He only appeared on “Friends” from the ninth season. Nevertheless, in 2004 Paul Rudd got the honor of being part of the finale of the US hit series. But he didn’t feel very comfortable with it, as he now reveals.
The finale of the US hit series “Friends” in 2004 was not only very emotional for fans. For the main cast – consisting of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow – saying goodbye after ten years together was tearful both in front of and behind the camera.
In addition to the six actors, Paul Rudd was also part of the 236th episode. For the 53-year-old, who was seen from season 9, it was “surreal” to be part of the finale, as he revealed on the “Heart Breakfast” show. “It was really fun and they were great,” said Rudd. “They all cried, it was all emotional.” It was also a privilege to be part of the whole.
Still, he felt out of place, Rudd recalled. “It felt so strange. I was on that last episode and I was like, ‘I shouldn’t be here… I have a front row seat for things I’m not supposed to see.’ That’s why he tried to just “sit back and not get in the way”.
The feeling was mainly due to the fact that he appeared “really at the end” of the series and “never thought” that he would play in so many episodes. Rudd played Mike Hannigan, Phoebe Buffay’s (Kudrow) boyfriend, in Season 9. After a brief hiatus, the two married in season ten. In total, he appeared in 17 episodes.
Rudd, who can currently be seen in Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, also spoke about the lasting influence of the series. “There’s something calming about her, isn’t there?” he said. “In the States, there’s always some way to switch channels – you’ll find them.”
(This article was first published on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.)
