The opportunity to appear on Friends was life-changing. But, considering the chemistry of the main cast, it was an extremely nerve-racking experience for the actors who did participate.
Given how tight the primary cast was, actors like Jennifer Coolidge acknowledged to keeping a low profile during their time on the show.
As we’ll see later, Tom Selleck’s experience on the show was likewise fraught with fear, as we’ll see. Although Selleck was well-liked in the character, he was a nervous wreck behind the scenes.
We’ll look at Selleck’s time on the show and how he was greeted by his co-stars, especially Jennifer Aniston. Despite Jen wasn’t always nice to the guest stars, she had major praise for Selleck.
Tom Selleck Was Extremely Nervous Stepping In On Friends
Friends’ Dr. Richard Burke will always be one of Tom Selleck’s most iconic roles. Although Selleck remembers his time on the show warmly, he was extremely nervous at the start. This was especially true given that the group already had great chemistry with one another.
“I try to relax the new actors because that’s really hard, to come on a show where everybody’s up to speed. It’s like when I did Friends,” he said. “They were up to speed,” Selleck revealed alongside Kelly Clarkson.
Selleck would later admit that his table reads weren’t excellent and that the strain of the role was increased because he didn’t have any experience with sitcoms at the time.
“I was scared to death,” he said. “I had done Taxi a long time before, but I hadn’t done a sitcom. And so, I was really nervous.”
Tom was able to get through it, and he praised Courteney Cox for being a big help behind the scenes.
“Courteney helped a lot. Courteney’s a big help. But that group’s an incredible group of friends. They obviously became friends in life as well as on the show. And it shows. It was a wonderful place to work.”
While Tom had mixed views about his experience on the show, Jennifer Aniston had a very different reaction. She had nothing but positive things to say about the actor and his role in the show.
Jennifer Aniston Praised Tom Selleck And His Behavior With The Cast Behind The Scenes
Jennifer Aniston has high praise for Tom Selleck behind the scenes. She praised her co-star and the way he handled others on the show while speaking with Howard Stern.
“Tom has an angel’s halo over his head, it’s just a permanent halo over Tom’s head,” Aniston said about her experience alongside the actor.