-No, it's the greatest thing in the world.Friends: The Reunion · 2021 — Chapter 22 of 25 · 4'07" · B2
Janice Returns to the Reunion, Explained: calls out to me
The cast trade praise about who laughs hardest, landing on Lisa Kudrow's giggle. Then Maggie Wheeler, who plays Janice, explains where the character came from and delivers the line that made her famous: "Something deep in your soul calls out to me like a foghorn." Gunther later joins over video call.
What happens
The cast first talk about laughter, and everyone agrees Lisa Kudrow's is the most infectious. Then Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice, appears and explains the character: the audition described a fast-talking New Yorker, and she knew the type at once. Gunther then joins the reunion by video call.
Listen for
crack upcalls out to meover the course ofcheeky
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Phrase of the scene
calls out to me
在呼唤我；深深吸引我
詹妮丝夸张地说对方灵魂深处像雾笛一样在呼唤她。
The open road calls out to me.
Also in this scene
- crack up
笑崩；忍不住大笑
- over the course of
在……的过程中；历经
- cheeky
（口语）大胆冒失的；俏皮的
Everything marked in this scene
44 notes across 75 lines
liaison
-No, it's the greatest thing in the world.-It's the most infectious laugh in the world.When you look back, who had the loudest laugh?You had the loudest. -Yeah, yeah, yeah.Maggie, if you perch in here for us.Thank you for being here, Maggie.What an absolute thrill.What an absolute thrill.Let's talk about Janice for a moment.Where did Janice come from?-You know, I got the audition sides across my fax machine, and it said "fast-talking New Yorker,"-You know, I got the audition sides across my fax machine, and it said "fast-talking New Yorker,"I-I grew up there.I-I just -- She lives in me. That's it.-You seek me out.Something deep in your soul calls out to me like a foghorn.Something deep in your soul calls out to me like a foghorn.simile
Something deep in your soul calls out to me like a foghorn.liaison
Something deep in your soul calls out to me like a foghorn.You want me, you need me, you can't live without me.And the minute I set eyes on him and he opened his mouth,I'm gonna crack up.I'm gonna crack up.This character needs a laugh because I'm not gonna be able to get through a single scene with this guy."It was just born in the moment.It was just born in the moment.What about that? What a treat.What about that? What a treat.but so desperately wanted to be part of the show,-Tell us about your experience making the show and how your character just came to lifeflap
-Tell us about your experience making the show and how your character just came to lifeover the course of these seasons.prepositional phrase
over the course of these seasons.weak form
over the course of these seasons.I could not have imagined just a better experience.modal perfect
I could not have imagined just a better experience.It was just a joy to work with them.-Oh, I-I'm just making a list of people's birthdays.-I mean, will you allow me to ask what I would consider to be a cheeky question?It's impossible not to realize and see that you were all young,elision
It's impossible not to realize and see that you were all young,hot, good-looking, successful actors.And it's inconceivable to me that there weren'tJanice Returns to the Reunion, explained
What's really going on
This stretch of the reunion is really about how much of the show was found in the moment. The laughter talk flatters Lisa Kudrow, but it also points at something the cast could not rehearse, a sound that became part of the show's identity. The Janice segment makes the same case from the other side: Maggie Wheeler traces the character to a single line on an audition page, then to her own instinct, and finally to a laugh she invented because she could not get through a scene without cracking up. The character's signature line, "Something deep in your soul calls out to me like a foghorn," is played straight and silly at once. Even Gunther, returning by video, shows how much these small parts meant.
Theme
FriendshipThe cast praise each other warmly, showing the reunion is as much about their bond as the show.
IdentityMaggie Wheeler explains Janice as something she built from instinct, a role that became part of her.
Listen for
- greatest thing in the world — liaison
- calls out to me — liaison
- came to life — flap
- over the course of — weak form
Something deep in your soul calls out to me like a foghorn.Janice's over-the-top line, an absurdly loud and romantic claim that someone secretly wants her.
I could not have imagined just a better experience.Gunther's actor describes the job and the people as better than anything he could have expected.
It was just a joy to work with them.A warm summary of the cast as easy and enjoyable to work alongside.
You want me, you need me, you can't live without me.Janice's teasing insistence that Chandler's resistance is a lie.
-It's the most infectious laugh in the world.Praise for Lisa Kudrow's laugh as a sound the whole room catches.
Questions about this scene
Who has the loudest laugh among the cast?
The group agrees it is Lisa Kudrow, calling hers the loudest and the most infectious laugh in the world.
Where did the character Janice come from?
Maggie Wheeler says the audition sides described a fast-talking New Yorker, a type she knew from growing up there, and that Janice simply lives in her.
Why does Janice have such a distinctive laugh?
Wheeler says she could not get through scenes with Matthew Perry without cracking up, so she gave the character a laugh to survive the takes.
Who is James Michael Tyler?
He played Gunther and joins the reunion by video call, telling the cast it was a joy to work with them and an experience he could not have imagined better.
Friends: The Reunion · 25 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 23two ships passingDavid and Jen's Secret Crush
Chapter 1get in the wayThe Cast Returns to the Set
Chapter 2in the bagThe Friends Cast Reunites On Stage
Chapter 3stay in touchThe Cast Reunites at the Fountain
Chapter 4that time in your lifeThe Friends Creators Explain the Premise
Chapter 5pet peeveThe Cast Plays a Friends Quiz
Chapter 6has this magicThe Cast Plays Trivia
Chapter 7at the top of their gameThe Cast Revisits the Jellyfish
Chapter 8down to the wireHow Friends Cast Its Six
Chapter 9to make a long story shortThe Cast Recalls Their Auditions
Chapter 10in the wrong handsCasting the Rest of the Cast
Chapter 11tail between my legsThe Producer Who Predicted Stardom
Chapter 12a completely different ballgameThe Cast on Sudden Fame
Chapter 13had a big hand inFans on What Friends Meant
Chapter 14got you hookedThe Cast Answers Fan Questions
Chapter 15down-to-earthThe Monkey Kept Ruining Takes
Chapter 16cost a fortuneThe Chair Scene Goes Wrong
Chapter 17put our heads togetherThe Sling Written Into the Show
Chapter 18beat you to itHow Monica and Chandler Became a Couple
Chapter 19take something for a spinThe Cast Reenacts Smelly Cat
Chapter 20buy a word of itThe Couch Pivot Scene
Chapter 21keep straight a faceThe Friends Blooper Reel
Watching · Chapter 22calls out to meJanice Returns to the Reunion
Chapter 23two ships passingDavid and Jen's Secret Crush
Chapter 24the long arm of the lawWere Ross and Rachel on a Break?
Chapter 25go to piecesSaying Goodbye to FriendsChapter 22 of 25 · about 14 min to go