Monica Geller minutes and forty-six seconds apart. Although the surprise addition of Monica and Chandler's twins was generally well received, critics questioned the fact that the babies are brought home from the hospital the same day as their delivery Monica is portrayed by American actress Courteney Cox. Crane and Kauffman had originally written the role of Monica for comedian Janeane Garofalo, their first choice, because they were attracted to her "edgier and snarkier" voice. However, Garofalo ultimately turned down the offer. Actress Jami Gertz was also offered the role but declined, while actress Leah Remini auditioned for Monica before ultimately being cast
Monica Geller he described as "strong" and "likable and funny". Also writing for the "Los Angeles Times", Glenn Whipp lauded Cox's tenure on "Friends", enthusing that the actress successfully "took a character loaded with obsessive-compulsive quirks and a goofy, overly competitive nature and fashioned a flesh-and-blood woman". Describing the actress' comic timing as "impeccable", Whipp went on to write that Cox "brought out Monica's insecurities in a way that turned self-deprecation into an art form". Jenna Mullins of E! dubbed Cox "a fantastic comedic actress". Alec Harvey of "The Birmingham News" described Monica as a "very, very funny" character. Kayla Upadhyaya of