Ross Geller hence, Schwimmer was the first person to be cast on the show. Ross is a paleontologist and has a Ph.D. from Columbia University. His romantic feelings toward Rachel Green, which began as a high school infatuation, are an ongoing theme of his narrative arc. Likewise, their on-again, off-again romantic relationship is a nearly constant theme of "Friends". Born on October 18, 1967, and raised on Long Island, Ross is the elder brother of Monica Geller. Ross and Monica are Jewish and see themselves as at least cultural Jews, with Ross taking a more active role in wanting to teach his
Monica Geller Levy of "The Diamondback", Monica inspired "any ensemble cast in a sitcom with a female character who is bossy or neurotic," citing "Scrubs"’ Elliot Reid and "Happy Endings"’ Jane Kerkovich-Williams as examples of Monica's influence. Additionally, Levy identified Claire Dunphy from the sitcom "Modern Family" as Monica's modern-day equivalent, explaining that the character "acts like Monica plus children". In spring 2015, "TV Guide" published an article entitled "22 Spring Cleaning Tips From Monica Geller" in recognition of the character's cleanliness. In her article "5 Signs You’re A Real-Life Monica Geller", Ayn Bernos of "Thought Catalog" wrote that the character's personality