This Actor Passed on Chandler but Returned to Friends as a Guest Star
It's hard to imagine any well-known character being played by a different actor, not someone you expect.
Would they still have the same charm and appeal if their face was different? What about their mannerisms? Their voice? Some actors truly become their characters in the audience's eyes, especially if the character is in a long-running TV series.
Not so much serendipity, but Chandler from Friends almost had a different face.
It's hard to imagine Chandler not looking like Matthew Perry, but he almost looked like Jon Favreau. While many of Friends' actors changed roles before filming began or almost didn't accept the job, Favreau was the only one who actually declined the role.
Jon Favreau had just gotten his start in 1994 when Friends debuted. Having made his acting debut the year prior in Rudy, the actor was fresh on the scene at the time of auditions. He declined the role, however, to focus on other projects, such as Swingers (1996) which propelled him and his close friend Vince Vaughn to stardom and on which he worked as an actor, writer, and producer (a recurring theme for Favreau).
Seeing his shift into becoming such an acclaimed director nowadays, it's easy to understand not wanting to be tied down in a recurring, long-term role like Chandler. Despite this, Friends wouldn't be completely off his radar in the years to come.
Though he initially turned down the role of Chandler, Favreau remained in touch with the casting crew. On season 4, Favreau appeared as Pete Becker, whose several-episode arch of competing in the UFC got him dumped by Monica.
In 2001, Favreau made his directorial big-screen debut with Made. Meanwhile, the next year, Friends received its Outstanding Comedy Series award at the Emmys. The two appeared to go their separate ways after that, with Friends becoming the acclaimed hit we know today before its end in 2004.
Favreau, meanwhile, went on to direct some of the most widely known movies of our time, including working on the Marvel franchise. However, he was not forgotten by his castmates. Courteney Cox, who played Monica, during her interview on Hot Ones, called him "the best director." Though it can be hard to picture a well-known character with a different face, Favreau really might have made a great Chandler.