August 30th 2023.
Helen Baxendale starred as Ross Geller's love interest, Emily Waltham, in the hit sitcom Friends. The director of the show, James Burrows, recently shared his thoughts on working with the cast in his recent memoir, Directed by James Burrows. He described Helen as ‘nice but not funny’, as he struggled to find someone to bounce off Schwimmer’s character.
The actress made her debut in season four, in 1998, and got married to Ross in the same season. However, their marriage was short-lived and they got a divorce in season five. James spoke of how difficult it is to recast roles for a program due to tight shooting deadlines. He also said, ‘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.’
Interestingly, James was vocally not a fan of Marcel the monkey, which Ross introduced in the first season. He eventually had to let Marcel go and gave him away to the San Diego Zoo, before the creature went on to become a huge movie star in his own right. James said, ‘I told everyone who would listen, “When I come back to direct another episode, please, no monkey.”’
The Agency has contacted Helen’s reps for a comment, but as of yet, there has been no response. If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures, get in touch with The Agency entertainment team by emailing us, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting their Submit Stuff page.
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