The Dear Friends guest star almost played Rachel

It’s hard to imagine anyone else sitting on that iconic Central Perk couch besides the Friends we got (which leads to one of the best sitcoms of all time). But if a different choice had been made, Jennifer Aniston’s important character Rachel Green could have been cast as Ross’s (David Schwimmer) first ex-wife in the series, Carol, played by Jane Sibbett.

While appearing on an Australian morning show SunriseSibbett was asked if she approached the role of Rachel. “Almost. It’s a bit of a decoration,” she said. “I actually left the room for Rachel’s audition and my manager called me saying, ‘They love you, they want you, they want you.’ You have to come back next week, but they want you.'”

Sibbett, however, was concerned about one small problem that might arise with the character she had the chance to play: “So I said, ‘Did you tell them I’m pregnant?’ and he said, “No, no, no, just go for the test, you’ll be fine.” After a more honest approach, Sibbeth didn’t get Rachel, but at least she got Carol, right? Well, like Ross’s divorces and many of the relationships on the show, things were a little rocky there.

After missing out on the part of the cafe’s most famous employee, Sibbett saw Carol, Ross’ pregnant ex-wife, elsewhere, given that she had her own child on the way. Unfortunately, the schedules didn’t line up and Sibbett lost the role to Anita Barone instead.

“I said, ‘Ask them if I can play a pregnant lesbian, and they said the timing wouldn’t be right anyway,'” Sibbett recalls. Fortunately, things changed dramatically when, after one appearance in the pilot, Barone left the show. “Friends” needed Karol and quickly. “And so when I got home from the hospital after giving birth, I got a call.”

Fortunately, there were no hard feelings between her and her co-star that ultimately caught Rachel off guard. “Nobody could ever play that role but Jennifer. No one,” Sibbett said. But in her own way, Sibbett left a significant mark on the show by bringing a gay character to the forefront of television, which was warmly received. In China, any mention of Carol being a lesbian was censoredwhile her marriage to partner Susan (Jessica Hecht) was banned on several networks. As Sibbett said, “They thought it was going to be a big deal, but it gave us a lot of great press and gave us a chance to talk about love is love and that’s what we need to do, and it’s just a beautiful story line.” .