Before she found her happily ever after in Chandler Bing, Monica Geller had her fair share of relationships on the hit NBC sitcom FRIENDS. Whether it be Julio the poet or Paul the wine guy, Courteney Cox’s character had quite a long list of men she dated before meeting Richard Burk. The ophthalmologist, who also happens to be her father’s friend, quickly became the love of her life.
While the audience had their own reservations about this couple given the huge age gap, the actor behind Burk, Tom Selleck detailed in a past interview about a request that left him speechless on the sitcom.
A Request That Shocked Tom Selleck on FRIENDS
Long before Mondler was a thing in FRIENDS, Courteney Cox‘s Monica was head over heels for Tom Selleck‘s Richard Burke. Even though the character appeared in only nine episodes of the sitcom, he played quite an important role in her storyline. As reflected by the cast often mentioning his name in one context or another.
But one aspect of the sitcom even surprised the actor when he came on board for the role of Richard Burke. He added in an interview that originally, he was asked to do three episodes but was left “speechless” when the creators asked him to continue his guest storyline. Selleck added:
That group is just an incredible group of friends. (Further) They obviously became friends in life as well as on the show, and it shows. It was a wonderful place to work, and we ended up doing about nine (episodes).
Richard Burke brought a level of maturity that Monica needed in her life. However, their relationship wasn’t without its problems. The duo dated throughout the second season of the sitcom, but cracks began to appear when Monica raised the issue of having children one day. At that point, Burke was already a grandfather and was done with the idea of having kids again.
This was in contrast to Monica’s lifelong dream of becoming a mother. While the couple danced around the subject for some time, Monica eventually realized they wanted different things in life. So, they parted ways in The One With Barry and Mindy’s Wedding.
Although they crossed paths a few more times, it wasn’t until the Season 6 finale, The One With the Proposal, that he tells Monica he still loves her and wants to start a family. Ultimately, he backed off when he realized how much Monica and Chandler loved each other.
Why Was Tom Selleck Afraid About His Appearance on FRIENDS?
Out of the slew of celebrities who had a guest appearance on FRIENDS, only a few managed to stand out. In this list, Tom Selleck’s Richard Burke definitely makes the cut, given the value he added to Monica Geller’s storyline. While fans loved the duo’s interactions on the sitcom, the actor behind the ophthalmologist was “scared to death” while filming the show.
He revealed this during an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, describing his guest appearance as the most daunting task he had to do. He added, “I try to relax the new actors because that’s really hard, to come on a show where everyone’s up to speed.” The host complimented the actor on his portrayal of Burke, with Selleck adding, “I wasn’t amazing at what they call the table read.”
He further explained that he was so scared and nervous because he had not done a sitcom in a really long time. On this subject, he also praised Courteney Cox, who helped him alleviate his anxiety.
You can watch all the seasons of FRIENDS on Max.
