Who is Janice in Friends?

Janice Litman-Goralnik (née Hosenstein, previously Litman) is a recurring character of Friends. She was the long-term, intermittent girlfriend of Chandler Bing. She is one of the side characters who appeared in all seasons of the blockbuster sitcom. She is well-known for her annoying, nasal voice and her catchphrase, "OH MY GOD!" Maggie Wheeler plays her role.

The American comedy Friends was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. It aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting for 10 seasons with 236 episodes. The program revolves around six friends in their 20s and early 30s who reside in Manhattan, New York City, and stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. The initial executive producers were Crane, Kauffman, and Kevin S. Bright.

Janice’s character in Friends

Janice has been the girlfriend of Chandler Bing since before season one. She makes her debut in "The One with the East German Laundry Detergent" when Chandler, through Phoebe, breaks up with her. In a moment of weakness, he then invites her to New Year's, but he dumps her again before midnight.

She then appears as Chandler's blind date the night before Valentine's Day, and they sleep together. Chandler breaks up with her the next day, and she accepts it, telling him she knows they will cross paths again. Chandler calls Janice after Mr. Heckles' death in season two, determined not to die alone, but is let down to learn that she is married and expecting a child.

The mystery woman Chandler sets up a meeting with online in "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding" is actually Janice, who discloses that her husband is cheating on her with his secretary and that they are divorcing. Chandler, who has fallen in love with Janice and no longer finds her bothersome, remains with her through the start of the third season, much to the irritation of Joey and the other characters.

Later, during their divorce proceedings, Joey witnesses Janice kissing her husband Gary and informs Chandler. Janice confesses to Chandler that she loves both men. Their romance ends in "The One with the Giant Poking Device" when Chandler advises Janice to return to her husband since he doesn't want to ruin her family.

Later, Janice starts to appear in some capacity in one episode per season (two in season 8 if "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby" is counted as two distinct episodes) starting in season 4, making her a recurring character on the program.

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Janice’s personality in Friends

Janice is represented as a drama queen with an infuriatingly obnoxious nasal cackle. She is also reportedly quite shallow and self-centered, as she appears to be completely unaware that the friends find her to be extremely annoying. Despite how difficult it is for the six of them to put up with hearing her voice, Janice shows virtually no awareness of this fact and continues to irritate them.

"OH! MY! GOD!" is her signature expression, with hands flapping in time and obvious pauses between words. Her third appearance reached a point where she became bothersome to Chandler and the rest of the gang, even though her first and second appearances had given the impression that she was a kind woman in love with Chandler.

She seems to like spending time with the six of them, which is ironic and to their displeasure. This is probably because she finds their silly, bizarre, and strange personalities funny, which is usually a major annoyance for them. However, she still has a good heart and is empathetic.