Friends director James Burrows recently released his memoir, Directed by James Burrows, a collection of memories from the veteran director. Burrows directed so many great shows, like Will & Grace, Mike & Molly, Friends, Caroline in the City, Frasier, Cheers, and many more, so he has a lot of stories to tell, but one involves the character of Emily, who married Ross in season four of Friends.
Burrows said of the actress Helen Baxendale, “She was nice, but not particularly funny,” saying that the ’90s sitcom nearly recast the actress, as Burrows believed that Baxendale and Ross actor David Schwimmer lacked natural on-screen chemistry compared to Ross and Rachel, Jennifer Aniston’s character.
“Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand. 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.”
What saved Emily were the show’s tight deadlines.
“Often, you can’t recast, because of tight shooting deadlines or other logistical considerations. You need someone who gets laughs. Sometimes you start an arc and it ain’t working out, so you have to get rid of that person. If it’s a day player, it’s a quick goodbye.”
Burrows noted that the reverse was true, adding, “If there’s chemistry, the writers go to work to figure out some way of keeping the actor.”
Baxendale’s Emily was first introduced in Season 4, appearing in a total of 14 episodes. Emily and Ross married in Season 5. But Ross nearly blew it, uttering Rachel’s name during the vows instead of hers. Emily eventually was 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 she served a purpose, but Ross was ultimately supposed to end up with Rachel, so I don’t think it was ever meant to be long-lasting. I thought she was cute with Ross, and she was funny, like when she told Joey he could have the Toblerone. And not every character has to be hysterically funny. She was a bit more serious, but I thought it was a good fit. Either way, she wouldn’t have lasted forever, so it all worked out. And she was right for being pissed off at Ross.
via: Deadline