Friends reunion could begin shooting next month, David Schwimmer says

The cast are waiting for the green light to begin filming safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The eagerly awaited Friends reunion special could begin filming as soon as next month, David Schwimmer has revealed.

The actor, who played Ross Geller on the beloved comedy, said he and his co-stars could shoot the one-off episode in mid-August, if it is deemed safe to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The special is due to be filmed at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. The state is struggling to get a grip on the Covid-19 outbreak.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Schwimmer promised the special would feature “surprise bits” and said: “It’s supposed to happen maybe in August, the middle of August, but honestly we’re going to wait and see another week or two if we all determine it’s really safe enough to do. And if not, then we’ll wait until it’s safe.”

The special, due to air in the US on the HBO Max streaming service, will bring together Schwimmer and co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry.

It had been set to launch with HBO Max in May, but filming was delayed due to the pandemic.

The eagerly awaited Friends reunion special could begin filming as soon as next month, David Schwimmer has revealed. (Photo credit should read LEE CELANO/AFP via Getty Images)

During his appearance on The Tonight Show, Schwimmer, 53, also recalled almost turning down the career-defining role of Ross.

He told Fallon he had been soured by his first experience of being a series regular on a sitcom and had left Los Angeles for Chicago to do theatre work.

When his agent first told him about the Friends role, Schwimmer said he was not interested, until he heard from the show’s co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane.

He had auditioned for the pair for a role on a different comedy that was later cancelled, though he made enough of an impression that they wrote the part of Ross with Schwimmer in mind.

That convinced him to take the role, he told Fallon.

Schwimmer also revealed one of the most common things fans say to him in the street is “you were on a break,” a reference to the contentious break-up of Friends characters Ross and Rachel.

Asked his opinion on if the couple were together when Ross cheated, Schwimmer deadpanned: “Yes, it’s not even a question, they were on a break.”

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director