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After six years in the industry, Jennifer Aniston found her jackpot role with the iconic sitcom "Friends." The six-time Emmy-winning series was an instant hit in the '90s, and Aniston became a style icon with Rachel Green. Two years before Aniston landed the dream role that made her famous, the "Friends" star appeared in a sketch comedy show that has been forgotten in history, "The Edge."
"The Edge" was a weekly sketch show that premiered in 1992, but it had interconnected, multi-part sketches and recurring characters instead of one-off skits used in series like "Saturday Night Live." "The Edge" lived up to its title by featuring edgier and darker humor than its peers at the time, refusing to pull any punches when it came to violence or mocking famous TV shows and celebrities. In fact, every episode opened with the main cast dying in different ways, from being crushed by a wall to a blood-soaked alien poking through their chest just like the "Alien" movies.
While the series had modest ratings, the sketches did not have a profound, memorable impact on '90s culture. The failed experiment may have influenced Aniston, though. She rejected a chance to star in "Saturday Night Live" a year after the show ended, leaving her open to eventually star in "Friends."
Many cast members from The Edge got their big break after the show ended
Jennifer Aniston wasn't the only one who became a bigger star after "The Edge." Her co-star Wayne Knight became a household name with "Seinfeld." Tom Kenny and Jill Talley, who met while starring on the show and married a few years later, became the iconic voices behind SpongeBob SquarePants and Karen in one of the best animated sitcoms ever made. Alan Ruck revived his career when he starred in "Spin City," Paul Feig created the unforgettable "Freaks & Geeks," and Rick Overton even won an Emmy for "Dennis Miller Live."
The show's creator, David Mirkin, also went on to something better, despite leaving before the season ended. He landed himself in trouble following a sketch about "Beverly Hills, 90210," which poked fun at Tori Spelling being (what's now known as) a nepo baby since her father, Aaron Spelling, was an executive producer on the series. According to the Los Angeles Times, Spelling threatened to sue, claiming the parody affected the show's brand, but Mirkin responded with, "What's upsetting to me is it shows absolutely that Mr. Spelling has no sense of humor."
In 2012, Mirkin told No Meaner Place that he left the series because Sony tried to reduce the show's budget. "That was definitely a low point and one of the toughest decisions I ever made because I had to walk away from a sweet, talented cast I loved, great writers and a show that was my longtime dream," he said. However, Mirkin landed on his feet, immediately getting a showrunner gig at "The Simpsons" and later directing "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."
