Friends was notorious for getting the best guest stars to make cameo appearances on the NBC sitcom, many of whom have since spoken about the experience. Some recalled great memories such as Reese Witherspoon is absolutely thrilled by Matt LeBlanc. Others didn’t like it so much, including Jennifer Grey, who concerned about the changing script that she turned down an offer to return. Elliott Gould played Jack Gellar in all 10 seasons, so he’s been around enough to experience both sides of that spectrum. In honor of the show’s 30th anniversary, Gould recalled the highs and lows of his time on Friends.
Elliott Gould is a renowned stage and film actor with decades of experience. Friends However, fans know him best as Jack, the well-meaning but sometimes clueless father of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox). However, some of those traits must have fallen off the page during an unfortunate interview, as he told The Times (UK) around the time he accidentally leaked a pretty big spoiler. He said:
I was doing a TV interview with Rosie O’Donnell and I let slip the cliffhanger that Rachel was going to be at Ross’s wedding in London. One of the producers, Kevin, was so angry with me. It’s a bit embarrassing.
Oops, Ross and Emily’s wedding in London in the finale of the fourth season was a big moment on one of the best sitcoms of all time. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) had chosen to stay home in New York with Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), who is too pregnant to fly, partly because of her mixed feelings about Ross’ wedding. At the last minute, she decides to hop on a plane to Europe to confess her love to the groom. Chaos ensues.
I’m not sure if Elliott was just revealing to Gould that Rachel showed up in London, or if the cliffhanger of Ross saying the wrong name at the altar was actually the point, but either way, I can totally understand why that infuriated the producer and haunts Gould to this day.
Luckily, the job brought enough good experiences to make up for this faux pas, as the actor also recalled a high point when he was recognized as Ross and Monica’s TV dad. He even caught the attention of a certain Taylor Swift (you may have heard of her). The actor said:
Everywhere I went, people recognized me as Mr. Geller. At the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, Taylor Swift came up to me and said, “I know you. I’m a Friends freak. You’re Mr. Geller.” So that was pretty awesome.
Yes, forget the nearly 200 acting credits that Elliott Gould has on his resume; if Taylor Swift calls you one of the best supporting characters on FriendsThis is how you know that you have made it.
You can experience the highs and lows of all your favorite Friends characters by watching all 10 seasons (and the reunion special, in which Elliott Gould and his TV wife Christina Pickles appeared) with a Max subscription. Check out what is currently being broadcast with our TV schedule 2024.
