'The One Where No One Told Paul Rudd': Fans Miss Their Mike During 'Friends: The Reunion' Episode

The director of 'Friends: The Reunion' revealed why Paul Rudd and other actors were missing from the unscripted special episode.

Paul Rudd with Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer in a still from Friends (Source- Twitter)

Mumbai: The highly-anticipated reunion episode of ‘Friends’ beamed on HBO Max and ZEE5 on Thursday (May 27). The special episode featured the six main actors- Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry. Fans from all across the globe expressed their excitement on social media after watching their favorite stars together on one stage after 17 long years.  

Several supporting actors including Tom Selleck, Maggie Wheeler, Elliot Gould and Larry Hankin made brief appearances in the unscripted special. While fans were excited to their favorites, they missed their Mike aka Paul Rudd during the reunion episode.

Paul, who essayed the role of Lisa Kudrow aka Phoebe’s on-screen husband Mike Hannigan, didn’t feature in the ‘Friends: The Reunion’ episode. Several fans were miffed with the creators of the show as they believed that the ‘Ant-Man’ actor was ‘technically the seventh friend’ and hence, he deserved to be on the reunion episode.  

"Only thing missing from an otherwise awesome Friends Reunion was Paul Rudd (Mike). He is technically the 7th friend. Could have done at least a zoom call thing as Gunther did. Quite heartbreaking," one user tweeted.

Meme makers had a field day as they shared rib-tickling memes on social media.  

Another user shared a video from the reunion along with the caption, “Paul Rudd did make a cameo as Ant-Man.” He was referring to the bug as the ‘Ant-Man’ (Paul’s character in his popular film).  

‘Friends: The Reunion’ episode, which aired on ZEE5, received an amazing response from the audience in India. It garnered over 1 million views on Thursday, according to a statement released by the company.  

Why Was Paul Rudd Aka Mike Absent From ‘Friends’ Reunion Episode? 

Ben Winston, who directed the reunion episode of ‘Friends’, revealed the reason why many supporting actors didn’t feature in it. Winston, while talking to The Wrap, said that the episode had to focus on the six main characters. 

“So you can’t have too many cameos because of course, there were hundreds of amazing people who were in Friends over the years,” Winston told the portal.  

He added that the makers invited other cast members but some of them couldn't attend the reunion due to the COVID-19 restrictions.