Paul Rudd on the one thing he regrets he about Friends

"I just thought, I shouldn’t be here."

Friends
(Image credit: Friends / SkyOne)

Friends fans might think they know everything there is to know about the sitcom - from the fact that Rachel Green was almost written out of the show to why Monica's apartment was painted purple

The show ran from 1994 to 2004 but its popularity lives on almost two decades after that tear-jerking final episode. The main cast - Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc - reunited for a Friends reunion just two years ago, much to the delight of longstanding fans who wanted to know if Ross and Rachel's romance ever crossed over into real life (answer? It very nearly did). 

But one cast member who has continued to enjoy huge success in Hollywood is Paul Rudd. The actor played Phoebe's partner Mike Hannigan for two years, and was there when viewers waved goodbye to the gang in 2004. 

However, it seems that the Ant-Man star has a few regrets about the part he played in the series finale, admitting that it felt 'strange'. 

During an interview on Heart Breakfast, he said that while filming the finale of the iconic show was 'fun', it was also 'surreal'. 

He said: "The whole thing was a bit surreal, I must say, to be a part of that. Because I came on really near the end... I never knew that I was going to be in as many as I was.

"But it also felt strange. I mean, I was in that last episode and I just thought, 'I shouldn’t be here. I’m getting a front row seat to things I’m not supposed to see.'"

His character Mike made an appearance in the last ever episode when Monica and Chandler welcomed their twins. 

Talking about the moment, Rudd said: "They were all crying, it was all emotional, and I was just like, 'Woah.' 

"I felt very privileged but I was like, 'Oh I just want to sit back here and not get in the way.'"

The actor spoke about feeling uneasy being part of such an historic show ending, telling Graham Norton that he attempted to make a joke with the cast as they wrapped - but it didn't quite land. 

He explained: "I was in the last episode, which made no sense to me whatsoever.

"So to break the ice I went over and just went, 'We did it, huh? What a ride.'

"The joke inevitably fell flat."

Awkward. 

Jadie Troy-Pryde
News Editor

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.