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Friends actress was forced to hide before Janice's entrance: 'The audience went nuts'

Maggie Wheeler's appearances as Janice on 'Friends' were so popular that she had to hide before she'd enter a scene to ensure a big response from the studio audience: 'Oh. My. God.'

A black scrim was deployed to obscure her entrances, whether visiting Chandler's apartment or the coffee shop, so audience reactions would be pure (and, inevitably, triumphant). While Wheeler, who also had recurring roles on Ellen and Archer, certainly enjoyed her "rock star" surprise appearances, being tucked away backstage didn't keep her from observing the legendary camaraderie that existed on the Friends set, confirming that the cast was "super close." She described the show's early days, especially, with its "ratty little green room" with "broken down couches and a folding table," and how everybody would "dash in there at lunch and play poker."

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