Hoenest on Instagram: "🎬 Fact: Friends (1994-2004) The season one episode “The One with the Thumb” features Monica’s new boyfriend, Alan, who becomes an instant hit with her friends, a rare occurrence in the series given their usually hyper-critical nature toward each other’s partners. While the gang is obsessed with Alan, the actor who played him, Geoffrey Lower, didn’t actually appear in many scenes; his character’s “magical” charm was largely conveyed through the friends’ hyperbolic reaction