Highlights
- Working on Friends as a guest-star was a mixed experience for some actors - while some embraced the attention, others didn't expect or enjoy it.
- Reese Witherspoon refused to return because she was terrified of performing in front of a live audience.
- Warner Bros. kept the identity of the actor behind Ugly Naked Guy a secret, and the actor enjoyed the role and praised David Schwimmer for making him comfortable on set.
Working as a guest-star on Friends was both a blessing and a curse. Some embraced the role, while others didn't like the attention. Take Elle Macpherson as an example, despite her success on the show, she didn't expect to get all that attention all these years later. Macpherson revealed had she known of Friends' popularity beforehand, she likely never would've accepted.
Reese Witherspoon is another example. She was a great guest star during her cameo and was asked to return. However, the actress refused given the fact that she was terrified of working in front of a live audience.
In the following, we're going to take a closer look at a unique situation. This particular actor actually enjoyed his brief time on the series that lasted two episodes. However, given the context of his character, Warner Bros kept his identity private. We'll reveal how the actor felt about this, and why casting for the role was a nightmare job for those behind the scenes. Ultimately, Jon Haugen got the role, and he was extremely content with his experience, praising David Schwimmer in particular.
Let's take a look back at how it unfolded behind the scenes, and how Haugen felt about it all.
The Casting For Ugly Naked Guy Was A Struggle Behind The Scenes
Appearing on Friends was a game-changing role for several actors. However, there was a particular part that was a little more curious... and that was the role of Ugly Naked Guy.
Producer Kevin S. Bright admitted that casting such a part wasn't an easy process. A lot of the candidates that came in to read for the role were unsure of how to go about it, especially given that the part didn't have any dialogue, and consisted of a person standing there with no clothes, in shorts.
The producer revealed about the audition phase, "The casting of Ugly Naked Guy was an interesting process. He doesn’t actually say anything, so it had to be based on somebody who was big and willing to get somewhat naked. … It wasn’t a very long casting session. There were maybe four or five guys that came and I don’t know what they expected, but a lot of them didn’t really understand that they’d have to be standing there in their boxer shorts."
Ultimately, it was Jon Haugen who took on the role and made it his own, even if it was for two episodes. Unlike the other candidates, the actor embraced the role.
Warner Bros. Wanted To Keep The Actor Behind Ugly Naked Guy A Secret Given The Context Of The Role
Although he was thrilled to have landed the role, Jon Haugen was told to keep things quiet by Warner Bros. The studio wanted to keep the role private, perhaps in an effort to salvage Haugen's self-esteem given what the part on the show entailed.
The actor revealed, "The reason I never came forward was that I was just keeping it mellow because Warner Brothers were keeping it mellow. They wanted everybody to have a guess who I was."
He continues, "We wanted it to fly under the radar because we didn’t want somebody, like, being Ugly Naked Guy."
Although the role was short-lived, the actor had a blast in the position and called it the best time of his life.
Jon Haugen Credits David Schwimmer For Making Him Comfortable In The Role
Taking a look at comments from guest-stars on Friends, David Schwimmer is the one star that is typically complimented for not only his brilliance in comedy, but also the way the actor is behind the scenes. Schwimmer has received lots of praise for making others feel comfortable, and the same held true for Haugen during his role as Ugly Naked Guy.
When it came time to shoot the scene, Haugen felt a little odd given that he was wearing nothing but boxer shorts in front of 500 people, and millions at home. However, he was able to get comfortable given David Schwimmer's positivity behind the scenes. The actor was willing to give a helping hand.
Haugen revealed, "I was in boxer shorts. At first I was feeling a little shy because I had about 500 people watching me in the audience besides the crew and everything. But after about two minutes went by, I was real comfortable and David Schwimmer was real comfortable. We were just in boxer shorts and they made it look like we were naked."
Not only were the two comfortable, but the scene turned into an iconic one for the series. Who can forget the memorable line, "It's naked Ross." A great moment and one the fans won't forget.
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