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British actress Olivia Williams recently spoke about her experience on the set of the popular American sitcom, FRIENDS. She had previously described her time on the NBC series as “harrowing” but provided no details. Recalling the same experience, the actress told The Independent on April 4, 2024:
“Oh, FRIENDS was a brand, and you had to fit the brand."
The Emma alum talked about how she had to beg the staff to spare her eyebrows as she might have needed them for other projects. She continued:
“Literally, [I was begging] please don’t take my eyebrows off, I might need them in another job!' But yes, that’s the sense in which it was harrowing.”
Williams continued by explaining how a producer “yelled” at a veteran actress who was also a guest star like her. She didn't disclose the name of the actress.
Notably, FRIENDS was produced by Warner Bros. Television and the creator duo, David Crane and Marta Kauffman.
Olivia Williams played the role of Felicity on FRIENDS
Olivia Williams appeared in a couple of episodes of FRIENDS in May 1998, which were shot in London. At the time, the show followed a storyline where Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) was going to marry Emily Waltham (Helen Baxendale).
The 55-year-old actress portrayed the role of Felicity, the bridesmaid of Ross’s fiancé Emily, and was featured in the two-part season finale of the fourth season – The One With Ross’ Wedding Part 1 and The One With Ross’ Wedding Part 2. As one of the bridesmaids, she had a brief fling with Matt Le Blanc’s character, Joey Tribbiani.
Exploring what Olivia Williams shared about her filming experience on the set of FRIENDS
During the latest interview with The Independent, Olivia Williams explained why she earlier called the experience of filming FRIENDS “harrowing.”
The Crown star stated how she went to the studio for the shoot along with a "distinguished" senior actor who was playing a character called ‘Old Woman.' Williams mentioned how the producer screamed at the lady, “You are not funny!” and the latter did not return for the shoot the next day, referring to the incident as “alarming.”
Olivia Williams also elaborated that FRIENDS was a “brand” and that everybody was expected to “fit” into it. She further explained:
“You go into hair and make-up and you are told, ‘There’s a look here, this is what we do.'"
Before wrapping up the conversation, she quipped:
“Maybe I’d have a lot more work if I shut up more. I might actually be on some socialist actor blacklist, I don’t know.”
Previously, the Victoria & Abdul actress also called the American TV industry “a combined piranha pit and cesspool” during a November 2009 interview with The Independent.
Over the years, Olivia Williams has delivered notable performances in projects like Rushmore, The Sixth Sense, An Education, and The Crown (as Queen Camilla Parker Bowles). She is slated to star in the TV show, Dune: Prophecy, as Tula Harkonnen.
Her latest movie titled Another End premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on 18 February 2024. It was later released in theaters in late March.
