Although the main Friends cast members are famous around the world, guest stars also played an integral role in the series.
The series often featured celebrity guests, such as Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd, and regular guests who filled gaps in the story – such as the love interests needed while Ross and Rachel were on one of their many breaks.
One of these love interests was Emily Waltham, played by Helen Baxendale. Emily appeared in season four and part of season five, and married Ross – but only briefly.
Although Baxendale, now 53, featured regularly in Friends – starring in 14 episodes all up – the series’ director James Burrow has hit out at the star, claiming she was “nice, but not funny”.
“She was nice, but not particularly funny,” Burrow said in his memoir Directed by James Burrow as reported by Daily Mail.
“[David] Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand.
“We discovered that any new girlfriend for Ross needed to be as funny as Rachel.”
Burrow explained that recasting isn’t always an option due to ”tight shooting deadlines or other logistic 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,” he added.
