Friends is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year (can you believe it?!) so it's no surprise the beloved '90s sitcom has been making headlines again. Between the Central Perk LEGO set and the Pottery Barn line inspired by the show, the tributes have been pouring in recently. Actress Jennifer Coolidge, who only appeared on one episode of Friends over its ten year run, was even recently asked to reminisce about her time on set. Surprisingly, though, Coolidge didn't rave about it like many expected her to.
Quick recap for anybody who needs it: Coolidge played an old friend of Phoebe and Monica's who moved to the U.K. before the show picked up. After her character, Amanda Buffamonteezi, returns to the U.S. in season 10, she'd developed a fake British accent and attempts to reconnect with Phoebe and Monica, much to their dismay. It's a memorable episode for fans. For Coolidge, though, the experience was memorable for different reasons.
In an interview with Metro, Coolidge revealed the Friends set was "intimidating," for her, even though she was friendly with Lisa Kudrow beforehand. "I have to say, I was kind of intimidated, even though I knew Lisa because she was in a comedy group. But I didn't know the rest of them, and I was very intimidated because they were all so attractive and had it going on," she recalled.
Another difficult aspect of her time on set is that the showrunners weren't interested in her input for the character. Coolidge, known for her comedic improvisation, struggled with that. "Sometimes I think people want to hear my ad-libs when I get on a show, and they really don't. Sometimes I come in and throw some lines, and they come up and say, 'You know, Jennifer, we're just going to stick to the script.' That was a serious show," she revealed.
"The vibe was pretty serious," she continued. "I don’t think they wanted my input, and I could really feel that…sticking to their own stuff. So I didn’t have the guts [to push]."
"The only thing I improvised was they wanted me to dance awkwardly, so I felt like I had a natural ability to dance that way. I think that was the only time they didn’t give me direction; they wanted me to say the lines and call it a day," she revealed.
While everyone was "nice and friendly," ultimately, there was a "seriousness" on set which got her thinking: "I'm just going to do my little part and I'll be in my dressing room." Despite the "serious vibe" on set, the episode is sure to make you LOL all these years later thanks to Coolidge's hilarious performance. Make sure you stream it on Netflix before the show leaves for good next year.
Photo: Getty