Paul Rudd turned out to be a pretty important character on Friends, despite his not joining the cast until Season 9. His character, Mike Hannigan — who is definitely worthy of his own Funko Pop — basically gave Phoebe her happy ending to the series, as the couple got married and made plans to start a family. Apparently though, not everybody can appreciate Rudd’s contributions to the one of the greatest TV shows of all time. The actor recently revealed that his daughter got around to binge-watching Friends, and had a pretty hilarious response to seeing her dad on the show.
Despite being a late-comer to the Central Perk gang’s friend group, Paul Rudd was memorable in his 16 episodes on the series, and the actor has said he still encounters fans who ask about Phoebe. The star of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — which had a strong opening weekend at the box office — explained on Watch What Happens Live that he didn’t tell his daughter beforehand that he was on Friends, and he described her reaction to finding out:
About a year ago or so, two years ago, my daughter really loved Friends, and she kind of started watching all of them from the beginning, and kept going. And I didn’t tell her I was on it. And then she discovered that, and then the first thing she said is, ‘What was going on with your hair?’ and then like, ‘Eww that sweater!’ So yeah, it’s your kids, right?
I love that while the world is obsessed with Paul Rudd’s ageless appearance, the first thing his then-11-year-old daughter noticed was his 2000s-era hairstyle. It makes me wonder what she thinks about his character’s fashion sense in Clueless and Wet Hot American Summer.
The actor clarified that she loved the six core characters on Friends, but maybe saw her dad as more of an interloper. Rudd continued:
She loves the show, but there was like a, it was almost like a disassociation. She was, like, not interested in me being a part of it. She didn’t ask me questions about it. She loved the show, she loved the friends. That I was on it was almost like an [afterthought].
Yes, your kids will keep you humble! Just ask Paul Rudd’s TV wife Lisa Kudrow, who once described how her son’s “demeaning” reaction nearly elicited an F-bomb from the Phoebe Buffay portrayer.
Honestly, I think she’s entitled to that opinion. It’s not like he’s Joey, after all, and there are surely plenty of people out there who were rooting for Phoebe to end up with David the scientist (Hank Azaria — one of several famous actors you may have forgotten were on Friends), whose only real crime was being sent to Minsk to carry out important science business.
If you want to relive Friends — with or without Paul Rudd’s episodes — all 10 seasons, including the 2021 reunion special, are available for streaming with an HBO Max subscription. Also be sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule to stay up to date on all of the upcoming premieres.
