10 Biggest Friends Urban Legends

It's been cited time and time again over the years that comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres was originally selected to play Phoebe Buffay, but ended up turning the part down.

Considering how many famous names and faces got caught in the show's orbit over the years, it's easy enough to believe, but also completely false no matter how often it's been reported.

This one was ultimately diffused for good in 2015 when DeGeneres appeared on The Howard Stern Show and was asked about the urban legend. She responded that she was never up for the part and therefore wasn't in a position to turn it down.

Considering that DeGeneres was already deep in production on her own eponymously-titled sitcom many months before Friends aired, it wouldn't have made sense for her to be trying out for Phoebe anyway.

Everything clearly worked out for the best - Ellen continued her hit show, and the world at large was introduced to Lisa Kudrow.