The Friends, star, Maggie Wheeler, appeared on Access Hollywood in 2018 and talked about how she came up with her iconic Janice voice. She expressed that she walked into the audition speaking in a tone and telling the producers that she "already know the girl".
She recalled how her character has always been a surprise on Friends, since the time she was introduced as Chandler's girlfriend, the episode gained popularity, and the makers decided to make Maggie a recurring character. She keeps appearing in the show, like the one when Ross hooked up with someone, and it was revealed that it was none other than Janice.
In the last season, when Chandler and Monica purchased a house and Janice turned out to be their possible neighbor. All of these surprises made the character a hilarious appearance in Friends.
Read on to know what else the actress said about her character.
How did Friends star Maggie Wheeler come up with her iconic Janice voice?
Maggie Wheeler, as mentioned, walked into the audition, speaking in that tone that has been the most annoying one in Friends, being a long-running gag. Mimicking the Janice voice, the actress recalled the moment when, during the audition, she came up with the idea that the producers liked. She answered whether it was the producer's idea or hers.
"My idea. I entered the audition saying that I knew that girl. I think I have got her a million times. So that's what I did."
Therefore, Wheeler had come up with the iconic voice herself during the audition when she saw the scene. She decided to mimic the nasal, annoying, high-pitched voice that would suit the character well. In another report, she claimed that she decided that Janice must also have a peculiar laugh because being around Matthew Perry means a hell lot of laughing.
"I created the laugh because Matthew Perry is so funny, and I knew he was going to make me laugh on set. And I thought, Janice better have a laugh because he’ll crack me up every time we work together, so that’s how that happened."
She eventually also said that her appearance was limited earlier, but after the first episode's success, she was reintroduced in the show frequently, creating some shocking moments where the fans went nuts.
"They opened the door, and that episode was a big success, and obviously, Janice made people happy. So they just kept bringing me back, and you know who knew when I set out to do that first episode that that would happen, but it was the greatest blessing."
The Access Hollywood hosts then asked her about how she must have been quite recognisable to the show's fans. To this, Wheeler responded that it used to take them a while, as she is not always in the Janice costume.
"You know it takes them a minute because I am not decked up in leopard and with the hair, nails, and jewelry and whatever, but then you know people get it."
The actress further talked about the scene when Ross ends up hooking up with Janice and initially hides it from his other friends. This is when suddenly Janice enters, and the live audience goes nuts over the fact. Maggie recalls how, during the filming, she was unable to hold up her laugh and put the scarf over her mouth. It was so difficult for her not to react to what the viewers were feeling with the shocking entry of the character.
Janice from Friends will always remain one of the best elements of the show for the fans, and the popularity of all the episodes featuring her is a testament to it.