Friends director James Burrows recently published her memoir, Directed by James Burrows, a collection of memoirs from the veteran director. Burrows has directed a lot of great shows, like Will and Grace, Mike and Molly, Friends, Carolina in the city, Frasier, Greetingsand many more, so she has many stories to tell, but one involves the character Emily, who married Ross in season four of Friends.
Burrows said of the actress Helen Baxendale”She was gentle, but not particularly funny,” saying the ’90s sitcom all but recast the actress, as Burrows believed the Baxendale and Ross actor David Schwimmer lacked natural on-screen chemistry compared to Ross and Rachel, Jennifer Anistonhis character.
“Schwimmer had no one to bounce to. It was like clapping with one hand. In sitcoms and romantic comedies of all kinds, fun is just as important as chemistry. We found that every new girlfriend for Ross had to be as fun as Rachel.”
What saved Emily was the show’s tight deadlines.
“It is often not possible to recast the cast due to tight shooting deadlines or other logistical considerations. You need someone to laugh. Sometimes you start a story arc and it doesn’t work out, so you have to get rid of that person. If he’s a day player, it’s a quick goodbye.”
Burrows noted that the opposite is true, adding, “If there’s chemistry, the writers get to work finding a way to keep the actor.”
Baxendale’s Emily was first introduced in Season 4, appearing in a total of 14 episodes. Emily and Ross got married in season 5. But Ross almost screwed it up by saying Rachel’s name during the vows instead of his. Emily was eventually written off the show in Season 5 when Emily and Ross called it quits after a rocky marriage.
I liked the character of Emily, I thought it served a purpose, but eventually Ross would have to end up with Rachel, so I don’t think it was going to last long. I thought she was nice to Ross, and it was funny, like when she told Joey she could have the Toblerone. And not all characters have to be hysterically funny. It was a little more serious, but I thought it was a good idea. Either way, it wasn’t going to last forever, so it all worked out. And she was right to be pissed at Ross.
via: Deadline
by Jessica Fisher
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
