[PHOTOS] Friends Celebrates Its 21st Anniversary: The One with "The Pilot"

(1994) Friends season 1 episode "The Pilot"

Happy 21st Anniversary Friends! 21-years ago today NBC launched one of the most beloved sitcoms series of its time.

Cast of Friends: Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston

With a total 21.5 million viewers tuning in to see the pilot episode of a group of six 20-something year olds: Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing and Ross Geller, played by Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer sit at the Central Perk coffee shop in the city of New York where they dealt with the struggles of their personal lives and professional lives when it came to love and relationships, and work, as well as learned that it's good that you don't have to go through it alone - it's nice to have - Friends. These six friends as well as the sitcom became a household name in the '90s to the 2000's defying the decade.

(1995) People's Choice awards - Favorite New Series, Friends

It's clear that Friends was the people's choice for comedy because the sitcom won the People's Choice award for Favorite New Series of the Year in 1995 at the 21st Annual People's Choice awards.

(1994) Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green

Jennifer Aniston portrays Rachel Green, a fashion enthusiast and Monica's Geller's best friend. When we are first introduced to her character in "The Pilot" episode she is a soaking wet bride who ran out on her wedding to Dr. Barry Finkel (later changed to Farber). She runs into the Central Perk coffee shop where she runs into her old friends from Lincoln high school, Monica Geller, who agrees to let Rachel stay with her at her apartment. Rachel then applies for a job as a waitress at the coffee shop. It is also established that Ross has had a crush on Rachel since high school.

(1994) Courteney Cox as Monica Geller

Courteney Cox portrays Monica Geller, a professional chef as well as Ross's younger sister. When we are first introduced to  her character in "The Pilot" episode she is having relationship trouble with a guy at work known as Paul "the wine guy". She dates him then realizes he only told her a sob story (his ex-wife cheated on Paul with their dentist) in or to get her into bed. It is also established that she is a perfectionist as well as a clean freak.

(1994) Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay

Lisa Kudrow plays Phoebe Buffay, Monica's former roommate who is a self-taught musician as well as a freelance masseuse. When we are first introduced to her character in "The Pilot" episode she is very hippie-like as well as enthusiastic going as far as to 'cleanse' Ross's aura after learning about his break-up from his ex-wife. She later tells her story to Rachel recalling how difficult her first time alone in the city was: Her mother killed herself, forcing Phoebe to live on the streets with an albino guy that cleaned windshield for a living who later ended up killing himself as well, but then she found aroma therapy.

(1994) Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribianni

Matt LeBlanc plays Joey Tribbiani, a struggling professional actor, food-lover, and womanizer. He is roommates with Chandler Bing. When we are first introduced to his character in "The Pilot" episode we learn he started acting professionally doing stage work once Monica and Chandler mention having seen him in a production of Pinocchio. His other lesser creditable roles that he mentions include: appearing in a porn film as a fully clothed extra, a stage play as a troll, and the lead role of Sigmund Freud in the musical play Freud! where he was first spotted by his talent agent Estelle Leonard. She immediately got him a film role in the same episode as actor Al Pacino's 'butt double' - a speechless role that his friends mock especially Chandler who sarcastically commented, "You've finally cracked your way into show business". Joey ends up losing the part due to taking the role too seriously.

(1994) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing

Matthew Perry plays Chandler Bing, a statistical analysis and data reconfiguration worker. When we are first introduced to his character in "The Pilot" episode it is established that he is 'the funny one' between he and his roommate Joey. Chandler doesn't care for his job, or his girlfriend Janice whom he recently broke-up with, but later get's back together with whom he begins a long on-again-off-again relationship with. We learn he has issues with his mother whom he had a nightmare about: Chandler dreamed that she called him, but he explains that she never calls him.

(1994) David Schwimmer as Ross Geller

David Schwimmer plays Ross Geller, a paleontologist who is charming, lovelorn, witty and shy. When we are first introduced to his character in "The Pilot" episode it is established that his ex-wife Carol is a lesbian, which is why his marriage has ended. He comment that he doesn't want to be divorced he just wants to be married and then Rachel enters the Central Perk coffee shop in a wedding gown. Chandler comments, "I've just won a million dollars". Ross describes his pain of discovering his ex-wife as being lesbian as, "I feel like someone reached down my throat, pulled out my long intestine, and is strangling me with it." Later at his apartment Joey asks what Ross got in the divorce if Carol got the stereo, and the good television, and Ross comments, "you guys" in reference towards his friends.

(1995) TV Guide Friends: The Big Romance, the Tiny Bundle, and the Really Bad Hair-do

21-years later the show aired a total of 236 episodes, had 75 celebrity guest stars, ran for 10 season, and earned 1 Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Ensemble of the Year in a Comedy Series for the year 1996, 1 Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series of the Year for the year 2002. One thing is for sure this sitcom has proven to be timeless as re-runs still air on the following networks TBS, and Nickelodeon. Who could forget "The Rachel", and Joey's catchphrase/pick-up line "How you doin'?".

(1995) Jennifer sporting "The Rachel"

April 22, 2014 People magazine dedicated an article to the cast of Friends by reporter Kelli Bender titled The Friends Cast Hanging Out with Their Younger Selves. When the article was posted the sitcom celebrated a decade of being off of the air since the season finale and with the magic of photo shop and professional photographer Linzi Silverman here are the photos:

(2014) Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston, where are they now? Currently filming the Gary Marshall holiday film Mother's Day, and filming the comedy-drama sequel film Mean Moms to actress Lindsay Lohan's film (2004) Mean Girls.

(2014) Courteney Cox

Courteney Cox, where are they now? Currently filming Mothers Day (not one in the same as Aniston's film).

(2014) Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow, where are they now? Currently starring on HBO's comedy-drama series The Comeback; which she was recently nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and filming comedy sequel film Neighbors 2.

(2014) Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry, where are they now? Currently starring on CBS's sitcom series The Odd Couple based off of the '60s stage play and television series.

(2014) Matt LeBlanc

Matt LeBlanc, where are they now? Currently starring on Showtime's sitcom Episodes; which he was recently nominated for a Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

(2014) David Schwimmer

David Schwimmer, where are they now? Currently guest starred on an episode of Episodes as himself season 4 episode 5.