Jon Favreau Almost Played This Iconic Friends Character
Jon Favreau is a man of many talents. He is an actor who has starred in movies such as "Swingers," "Iron Man," "Four Christmases," and "People Like Us," via IMDb. However, he is also an accomplished filmmaker and producer, making him a wealthy force to be reckoned with. It seems that Favreau could just about do anything in the entertainment industry, and he even landed a supporting role on the iconic television series "Friends." During the show's run, the actor portrayed Monica's boyfriend, Pete Becker. Pete was a very lovable and interesting character, as he was a millionaire who adored Monica. However, when Pete had aspirations of becoming an Ultimate Fighting Champion, his girlfriend just couldn't take it. The couple ended up calling it quits as Pete pursued his dream.
While the role wasn't his most memorable, Favreau said that he still thinks about the character of Pete quite often. "Pete Becker was a man of tremendous focus and conviction. He set his heart to be the Ultimate Fighting Champion and I have no doubt that he gave it his all. I'm only sorry that that chapter was never closed by the 'Friends' writers because I'll always have to live with the uncertainty of what his fate held," he said (via Cinema Blend).
Although Favreau was a fan-favorite in the role of Pete, he very nearly got a role as one of the main cast members of the show.
Jon Favreau almost played Chandler Bing on Friends
It's hard to imagine anyone but Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry filling the roles of Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Ross Geller, Joey Tribbiani, and Chandler Bing. However, many other famous faces were in the running for their roles. One of the actors who auditioned for a role on "Friends" was Jon Favreau, per Esquire. Favreau was reportedly considered for the role of Chandler, which would have left him sharing even more scenes with Cox's character, Monica. However, he decided to pass on the opportunity and went on to write and star in the film "Swingers."
Surprisingly, actor Vince Vaughn, who also starred in "Swingers," also auditioned for a role on "Friends." The comedy actor reportedly wanted to play Joey on the series, but eventually lost out to LeBlanc. So, while Vaughn and Favreau were close to playing best friends Joey and Chandler on the series, they eventually ended up working together on the film, which was a breakout hit and helped to launch both of their careers.
It seems that everything worked out perfectly for all parties. Execs nailed down the perfect casting for "Friends," and Favreau went on to build a lucrative career for himself across multiple platforms.