9 Ups & 3 Downs From Friends: The Reunion

Downs...

3. The One Where They Forgot Mike

Where was Mike?

Played by Paul Rudd, Mike Hannigan was a crucial part of Friends' final two seasons, portraying the boyfriend and eventual husband of Phoebe. His character was exceptional. You felt like and Phoebe were always meant to be together, despite their relationship only spanning the final two seasons. This is one of a few cases where your writer would argue this should have been introduced sooner.

Despite that, the pianist was nowhere to be seen in the reunion, other than in archive footage where he's recording the core six cast members performing their final bow to the audience. He didn't make a cameo, he didn't feature in any pre-taped skits or interviews, and until the end, he wasn't even mentioned. Lisa Kudrow made a slight mention of him and that was it.

His absence is reportedly due to him not being able to make it, according to show director Ben Winston. Sure, he couldn't be there in person, but was a pre-taped interview not a plausible option? James Michael Tyler, the actor behind Gunther, appeared for just a blip via Zoom - the same could have applied to Rudd.

A real shame to have him absent from the special.