An interview of the F.R.I.E.N.D.S:

The FRIENDS cast really are friends. Here in a question and answer session on their LA set, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt le Blanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry reveal the chemistry which credited their winning formula.

What does friendship mean to you on the show?

Courtney Cox (Monica): We're all really close. The girls are my best friends in the whole world.

Matthew Perry (Chandler): Now you've hurt the boy' feelings

Courtney Cox (Monica): You guys don't come to Two Bunch Palms (an elite Palm Springs spa) and have hot mud baths with us.

Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe): The show represents how spread out people are in America from their real family and that friends have to come to replace family. These six characters love each other.

Matthew Perry (Chandler): When you're not seeing your family you meet a group of people who become your second family. The guys are really close.We're all really close.

But how close are you really?

Courtney Cox (Monica): We're lucky to care about each other so much. You can have a problem and they're the first people I come to.

David Schwimmer (Ross): We got lucky, there's not a bad seed in the group. Everybody's nice. Off the set we're less funny but basically it's the same stuff going on between us, helping each other and hanging out together.

Jennifer Aniston (Rachel): When the show became a big hit it was great to have these guys sharing the pressure of sudden fame.

Are there any episodes based on the way you are with each other in real life?

Jennifer Aniston (Rachel): The writers have observed our friendships and come up with storylines close to things that have really happened. We once did a poker game episode and that came from the fact we were all obsessed with playing poker together.

Matthew Perry (Chandler): Somebody say something about me.

Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe): The writers have taken a lot from Matthew Perry and put it into Chandler, he's just so funny.

Matthew Perry (Chandler): I'm not sure anyone is buying this.

Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe): OK, any funny thing that happens on the show probably originated from Matthew.

Matthew Perry (Chandler): I feel better now.

If you have a problem, who do you go to?

Matt le Blanc (Joey): David has a strong business head and is very creative, while Matthew is smart about how to handle sticky situations.

Matthew Perry (Chandler): Jen is just an angel with great adive all the time and Lisa is really, really smart. Courtney is like a big sister.

Outside the show, what is your biggest passion?

Matt le Blanc (Joey): My family. Given the time I've spent purusing a career, I've made a lot of sacrifices in my family and now I'd like to spend more time with them.

David Schwimmer (Ross): Working with my theatre troupe.

Matthew Perry (Chandler): I was going to say writing, but now I sound like a jerk. Family. Writing about my family.

Jennifer Aniston (Rachel): My relationship (with actor Tate Donavan).

Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe): My husband (French businessman Michel Stern).

Courtney Cox (Monica): My passion outside the show is my family and my friends, the piano and painting.

How does Lisa's pregnancy affect you, since there are plans to write it into the show?

Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe): I'm so excited and happy. I'm not worried or concerned about the effect this is going to have on the show.

Jennifer Aniston (Rachel): None of us are. It's just wonderful.

Most of you are involved in movie projects. How do you feel about each other's film work?

Matthew Perry (Chandler): I know it sounds corny and like a lovefest, but the truth is I just can't wait to come back and enjoy the relationship that we have on the set.

Matt le Blanc (Joey): Acting is a profession filled with insecurity and the six of us together give each other this confidence to go out, stretch our abilities and get inspired. This is a pretty special thing we have here and I hope that doesn't sound conceited, but I think we're really lucky.

Can one of you reveal your first impressions of each cast member?

David Schwimmer (Ross): I thought Matt le Blanc was good looking and maybe not as bright as he proved himself to be after I'd got to know him! Matty seemed super smart and super nervous. Jennifer, I thought, was cute and adorable. Lisa is just really sharp and Court is very, very warm.

What was your support for Matthew when he checked into a treatment centre for addiction to painkillers?

Matthew Perry (Chandler): And I thought I was going to get through this whole thing without being asked! It was really amazing, actually. I just heard from these guys all the time with lots of phone calls, lots of support. When you go through something like that you find out who is really important to you and who really cares about you. Not one of these guys dropped the ball.