David Schwimmer reveals why he disliked filming with Marcel the monkey on Friends Reunion

Still of David Schwimmer with Katie, the Monkey from "Friends" (Image via Warner Bros.)
Still of David Schwimmer with Katie, the Monkey from "Friends" (Image via Warner Bros.)

The much-anticipated "Friends" reunion special has finally dropped. The one-off hour-long episode offers an in-depth look at some of the behind-the-scenes moments from the cast and crew’s perspectives.

Over the years, the main cast of “Friends” expressed some revealing facts from their time filming for the hit NBC series. During a recent reunion chat, David Schwimmer admitted to an incident that left many fans shocked. He revealed that he disliked filming with Marcel, the monkey.

“Friends: The Reunion” featured the main six actors seated on the iconic sofa, which fans will remember from the cult-classic show’s intro.

While the actors got nostalgic over the moments they shared, host James Corden asked fans in the audience to ask questions to the star-studded cast.


Jennifer Aniston loved Marcel in "Friends"

One particular woman from the audience was interested in learning if there was “anything they (the cast) didn’t like” about being a part of the series.

Matt LeBlanc was quick to remind the gang it was the monkey. Corden was most surprised to learn the news:

“No Marcel.”

Season 1 of “Friends,” episode 10 titled “The One with the Monkey,” introduced a Capuchin monkey named Marcel. Throughout the series, the monkey makes eight appearances.

It seems Schwimmer wasn't the only actor on set who didn't like the monkey. Courtney Cox also added:

“The Monkey scared me.”

But Jennifer Aniston didn’t share the same sentiment. She said,

“I loved the Monkey”

Schwimmer bluntly replied to Aniston by saying,

“Yeah cause you didn’t have to touch it.”

Nonetheless, the 54-year-old star was clear about why the monkey was a problem on-set. He said,

“Here is my problem: The monkey, obviously, was trained. It had to hit its mark and do its thing right at the perfect time.”

Funnily enough, Schwimmer stopped halfway to clarify that he loves animals. He went on to say that,

“What inevitably began to happen was we would all have choreographed bits kind of timed out, and it would get messed up, because the monkey didn’t do its job right. So we would have to reset, we'd have to go again, because the monkey didn't get it right.”

Schwimmer said that between takes, the monkey would remain resting on his shoulder.

Also read: How old was Matt LeBlanc when Friends started? Here’s the actual age of Joey Tribbiani

At some point, the monkey was approached by its trainer with some live bugs. After dining on them, it would hold on to Schwimmer with its grub-filled hands:

“It was time for Marcel to... to f*ck off.”

This isn't the first time the "Friends" star has expressed his disdain for the monkey. In an earlier interview, Schwimmer added that he was not allowed to bond with the animal, making it harder to work alongside it.

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"Friends Reunion" is currently streaming on HBO Max and HBO Go.

Also read: How to watch Friends Reunion in India on Zee5: Release date, time, streaming details, and more