Friends

A veteran actor recalls losing out on the persona of fiddle Phoebe ’s love life interest onFriends . The iconic sitcom is one of the comparatively few series which , because of its enduring popularity , mean that even the smallest and most minor guest can still be recognized for their performances ten later on . That is doubly true for someone who was tramp to wager a recur sexual love interest to one of themainFriendscharacters .

Speaking withThe A.V. Club , in conjunction with his current role on the HBO comedy seriesSomebody Somewhere , Tim Bagley reflects on his career and recalls losing out on the opportunity to repeat diametric Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe ’s love interest . Bagley mentions that he was set to act a health inspectorbefore , as he says , he got give the axe . The actor goes on to explicate that he was cast in the short - livedFriendsspinoffJoey , in a different persona , which gave him the chance to inquire producer Kevin S. Bright about what really happened . Bagley ’s full comment are below :

I really love Marta Kauffman , and I had a great experience on Grace And Frankie . It was a joy to work with Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston , you’re able to guess . I mean , the stories that I draw from them and what I learned from them . And Lily [ Tomlin ] and Jane [ Fonda ] as well ! But I think the story I would choose to say about that was … I had been on Friends years ago , and I got fire after two or three days . And I was presuppose to play a love interestingness for Lisa Kudrow . It was think to be an extended role , a recurring purpose . He came in and grade the eating house , a health inspector , so he ’d be , like , “ You get an A ! ” and “ You get a B ! ” or whatever . And then I got fired , and … let ’s see , how do I do this in brief ?

Friends TV Series Poster

Years later , after utter all my friends ’ ear off about how horrible it was to be provoke off Quaker , as you’re able to imagine , I got charter to do a office with Jennifer Coolidge on Joey , which was a spin - off . The three executive producers of Friends were Marta Kauffman , David Crane , and Kevin Bright . And Kevin Bright produced Joey . When I was on that show , I thought the whole week , “ Oh , I ’m gon na be fired . ” And after the show , he come up to my salad dressing elbow room and said to me , “ I ’ve been such a lover of yours , and you were so great to do our show . You were rattling . Thank you for doing it . ” And I said , “ Well , that means so much to me , come from you , in illumination of our history . ” And he was , like , “ What history ? ” And I aver , “ Well , I ’m talking about what happened on Friends . ” And he state , “ What happened on Friends ? ” And I enounce , “ I was terminate . ” He say , “ Who fire you ? ” I said , “ You did ! ” And he said , “ Why ? ” And I tell , “ You said that they were trying to fit a straightforward peg into a round trap ! ” Then he said , “ Well , we fired people all the time . What was the role ? ” And I told him , and he state , “ I think that role ! It was suppose to go back , but it was n’t written well , so we ended up cut it and cut it , and it end up being a one - time co - star with just a few lines , and we never brought it back . And we tried three dissimilar actors in that office ! ” So , then I felt good about it .

And then the next one was David Crane . He create Episodes . So I went and did one of the episodes of that , and he restrain looking at me , and I kept say to myself , “ No matter what , Tim , do n’t bring up Friends . Just do n’t secern him about it . It ’ll fare to him or it wo n’t . ” Then he articulate , “ I keep wondering where we suffer , and I ca n’t figure out where we met ! ” And I just look at him . And he goes , “ Maybe through Lisa Kudrow ? ” And I say , “ Yes , I suppose it was probably through Lisa . ” Because Lisa and I had been in the Groundlings together . So I left it alone , and I did n’t say anything .

And then when I went to do Grace And Frankie — and that was a straight crack ; I did n’t have to try out — Marta came down on that first day , and she didder my hand , and she ’s like , “ I ’ve been such a fan of yours over the years ; it ’s such a pleasure to assemble you ! ” And I said , “ The delight is all mine ! ” And I never brought up friend or articulate anything about it . I just think , “ Things happen . ” They do n’t remember . None of them remember give notice me . It was not important to them . Even though my friends at some gunpoint literally banned me from talking about acquaintance anymore . [ Laughs ] They were like , “ You ’ve pronounce too much ; you ca n’t talk about it anymore . ” So it was vainglorious to me , but it intend nothing to them . And I just … I do n’t know , it was such a undecomposed example for me , in that I felt like , “ You ca n’t hold onto these old things . You just have to move forward and know that change is imminent . ”

Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe with Monica in an episode of Friends

Phoebe’s Health Inspector Love Interest, Explained

He Was A (Very Brief) Foe Of Monica’s

The wellness inspector office that Bagley is referring to wasultimately played by Gregory Sporleder , who went on to recur as Calvin Norris on HBO’sTrue Blood . The health inspector was distinguish Larry . He come along in just one episode ofFriends , the time of year 5 installment " The One Where Ross move In . " He ’s initially magic , spar withMonica ( Courteney Cox)to the amusement of Phoebe . But his caper becomes an issue when he starts closing down every restaurant that he introduce . He leaves Central Perk , the central coffee home on the show , with just a warning for Phoebe ’s sake .

It ’s always exciting when members of the Friends cast reunite in other projects , and another situation comedy allow one of the best instances of this .

Our Take On Bagley Missing Out On Friends

He’s Booked Other Roles

A familiar front on the pocket-size screen , Bagley has had a number of other office on high - profile serial . That includes Netflix’sThe Perfect Couplerecently , in gain to the Emmy - advance comedyHacks . But he ’s also been in seminal series likeCurb Your EnthusiasmandWill & Grace . So , the one - offFriendsrole was n’t his only participation with heavy comedies . Looking at the fact that he is still booking roles decades later , it does not seem to have ache his life history .

Source : The A.V. Club

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Cast

supporter is the pop sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman , resign back in 1994 and function for ten time of year . The show follows a radical of six twentysomethings through their lives in New York City and their time spent between their two apartments and their local java shop . The show features the group navigating tricky human relationship with one another and comical misadventures .

Gregory Sporleder as Larry in Friends season 5

Friends is the popular sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, released back in 1994 and ran for ten seasons. The show follows a group of six twentysomethings through their lives in New York City and their time spent between their two apartments and their local coffee shop. The show features the group navigating tricky relationships with one another and comical misadventures.

Custom image of the main cast of Friends.

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Friends