's daughter Emma.
Phoebe's musical influences and favorite bands are
heterogeneousHeterogeneous is an adjective used to describe an object or system consisting of multiple items having a large number of structural variations. It is the opposite of homogeneous, which means that an object or system consists of multiple identical items...
: she seems to know some tunes from
Lionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, record producer who has sold more than 100 million records.- Early years :...
by heart, yet a taste for
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
,
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
and
hard rockHard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music...
can be clearly noticed. To name a few examples:
- In season 8, she attempts to meet Sting while pretending to be Susan (Carol's, Ross' ex-wife, wife), as Ben goes to school with Sting's son. She ends up with a restraining order.
- In season 9, episode 03, she says she's "working on a couple Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in East London, formed in 1975. The band are directed by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris...
covers".
- In season 7, episode 17, she expresses her love for the grindcore
Grindcore, sometimes shortened to grind, is an extreme music genre that emerged during the mid–1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk.Grindcore is characterized by...
band CarcassCarcass are an extreme metal band from England, formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reunion was enacted in 2008 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen....
.
- In season 9, episode 13, she sings Queen
Queen were an English rock band. Formed in London in 1970 following the demise of the band Smile, Queen consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. The band became popular with audiences via their hit songs, live performances,...
's "We Are the Champions"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. One of their most famous and popular songs, it has since become an anthem for sporting victories and has been often used or referenced in popular culture...
" at a piano bar.
- In season 4, episode 1, Phoebe and her mother both say that they like The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
. At her wedding with Mike in season 10, episode 12, the song "Here, There and Everywhere"Here, There and Everywhere" is a song written primarily by Paul McCartney , recorded for the Beatles 1966 album Revolver. In his biography Many Years From Now, McCartney said the song is one of his favourites. Beatles' producer George Martin has also mentioned it as one of his favourite McCartney...
" by The Beatles is played on steeldrumsSteelpans is a musical instrument and a form of music originating from Trinidad...
as she walks up the aisle.
She has mentioned that she thinks the most romantic love song is the one that goes "Hold me closer, Tony Danza" (misunderstanding Elton John's "Tiny Dancer").
She describes her musical style as "acoustic folksy stuff" (season 9, episode 3).
On the first seasons, she plays in open tuning, which requires only one finger to play major chords. In later seasons she plays in standard tuning. While attempting to teach Joey guitar, she professes to be "self-taught" and doesn't know the real names of chords. She refers to G-sharp as "Ice Berg" and A as "Bear Claw" because of her finger formations while playing them.
Smelly Cat
Smelly Cat first appears in the second season episode "The One with the Baby on the Bus" where it is revealed to be Phoebe's least popular song, but Rachel's personal favorite. At the end of the episode she teaches a character played by guest star
Chrissie HyndeChrissie Hynde is an American rock musician, best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band The Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history...
to play the song. In "The One Where Eddie Moves In" Phoebe makes a professional recording of the song for possible commercial release, though her voice is replaced by another singer. A short video for the song also appeared in this episode and is included in full as a bonus feature on the second season DVD set. In "The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner" Leslie, played by guest star
Elizabeth DailyElizabeth Ann Guttman , known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, singer, songwriter, and musician.-Early life and acting career:...
uses the song as a
jingleA jingle is a memorable slogan, set to an engaging melody, mainly broadcast on radio and sometimes on television commercials.- History :The jingle had no definitive debut: its infiltration of the radio was more of an evolutionary process than a sudden innovation...
for a cat litter commercial. In the fifth season episode "The One with Joey's Bag" Phoebe meets her estranged father, who reveals he sang a lullaby to her when she was a baby, called "Sleepy Girl", which has the same melody as
Smelly Cat. The "Smelly Cat Medley" track on the
Friends Again soundtrack, credited to Phoebe Buffay & The Hairballs (featuring the Pretenders), features a recording of the scene, and then a new, more artistic recording of the duet between Hynde and Phoebe. Hynde then launches into a hard-rock version with new lyrics. The song became so famous that a group of
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
comedians had elected
Gato FedorentoGato Fedorento is a Portuguese group of comedian actors, who previously worked on SIC Radical and RTP; they are currently signed to the Portugal Telecom group and to SIC, with whom they have a contract of unspecified duration. The group is composed of the four actors José Diogo Quintela, Miguel...
("Smelly Cat" in
PortuguesePortuguese is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia and northern Portugal. It is derived from the Latin spoken by the romanized Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula around 2000 years ago...
) for their show's name, claiming they were fans of 'Friends'. Also when meeting Mike's parents, she sings it to them during dinner because nobody had spoken in seventeen minutes in "The One with Ross's Inappropriate Song."
In 2009, a
danceThis article is about dance music in general. You may also be looking for electronic dance music or dance-pop.Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
remixA remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. This name is also used for any alterations of medias other than a song ....
of the song became a popular
internet memeThe term Internet meme is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet, much like an esoteric inside joke...
.
Animal rights and the environment
Phoebe has many principles, though she sometimes fails to stick to them. She is a vegetarian, and doesn't eat "food with a face", however she succumbs to her cravings for meat during her
pregnancyPregnancy is the carrying of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, inside the uterus of a female. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets. Human pregnancy is the most studied of all mammalian pregnancies. Obstetrics is the surgical field...
, though only after Joey agrees to abstain from meat so that no extra animals would need to be killed. She frequently uses her vegetarianism to apologize for some behaviors, especially the ones which makes animals suffer; for example, when she punches Joey, making him bleed, she seems to be reasonably surprised and says: "Wow, and I'm a vegetarian!"
She is against the wearing of fur coats, though decides she looks good in one that she inherits although she later stops wearing it because she believes a squirrel is judging her. Once, she became very upset upon witnessing trees being cut down and sold as Christmas trees, and also, when Joey becomes a salesman for Christmas trees, becomes upset at old trees being put in a Chipper, and when witnessing a woman stubbing out a cigarette on a tree forced her to apologize to it. She also cries when flowers die (and even arranges
funeralA funeral is a ceremony marking a person's death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honour. These customs vary widely between cultures, and...
s for them), and feels sorry about sitting on a line of ants and accidentally killing them. She even once named a rat living in her apartment - "Bob" and a mouse "Susie". When Bob had babies and was killed, she tried to raise the babies with Mike.
Personality
Having not experienced a normal
childhoodChildhood is a broad term usually applied to the phase of development in humans between infancy and adulthood.-Age definition of a child:...
, Phoebe is quite naïve and innocent, and is in some regards, still a child at heart but is also wise in other respects. She still believes
Santa ClausSanta Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
exists, until Joey says otherwise. Phoebe also shocks some people with her frankness. Phoebe's straightforwardness is a running gag throughout the series. Phoebe is also known in the group for having the best street-smarts. Having grown up on the streets and also resorted to mugging, she knows how to get by on the streets and is not afraid to discuss it.
Phoebe is the most promiscuous of the three girls, being the one most often referred to as having casual
sexIn biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
. During the episode "The One with Rachel's Phone Number", Rachel attempts to convince Mike to do her a favor by promising Phoebe will do anything he wants: "Seriously, I'm talking dirty stuff." Mike is surprised that it could "get any dirtier". In the second last episode, while packing, Phoebe claims Mike is handcuffed to a pipe, and has done this before after being accused of owning the fur-lined handcuffs found in Monica's spare room. In one episode, it has been suggested that Phoebe has had a threesome. In one episode where Rachel and Phoebe fight over a guy Phoebe says that she hasn't been on a date in a
very long time. Rachel claims Phoebe had a date 3 days ago to which Phoebe replies, "That wasn’t a date! That was, that was just friends getting together…having sex." Another episode has Phoebe and Mike celebrating their anniversary, Rachel asks her "So which anniversary? First date? First kiss? First time sleeping together?" to which Phoebe replies "Yeah". Also, Phoebe kisses Rachel in one episode to experience Rachel's claim to be a fantastic kisser. Phoebe says that if she had to select Monica or Rachel to have a lesbian relationship with, she would select Rachel because she is "not as high-maintenance" as Monica. In "The One Where Rosita Dies", Phoebe states that if she works as a telemarketer she probably won't have to say spank as much as she did in her last phone job, suggesting that she worked as a phone sex operator.
Phoebe often uses her chaotic childhood and traumatic past as
sympathy ploysSympathy is a social affinity in which one person stands with another person, closely understanding his or her feelings. It also can mean being affected by feelings or emotions. Thus the essence of sympathy is that one has a strong concern for the other person...
to her friends. References to her mother's death were usually to get her own way. Phoebe does not seem to mind that the other friends know that she is referring to her mother's death to get her own way. In one episode Rachel says, "Now, wait a minute, you can't use that to get the cute guy's phone and the last blueberry muffin!" to which Phoebe replies, "Did I use that already today? I'm sorry." However, as the series progressed, the other friends indulge her less frequently.
Phoebe believes in
reincarnationReincarnation, literally "to be made flesh again", is a doctrine or metaphysical belief that some essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn in a new body. This essential part is often referred to as the spirit or soul, the "higher" or "true" self, "divine spark", or "I"...
and refers to multiple
godGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
s; however, not all of Phoebe's beliefs seem internally connected. She is very open to the existence of paranormal phenomena and willing to consider the most
bizarre scientific theoriesPseudoscience is a methodology, belief, or practice that is claimed to be scientific, or that is made to appear to be scientific, but which does not adhere to an appropriate scientific methodology, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
, much to Ross's confusion and despair. She, however, does not believe the theory of
evolutionIn biology, evolution is change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Though changes produced in any one generation are normally small, differences accumulate with each generation and can, over time, cause substantial changes in the population, a...
or gravity, claiming she feels more pushed down than pulled - however, her disbelief at evolution was later used in a game against Ross; after making him question his belief, she states "that was fun!". At one point, Phoebe is even
possessedSpirit possession is paranormal, supernatural, psychological and/or superstitious spirits, gods, demons/daemons , animas, ET's or other disincarnate or extraterrestrial entities taking control of a human body, resulting in noticeable changes in health and behavior...
by the spirit of an 82 year-old woman who had unfinished business. Phoebe also claims to hear voices in her head, and at one point, even heard what Joey was singing in
his head. In "The One With All The Thanksgivings" Phoebe reveals that she believes she possessed the same look in at least two previous lives, and that Joey does not have any previous life memories because "he's brand new".
Phoebe is a very generous person, characterized by when she agreed to be a surrogate mother for her brother Frank Jr. and his wife Alice Knight. In the Season 5 episode 'The One Hundredth (The One with the Triplets)' she gave birth to their triplets: Chandler (originally intended to be named after
Chandler BingChandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , played by Matthew Perry.-Background:...
, thinking she was a boy); Frank Jr. Jr. (when Chandler suggested that he should be called 'Frank the third' Alice replied with "Oh, don't get me started"); and Leslie. When telling people this it surprises them, as she says she had her brother's babies, not that it was surrogacy.
Her resistance against large corporations is made manifest in several episodes in which she speaks out against chain stores and the ideal of corporate greed, such as in "The One With the Apothecary Table" (against
Pottery BarnPottery Barn is an upscale, American-based home furnishing store with stores in the United States and Canada. Since September 1986 it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc....
, which she later admits liking). In season 9, most notably in the episode "The One with the Fertility Test," she tries to convince Rachel not to redeem a gift-certificate to a massage spa because it puts independent massage therapists such as herself out of business. However, when Rachel clandestinely visits the spa to redeem her gift certificate, it is revealed that Phoebe is employed at the spa as a massage therapist because of the good money, benefits, and
401(k)In the United States of America, a 401 plan allows a worker to save for retirement and have the savings invested while deferring current income taxes on the saved money and earnings until withdrawal. The employee elects to have a portion of his or her wages paid directly, or "deferred," into his...
plan, which she pronounces "four-oh-wunk" (she even exclaims that she has to "pay taxes!"). Even when Rachel says she should quit if she hated it so much, she still did not do so, even saying she didn't mean what she said to the "microphones" (Phoebe believed that the whole spa was rigged with them) so it is assumed she still works there.
Phoebe is occasionally referred to as a heavy drinker, although she never demonstrates any dependence that would make her an alcoholic. In a season 7 episode, when describing her feelings for a man she's dating, she tells Monica "I feel like I've had ten drinks today...and I only had 6." She also drank over twenty drinks at a charity event stating "The more I drink, the less there is for kids to drink." At Monica's 30th birthday party, when Monica gets very drunk, Phoebe decides to "get twice as drunk so no one will notice Monica". The morning after Ross and Rachel get married in
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
, Phoebe and the rest of the friends have a breakfast buffet. During the breakfast, she explains a few times that she is drunk, after drinking while having breakfast.
Regina Phalange
Phoebe frequently uses the
alter egoAn alter ego is a second self, a second personality or persona within a person. It was coined in the early nineteenth century when schizophrenia was first described by early psychologists...
Regina Phalange. Once when she is pretending to be French, she even adopts a French version called "Régine Filange". The first reference to Regina Phalange is when she is trying to contact Mrs. Waltham in England at Ross and Emily's wedding, and pretends to be a Dr. Regina Phalange who is Ross's brain doctor, she tries to justify Ross's hiccup when he said Rachel instead of Emily at the wedding it was due to his not taking medication and thus names are interchangeable in the mind of Ross, when Mrs. Waltham discovers that it is Phoebe, she remarks she has the illness too. The second reference to Regina Phalange is in Vegas, when she plays blackjack with Joey and a dealer, whom Joey claims is his identical hand twin. Phoebe introduces herself as Regina Phalange to the dealer. When Phoebe, Rachel, and Melissa go out to lunch (The One With Rachel's Big Kiss), she says that somebody called Regina Phalange died of alcohol poisoning. She also used her fake name to show Chandler and Monica that people sometimes lie about their names. She introduces herself to them as Regina Phalange. Joey does the same with his invented name Ken Adams. Regina also made an appearance when Phoebe was helping Chandler practice for his interview in season eight. In the season 10 episode "The One Where Joey Speaks French", Phoebe attempts to spare Joey from humiliation by introducing herself as "Régine Filange" and stating that Joey is indeed speaking an obscure regional dialect of french from their "hometown" of "Estée Lauder". Her attempts to convince the casting director fail and she resorts to "admitting the truth" that Joey is in fact her younger brother who is "un peu retardé", and subsequently requesting that the casting director humour Joey's french speaking abilities. The last reference is in the series finale when Phoebe successfully stalls Rachel's plane to Paris by saying there was a problem with the "left phalange".
Chandler
ChandlerChandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , played by Matthew Perry.-Background:...
acts as something of a little brother to Phoebe, demanding on several occasions, "Pheebs! Play with me!" and in "The One with the Metaphorical Tunnel" Phoebe and Chandler have been playing Hide and Seek when Estelle rings. After Phoebe learns that Chandler is seeing Monica, she makes hilarious sexual advances towards him to test the strength of his devotion, despite having a platonic relationship. However, sometimes Phoebe displays an apparent random underlying hostility towards Chandler, making him the butt of jokes of which he had no part, and insulting Monica for falling for him ("Really? Chandler?!"). Also, in, "The One With the Football," Phoebe is in her first huddle and says,"So, what do you guys really think of Chandler?"
On some occasions Phoebe hints that she has affection towards Chandler, as in "The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth's Dad" when Phoebe tells Chandler that she'll be waiting for him to make a move on her as she smiles and in "The One With The Tea Leaves" when Phoebe reads her tea leaf revealing that she will meet the man of her dreams really soon at which point she says "probably not the guy I had a dream about last night" and she then points towards Chandler and mouths the word 'you'. Chandler also asks Phoebe to help him select an
engagement ringIn Western tradition, an engagement ring is a ring worn by a person indicating his or her engagement to be married. Conventionally, the ring is presented as a betrothal gift by a man to his prospective bride while he proposes marriage or directly after she accepts his marriage proposal...
for
MonicaMonica E. Geller-Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , played by Courteney Cox Arquette. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places...
after she walks in on him looking at ring brochures (claiming that, once again, not knocking pays off even though seeing Chandler on the toilet was not part of the plan..). Despite having no extended interaction throughout the series, Phoebe is given away by Chandler when she marries Mike (Although this is mainly because Chandler is the only member of the group available; originally Joey would have given her away but he was called on to perform the ceremony when the original minister never showed up). They also spend time together in 'The One with the East German Laundry Detergent' both trying to dump their boyfriend/ girlfriend and Phoebe points out that they should spend more time together. She also decided that she would name one of the surrogate children of her brother Frank after Chandler Bing. Much to Chandler's embarrassment, the baby named Chandler turned out to be a girl.
Joey
Phoebe and
JoeyJoseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , and the title character in the spin-off, Joey , and is played by Matt LeBlanc.-Background:...
had a similar relationship and appear to be "on the same wavelength" quite often, perhaps partially due to their being the only members of the group who lack a college education and didn't know each other as long as the others have. Joey is Phoebe's best male friend and vice-versa; they have dinner together once a month (As we find out in "The one with all the cheesecakes") to talk about the rest of the group. Both characters show a fondness and softness for each other, even when joking or being upset towards the others. In "The One With the Ride Along" she casually explained that "when the revolution comes, I will have to destroy you all...not you, Joey." Joey was also angered when Monica and Chandler did not show support for his "identical hand twin" idea and said that none of them are allowed to live in his hand-shaped mansion "except for you, Pheebs, you can live in the thumb." Later, she helped Joey by being Regina Philange, pretending to be a businesswoman who would pay a lot for identical hand twins. However she did once say that she does not want her surrogate kids to "grow up in a world where Joey is right."
Joey is in awe of Phoebe's knowledge of such things as reincarnation and openly wishes that he could remember his past lives, to which Phoebe says that Joey has never had any past lives because he is "brand new". Phoebe tries to teach Joey how to speak French, at his request, because he claims fluency on his résumé. Much to Phoebe's annoyance though, Joey has no aptitude for foreign language and just reels off gibberish (both Kudrow, married to a French executive, and LeBlanc, who incidentally has a French surname, speak fluent French, as does Matthew Perry, who is Canadian). She also tries to teach him the guitar, but forbids him to touch one, and they have a brief falling out when he seeks out a qualified teacher.
Phoebe reportedly had a crush on Joey, and was jealous of his relationship with her twin sister, Ursula. As Phoebe and Joey's relationship never goes past a kiss (they've kissed five times during the course of the show), Joey cannot be considered as one of Phoebe's significant others. In "The One Where They All Turn Thirty", Phoebe is lamenting all the things she has failed to do before turning 31, including having "the perfect kiss" and meeting Portuguese people so Joey gives her a kiss and says "Oh, I'm 1/16 Portuguese." Phoebe quite frequently hits on Joey for no apparent reason. Phoebe also tells Joey that one day, they will get married after Chandler and Monica's marriage fails and Joey marries Rachel for her children and Phoebe marries Chandler for his money, then they both get divorces and marry each other with Chandler's money and Rachel and Joey's children.
Kudrow later revealed in an interview that she and LeBlanc had pitched an idea to the writers involving Joey and Phoebe having casual sex all along, but the pitch was rejected.
Ross
Though Phoebe and Ross are firm friends, their relationship sometimes leads to conflict between Phoebe's "New Age" beliefs and
RossRoss Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , played by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovelorn demeanor.- Personality :...
's scientific ones, such as their debates over the theories of
evolutionIn biology, evolution is change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Though changes produced in any one generation are normally small, differences accumulate with each generation and can, over time, cause substantial changes in the population, a...
and gravity, and whether Phoebe's dead mother had been reincarnated as a cat. Phoebe even suggests that, at some point in the future, she and Ross will have a disagreement that ends with her killing him. In "The One With Joey's Big Break", Phoebe claims to be mad at
RossRoss Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , played by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovelorn demeanor.- Personality :...
, but "can't remember" why. She remembers that he called her boring, but this turned out to be merely a dream (while they were playing chess on an iced-over lake and he pulls off his energy mask and he turned out to be
Cameron DiazCameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She broke out in the 1990s with her roles in The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding and There's Something About Mary, and subsequently appeared in Charlie's Angels, Shrek, Vanilla Sky, Gangs of New York, What Happens in Vegas and several...
). When she is getting ready to celebrate her birthday during the 9th season and Ross and Rachel say that only one of them can attend a dinner with her, she says enthusiastically "Ooh, Rachel!" and Ross sarcastically says "gee thanks I'll make sure to put a lot of thought into your gift." Despite their difference in beliefs, both usually turn to one another for advice or help.
It is revealed that the mugger who attacked a teenage
RossRoss Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends , played by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovelorn demeanor.- Personality :...
outside St. Mark's Comics, stealing his backpack and the only existing copy of his cartoon "Science Boy", had been a teenage, homeless Phoebe. To show how sorry she was for mugging Ross, Phoebe returns "Science Boy", which she has stored in a box labeled "Crap from the Street" ever since. She claims that she had kept it only because it was too good to sell for food money, as she apparently learned a lot from Science Boy when she was growing up on the street. She also thinks it's kinda "neat", because it gives her and Ross a link in their childhood that she doesn't share with the others.
When Ross comes to know that Phoebe had never ever ridden a bike in her entire life and that as a kid, she saw her neighbor with a bike, he gives her a bike exactly as described by Phoebe. Also, when Ross realizes that he is in love with Rachel, Phoebe pushes him to tell Rachel how he feels.
Ross and Phoebe appear to turn to one another when they need advice (Ross turned to Phoebe for advice about telling Mona about Rachel moving in and Phoebe turned to Ross for advice about Mike).
In a "flashback" scenario episode, it is revealed that after Ross and Carol's relationship broke up, in a moment of weakness, she and Ross almost had sex on the pool table inside the bar that would become Central Perk.
In the last episode of Friends, Phoebe drives Ross to the airport in her
taxiA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire, with a driver, for a single passenger, or small group of passengers, typically for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
, and delays Rachel's flight so that Ross can declare his love to Rachel.
Monica
Although Phoebe and Monica are close, Phoebe often finds her competitive,
obsessive-compulsiveObsessive–compulsive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce anxiety, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety, or by combinations of such thoughts and behaviors...
behavior off-putting. During one of Monica's obsessive outbreaks Phoebe jokes about having "woke the beast." Also, when explaining why she has to move out, Phoebe says, "I need to live in a world where people can spill!" She moves out of Monica's apartment surreptitiously, taking out one possession at a time to avoid discovery. However, once she is discovered, she states that she still wishes to be Monica's friend. At one point, some time before the first episode, she attempted to "cut Monica out" of her life. This was revealed in Season 10, "The One With Ross' Tan" which caused a brief wedge between them. They also clash when Monica becomes Phoebe's wedding planner and becomes bossy and demanding which annoys Phoebe, particularly when Monica forbids Mike, her fiancé, from going to the bathroom. Also when Phoebe starts singing outside Monica's restaurant, much to Monica's annoyance and embarrassment. Phoebe takes this harshly and insults Monica's cooking and restaurant while Monica retaliates by insulting Phoebe's music.
During Monica and Chandler's engagement, Monica tells Rachel and Phoebe that she cannot decide who to pick to be her maid of honor at the wedding and so leaves the decision to them. Initially it is mutually decided by the two that Phoebe could be Monica's maid of honor as Phoebe says that she has never been maid of honor for anyone before. However when Rachel discovers that she has been a maid of honor, Joey tells them that he and Ross will hold a competition in which Rachel and Phoebe act out potential maid of honor scenarios. Phoebe wins, but later tells Rachel that she can be Monica's maid of honor since it means more to her, However, it's soon shown that Phoebe is glad she doesn't have to put up with Monica's controlling nature during the planning of the wedding.
Rachel
Her relationship with Rachel is a bit more even-keeled; they are even roommates for a time in season six, though this leads to some minor clashes, including Phoebe's hatred of
Pottery BarnPottery Barn is an upscale, American-based home furnishing store with stores in the United States and Canada. Since September 1986 it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc....
and Rachel's embarrassment at Phoebe's strange jogging style during their morning runs. Phoebe admits that, if she had to choose which of her two girlfriends to have a lesbian relationship with, she would pick Rachel because she is not as high-maintenance as Monica. However at the end of the episode, while Rachel tells Phoebe that she would pick her above Monica to have a relationship, she and Monica both mime behind Phoebe's back that they would definitely pick each other. One time during the early season Phoebe also insulted Rachel's waitressing, saying to her, "Yeah, otherwise someone might actually get what they ordered", sparking a huge row between all the friends(except for Chandler who walks out of Central Perk with a smile on his face, as it was his smoking habit that led the others to point out each other's bad habits).
In another early episode, Phoebe and Rachel go to get
tattooA tattoo is a marking made by inserting ink into the layers of skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on animals are most commonly used for identification or branding.Tattooing has been practiced...
s together. Though while Rachel gets a heart tattoed on her hip, Phoebe doesn't get the intended lily on her shoulder (because she apparently "didn't know they did it with needles").
The pair get closer as the show goes on with them moving in with each other in the sixth season but Rachel is forced to move out when a fire destroys their home, when it's completed Phoebe thinks Rachel would rather live with Joey than her and she buys Joey presents to try and lure her out of the apartment. Also in the fifth season when Ross' wife Emily asks him not to see Rachel anymore, Rachel comments that it was only going to be a matter of time before someone is pushed out of the group and says "I always thought Phoebe would be the one to go" because she lives far away and is not related. Despite this Rachel apologizes to Phoebe and tells her that they should leave and make their own group because they're "the best ones" and Phoebe agrees and says "Alright, but let's try to get Joey". At the end of that episode when Monica and Chandler talk to Joey privately in Monica's bedroom Phoebe says "We're so stupid, they're trying to take Joey!"
In the seventh season, Phoebe didn't believe Rachel when she said that she had kissed a girl (although Rachel and Monica kissed for one minute in order to have their appartment back in the "The One With All The Haste" episode)so Rachel brings Phoebe to dinner with the girl (
Winona RyderWinona Laura Horowitz , better known under her professional name Winona Ryder, is an American actress who has appeared in film genres ranging from drama and comedy to science fiction. Her first significant role was as a goth teen in the 1988 Tim Burton film Beetlejuice, which won her critical and...
) who denies it but at the end it turns out to be true when Rachel kisses the girl, and the girl apparently admits that she was a lesbian, mentioning she loved Rachel. When Rachel's friend has left Phoebe kissed Rachel "To know what all the fuss was about". Rachel, looking shocked asks "and?" Phoebe shrugs "I've had better" before walking away, followed by Rachel.
Marriage
In Season 9, Joey—somewhat inadvertently—introduces Phoebe to Mike Hannigan (played by
Paul RuddPaul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter.-Early life:Rudd was born in Passaic, New Jersey, the son of Jewish immigrants from England; his family's original surname was "Rudnitzky"...
). Phoebe and Mike begin a long relationship which temporarily ends when Phoebe learns Mike, having already been through one disastrous marriage, never wants to remarry. Mike then learns that Phoebe's first boyfriend, David (
Hank AzariaHank Albert Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, comedian and voice artist. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons...
), is planning to propose to her; he then changes his mind about marriage and proposes to Phoebe before David can. This proposal was rejected, as Phoebe only wanted to know that marriage was a possibility, but she and Mike become a couple again. They become officially engaged in "The One Where Rachel's Sister Baby-Sits". In the final season in "The One with Phoebe's Wedding", the two are married in the street outside Central Perk, with Monica as maid of honor,
RachelRachel Karen Green is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends , played by Jennifer Aniston, who received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her performances.-Background:...
as a bridesmaid, Joey officiating (he was
ordainedIn general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
over the
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
for Monica and Chandler's wedding), Chandler giving Phoebe away and Ross holding Mike's beloved but smelly childhood dog as a groomsman.
When she changes her name after the wedding, Phoebe learns she can change it to anything, and briefly becomes "Princess Consuela Bananahammock"(although requesting the friends call her "Valerie"). Her husband Mike retaliates by threatening to change his name to "Crap Bag". Phoebe reconsiders after learning that
banana hammock is slang for a
SpeedoSpeedo is a manufacturer of swimwear and accessories. The company was started by Alexander MacRae under the name of MacRae Hosiery Manufacturers in Bondi Beach, an eastern suburb of Sydney, Australia....
, and changes her name again to Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan.
Phoebe has been married at least once before; in Season 2 ("The One With Phoebe's Husband"). Her husband Duncan (played by Steve Zahan) was an apparently
gayThe term gay was originally used, until well into the mid-20th century, primarily to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; it had also come to acquire some connotations of "immorality" as early as 1637....
ice dancer, an old friend and someone Phoebe was in love with. Duncan comes to Monica's house, where he thinks Phoebe is living, and asks to see his wife. Her husband of six years, Duncan
comes outCome Out may refer to:*Come Out , a music piece by Steve Reich*Coming out, disclosing one's homosexuality*"Come Out", a song by Camper van Beethoven from New Roman Times...
as
straightStraight is a term which may commonly refer to:* The quality or state of extending in one direction without turns, bends or curves; or being without influence or interruption* The personal character of displaying honesty or fairness...
but divorces Phoebe anyway, and we learn that they only got married so Duncan could stay in the country. It is also possible that Phoebe was previously married in Las Vegas at some point in the past. She indicates her belief that people married in Vegas are only married within Vegas city limits, and is surprised when Monica informs her such a union is legal all over the world. After a moment of mild distress, she shrugs off the revelation.
Phoebe is also briefly engaged to Joey. In the episode entitled "The One With The Red Sweater", Joey believes that Phoebe is pregnant and proposes to her. Phoebe says yes and accepts his ring, but Monica tells Joey that it is Rachel who is pregnant, so Joey proposes to Rachel and must retrieve the ring from a reluctant Phoebe.
Production
When Phoebe became pregnant during Season 4, it was to account for Lisa Kudrow's actual pregnancy. Kudrow gave birth to a boy after production ended on Season 4
Casting
Lisa Kudrow won the role because the producers liked her in her recurring role as Ursula, the waitress in
Mad About YouMad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations...
. The characters were retconned to make them twin sisters.
The six actors met for the first time altogether at the
read-throughThe read-through, or "table-read" or "table-work" is a stage of film and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted. The read-through usually takes place towards the end of pre-production but before the...
on April 28, 1994.
Reception
Entertainment Weekly voted Phoebe Buffay on
Friends as Lisa Kudrow's best performance.