If you hadn’t already guessed by the endless number of articles, social media posts and hashtags making the rounds, Friends’ 25th anniversary is fast approaching. The Central Perk gang have officially been in our lives for a quarter of a century – but as it turns out, one of the show’s most beloved characters nearly looked very different.

According to a new book by journalist Saul Austerlitz, David Schwimmer was pretty reluctant to sign onto the sit-com’s pilot in 1994.

The book, called Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era, reveals how the show’s creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane were ready to offer him the role without him even having to audition – a “rare privilege” for a young actor.

In fact, they had already wanted him for a pilot called Couples earlier, but the network had insisted they picked someone else. It was only when they came to write Friends that they wrote the character of Ross with Schwimmer in mind.

Friends fans, this is how close we got to a show without David Schwimmer