Who is Mr. Heckles from Friends? Reunion special surprises fans by showing he's not dead

"Friends: The Reunion" premiered on HBO Max on May 27th, and one face that fans didn't expect to see was that of Mr. Heckles . Many guest stars were featured, including old characters and famous celebrities who grew up watching the show.

From Tom Selleck, who played "Richard," to Thomas Lennon, Joey's famous hand twin, the special gave the audience a blast from the past.

Fans of the show gasped and cheered when a particularly old, downstairs neighbor character appeared at the reunion.

Who is Larry Hankin who plays Mr. Heckles?

Larry Hankin, now 80, was famously known for playing the mean, downstairs neighbor of Rachel and Monica, Mr. Heckles. Nicknamed "Old man Heckles," he guest-starred on the show for a total of five episodes.

The actor has also guest starred in other American classics such as "Seinfeld," "Home Alone," "Billy Madison," and more.

Mr. Heckles played by Larry Hankin (Image via YouTube)

Mr. Heckles returns for the reunion

Towards the beginning of the reunion special, fans were stunned to see a familiar, yet thought-to-be-dead character walk through the purple door. Mr. Heckles, who plays Rachel and Monica's grumpy downstairs neighbor, returned one last time to tell the girls to be quiet.

Fans found the guest appearance to be confusing, as Mr. Heckles died in an episode from season 2 titled, "The One Where Heckles Dies."

In the episode, they were annoyed of the old man hitting his ceiling with a broomstick in an effort to quiet the girls. In retaliation, Rachel and Monica ended up stomping on the ground so hard that the banging of the broom eventually stopped. Mr. Heckles was later found dead before the end of the episode.

The gang then got together to clear out Heckles' room, with the episode ending with Chandler saying,

"Goodbye, Mr Heckles...we'll try to keep it down."

Fans found the episode emotional and sincere.

After seeing Larry Hankin at the reunion, fans were thrilled yet ultimately confused with the storyline. Here's what they said:

The reunion evoked so many emotions for fans, making them laugh, cry, and reminisce once more.