‘Friends’ Director Says Actress Who Played Ross’ Wife Emily Was Not ‘As Funny’ As Jennifer Aniston
Rachel Green wasn't the only person who wishes Ross Geller's wedding to Emily never happened. https://t.co/BlqRGxbcz9
- Us Weekly (@usweekly) August 31, 2023
James Burrows directed more than 200 episodes of 'Friends'.
He revealed in his book that he didn’t think Helen Baxendale, who played Emily, was that funny.
His memoir, 'Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi...'
Baxendale joined the NBC sitcom in season 4 as the love interest of Ross (David Schwimmer).
"She was nice but not particularly funny. Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand.”
Baxendale didn’t have the same snappy comedic timing as Jennifer Aniston.
“In sitcoms and any type of romantic comedy, the funny is just as important as the chemistry. We discovered that any new girlfriend for Ross needed to be as funny as Rachel.”
Burrows considered recasting the role of Emily, but the rigid production schedule of TV made that a difficult prospect. “Often, you can’t recast, because of tight shooting deadlines or other logistical considerations. You need someone who gets laughs. Sometimes you start an arc and it ain’t working out, so you have to get rid of that person. If it’s a day player, it’s a quick goodbye. The reverse is also true. If there’s chemistry, the writers go to work to figure out some way of keeping the actor.”
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