During its run, Friends was no stranger to cameos. The series had many guest stars over the years, ranging from extras who were trying to make ends meet, to some of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. A-listers, ranging from Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Goldblum, and even Gary Oldman, each actor that made an appearance topped the one before them.
Although it is only natural that some cameos are going to be more impressive than others. There was one specific appearance in the series that managed to outshine all the others. Not because of the performance on its own, but because of the story behind it.
Robin Williams and Billy Crystal managed to impress the entire fandom with their one-minute appearance, and their talent is to thank for it.
The Greatest Betrayal In Friends
The 24th episode of the third season of Friends starts off in a perfectly normal manner; all the characters are sitting at their spot in Central Perk, when Monica walks in with an important story to tell. As she is about to begin, the group is interrupted by two men, played by Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. They disrupt the equilibrium of the show, sitting down in their spot and stealing the attention of the audience.
As the group observes their interaction, their own conversations forgotten, they learn about the problems in the life of Williams’ character, Tomas. It would seem that he is concerned that his wife is cheating on him with her gynaecologist.
He has been having problems of his own and believes that she has found an escape in her doctor. As some back-and-forth happens between the two men, Crystal’s character reveals that he has been sleeping with Tomas’ wife. When Joey asks if Crystal’s character is the gynaecologist, he is shut down and told to stop eavesdropping on a private conversation.
After learning the truth, Tomas asks Rachel for some tissues for his tears, only to yell at her and hit her for being too slow. The pair leave the coffee shop in a fit of tears and screams.
The Talent of Robin Williams and Billy Crystal
It is safe to say that Williams and Crystal’s cameo in Friends for that very small amount of time is one of the most iconic and hilarious scenes. However, many would be even more surprised to know the truth behind the scenes.
It was reported by iHeart that the entire sequence was not planned in anyway, being filmed as a last-minute cold opening. What makes its all the better is that it was not even scripted, and the actors completely improvised the situation, bouncing off the genius of their guest stars.
“I love how people think this wasn’t improv, most of Robin Williams acting was improv.” said xx_bai_r_xx on Instagram.
“I mean we’re talking about Robin Williams. He can do entire monologues of an hour so I totally believe this might not be scripted.” added rozetalami.
“It’s called improv and it’s what these geniuses do best.” loishastings2 mentioned.
“How did the cast keep a straight face??!!” stated laurioconnorpotter.
“If no one broke character over Billy and Robin’s improv, that shows how freaking talented the six of THEM were.” said stillstanding610.
It is safe to say that the audience was impressed when they learned the news, marveling at the talent possessed by Williams and Crystal. Thefriendssite on Instagram posted this exact scene recently and fans are still just as surprised to know the truth.
