10 Actors You Won't Believe Were Nearly Cast In Friends

8. Hank Azaria - Joey

Hank Azaria is best known for the voice work he does on The Simpsons, but he also auditioned for the part of Joey back when Friends was called "Friends Like Us" and the first script was being passed around. "I went and auditioned for Joey and got rejected," Azaria said on the matter. "But - and this was the first and only time I've done this - I asked to go back in. I said, 'I know you said 'no' to me once, but I just want to try it again, because I like that show that much.' And I went back in... And I got another very quick 'no.' As quick as the first time." It wasn't meant to be for Azaria, of course - and though there are rumours of other actors, like Vince Vaughn, auditioning for the role of Joey, it's assumed that the producers found Matt LeBlanc pretty early on in the process, and considered him the right man for the job. Azaria eventually did nab a re-occurring part on Friends, though, as Phoebe's geeky boyfriend David, who is forced to leave her for a job opportunity in Minsk. David is nebbish, timid and shy: everything Joey really isn't. Which kind of explains why Azaria didn't get that role.