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A fun part of a long-running sitcom about people dating in their 20s is that the show has the perfect opportunity to regularly cast stunt performers. “How I Met Your Mother” could casually include Britney Spears in an episode or two without altering the format, just as “Seinfeld” could have Keith Hernandez move on to date Elaine for an episode. Of course, not all famous guest stars are as big as Spears was, but even a minor star could help more viewers tune in.
One such example was the “Friends” season three episode “The One with Frank Jr.,” in which Isabella Rossellini stops by the gang’s cafeteria, playing herself. The central joke here is that Ross (David Schwimmer) had originally put Rossellini on his list of famous women he can sleep with without his girlfriend Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) getting mad about it. However, Ross decided to take Rossellini off the list, thinking that the Italian actress was less likely to be in the neighborhood than someone like Winona Ryder. Sure enough, just as Ross collides with Rossellini, the actress appears, leaving Ross frustrated by the bad timing.
Luckily for him, Rachel doesn’t think she has a chance with the movie star, so Ross still has a chance to do it, but it goes wrong. The whole sequence was great for Rossellini fans, but the actress herself felt a little uncomfortable with the whole thing. in a recent interview promoting her new movie “Conclave,” she explained why she wasn’t sure if the joke would work with American viewers:
“I was surprised because at that time (maybe still today, but maybe to a lesser extent at that time) there weren’t many foreign actors who were recognized in the United States. And that’s why I was very surprised that Friends invited me, not just as a guest but like a star. They recognize me and know my name… I said: ‘Am I really so well-known that I can interpret myself as a well-known person?’ “It was really great and a pleasure to work with.”
Why the scene worked, even if you didn’t know who Rossellini was
Although a teenage critic for The Burlington Free Press was strangely moody about historyIn general, “Friends” fans seem satisfied with the story. “Isabella Rossellini’s cameo is one of the best in the series,” The Daily Beast wrote in a recent ranking of each episode. The Independent, meanwhile, rated “The One with Frank Jr.” like the program ninth best episode ever. If you search the “Friends”-themed subreddit, you’ll find no shortage of love for the scene where Ross tries to flirt with the star.
I think the reason the whole scene works so well, even for viewers unfamiliar with Rossellini’s great performance in films like “Blue Velvet,” is that viewers don’t actually need to know anything about it to understand it. . All they need to know is that she’s a famous actress that everyone finds attractive, and all of that is covered by Ross and Chandler before she appears on screen.
Likewise, the scene in which Ross harasses Rossellini is funny for the same reason that any scene in which Ross clumsily attacks an attractive woman would be funny to watch; his celebrity status simply increases the humiliation for him. The sequence strikes a nice balance between giving Rossellini fans enough material to make it clear that the show did its research while also ensuring that regular viewers (and future viewers) can get a good look at everything.
In the end, Rossellini had nothing to worry about. Although each viewer ought Ideally, you’d be familiar with their work; the “Friends” writers were smart enough not to require it. “The one with Frank Jr.” It’s a great episode of one of the best comedies of all time, and Rossellini was the best part.
