Monica Geller Rachel due to the character's lack of strong storylines; she eventually relented once Monica and Chandler became romantically involved, thus her character's storylines gradually began to improve. Cox married actor David Arquette in 1999 while the show was on hiatus between seasons five and six, hence the actress legally changed her full name to Courteney Cox Arquette. The opening credits of the season six premiere "The One After Vegas" features an inside joke in which Cox's new surname "Arquette" is attached to the surnames of each cast and crew member. The episode is dedicated to Cox and Arquette, reading, "For
The Pilot (Friends) and thought she was a better fit for Monica. After reading for Monica instead, she won the role. Nancy McKeon also read for the part. Jennifer Aniston read for the part of Rachel after initially being considered for Monica. Her contract with the CBS TV series "Muddling Through" meant that any role with "Friends" would be in second position to the series. The CBS show was not scheduled to be broadcast until mid-1994, after NBC's announcement of whether "Friends" would be greenlit; if "Muddling Through" became a ratings success and CBS enforced Aniston's contract, "Friends" would have had to recast