Top Janice moments on Friends which will make you cackle along with the beloved recurring character

No supporting character from Friends has invited notoriety as well as adoration as Janice Litman-Goralnik has. Her loud personality and distinct nasal voice, which awards her shrill laugh a foghorn quality, have always managed to bring about signs of frustration from the quintet of Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Monica and Phoebe, who fall over backwards to avoid the beloved New Yorker. But that has not stopped Janice from popping up over the course of the show, with her classic exclamation of ‘Oh my God’ to signal her arrival. Although her appearance is mostly played for laughs, the character has also been shown to depict moments of true softness and vulnerability and it comes as no surprise that she has gone down in history as one of the most colourful recurring characters on Friends.

Here is a compilation of moments from the show where Janice graces the screen and enthralls viewers with her antics.

1. The New Year Party

Episode: The One with the Monkey

It’s the new year, but Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Monica and Phoebe aren’t in a celebratory mood, to say the least. Painfully aware of the lack of love in their lives, they decide together that none of them would bring a date to the new year’s party hosted at Monica and Rachel’s apartment. Unable to fight off his fear of being alone, Chandler is the first one to break the promise, and he does so spectacularly, by inviting Janice. What ensues is a hilarity of chaos. Janice brings to the party scene all what makes her delightful, her signature cackle and amicability, made more pronounced with a glass of champagne in hand, much to the annoyance of her date. In the end, the inevitable happens as Chandler once again breaks her heart, dumping her before the clock strikes 12 in a twisted Cinderella story.

2. Valentines Day

Episode: The One with the Candy Hearts

It's Valentine’s day, and our quintet is less than enthused. When a beautiful woman agrees to go on a date with Joey on the condition that her friend will also accompany them, he begs Chandler to act as the friend’s date, to which he reluctantly agrees. And of course, as fate would have it, Chandler and Janice cross paths once again, as the blind date in question is none other than her. Finding each other insufferable at first, they end up having a nice time together, albeit after a few drinks. But the next morning, Chandler realises that they are not on the same page, when Janice cheerfully comes by with candy hearts and all set for a relationship. He dumps her, again, only to be surprised at how well she’s taking it. With a knowing smile, she tells him that they’ll meet again soon enough. Thankfully for her adorers, her prediction turns out right, more than once.

3. As Chandler’s Mystery Woman

Episode: The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding

Chandler gets bitten by the love bug, yet again, this time when he spends time talking to a woman he met online. He is disheartened however, when he learns that she is married, but decides to meet her anyway on being pushed by Phoebe. His mystery woman turns out to be none other than Janice, who lets out her classic “Oh my God” cry, as she is equally surprised at the discovery. But the biggest surprise of the night comes from Chandler, who without a second’s thought kisses her, which forms the first time their relationship begins without a rocky start.

4. On a Date with Ross

Episode: The One With Chandler’s Work Laugh

The news that his ex wife is getting married leaves Ross into a state of grief and gloom, much to the annoyance of his friends, to whom he vents about it all the time. In a moment of weakness, he does something uncharacteristic of him, spending the night with a woman he just met. The rest of the friends receive a jolt when it turns out that the woman in question is, you guessed it, Janice. They receive even a more startling surprise when Ross admits that he actually likes spending time with her, and that she is a good listener when he vents. She also inadvertently helps Ross get out of his self-pity, by telling him to his face that his whining is getting on her nerves. Before making her exit though, she lays on the Janice charm on Joey, telling him she has his eye on him next.

5.On a Mixtape

Episode: The One with Unagi

This episode is proof that Janice doesn’t have to make an onscreen appearance to steal the show. Monica and Chandler decide to do things differently on Valentine’s Day, promising to make gifts for each other rather than buy them. Forgetting to do so till the last minute, Chandler scrambles and finds an old mix tape, which he decides to pass off as his self-made gift. Monica, who had also forgotten their deal, is touched by the thought Chandler put into the gift and decides to put on the tape. In the middle of one of her favourite songs, the baritone is suddenly replaced by Janice’s full voice, revealing that she had made the tape for Chandler when they dated. Chandler’s rush to do damage control while Janice starts to sing in the background offers one of the most funniest moments on that season of the show.

6. In a Delivery Room

Episode:The One Where Rachel Has a Baby Part 1

Rachel is in labour and gets increasingly frustrated while she lies in waiting, all the while many other women come and go in the waiting room. The nurse assures her that the next woman to arrive is not that far along and as fate would have it, the woman in question is none other than Janice, pregnant with her first child with her new husband. Not only are they in for a long wait, together, her classic nasal voice also leads to some very interesting noises during her contractions. The quip that her new husband is partially deaf, which Rachel and Ross take as an explanation of the partnership, will make audiences audibly guffaw.

7. As Monica and Chandler’s Potential Neighbour

Episode: The One where Estelle Dies

When Monica and Chandler decide to buy a house in the suburbs, they also casually check out the house near to them that went on sale in an attempt to vet their potential neighbours. And who to show up at their doorstep than the lovely Janice, who is planning to buy the house. Chandler and Monica’s muddled attempts to dissuade her, and poor Janice’s ignorance at her unwelcomeness offers some hilarious moments.