Olivia Williams Details 'Alarming' Experience With 'Friends' Producer
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on April 16, 2024 at 10:20 AM EDT
British actress Olivia Williams is spilling details of her time in Hollywood, including her appearance on the fan-favorite sitcom, 'Friends.'
The 55-year-old, who is known for her roles in 'The Sixth Sense,' 'Rushmore,' and 'The Ghost Writer,' appeared in one extremely famous episode of 'Friends,' and while she only had a few lines, she claims her time on the sitcom was "harrowing."
Who Did Olivia Williams Play On 'Friends?'
Remember the iconic episode in which Ross accidentally says, "I take thee, Rachel," when he is marrying Emily? Remember the bridesmaid who flirts with Joey in that same episode? Yes, that bridesmaid was the one and only Olivia Williams!
When reflecting back on that time in her life, she told The Independent, "I was taken to the studio in a shared car with a wonderful actress whose character, I think, was called ‘Old Woman.’" Williams tried to Google the woman's name on her phone but came up short. However, she referred to her as “distinguished” and “very good."
As the two were bonding, Williams remembers the elderly woman quickly becoming a target by the producers. “At one point, a producer – who shall remain nameless – just yelled at her: ‘You’re not funny!’ and she didn’t come back the next day. So that was alarming.”
Olivia Williams Says Her Time On 'Friends' Was 'Harrowing'
The sitcom was one of the biggest shows in the 1990s and early 2000s, meaning if an actor or actress appeared on the show, they had to give their all and be perfect because "'Friends' was a brand, and you had to fit the brand," Williams explained.
"You go into hair and make-up, and you’re told, ‘There’s a look here, this is what we do.’ And that involved, essentially, plucking off all of your eyebrows," she told the outlet, going on to recall one make-up session where she begged the make-up artist, "Please don’t take my eyebrows off. I might need them [for] another job!"
While she can look back and laugh at the situation, she admitted, "Yes, that’s the sense in which it was harrowing.”
Olivia Williams Says She Might Be On A 'Socialist Actor Blacklist'
The 'Rushmore' actress has always loved gossip, so it's no surprise she spilled details about the dark side of the 'Friends' set. In fact, she once called the American television industry “a combined piranha pit and cesspool."
“Maybe I’d have a lot more work if I shut up more,” she joked. “I might actually be on some socialist actor blacklist, I don’t know…”
Williams has starred in hit films including 'Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret,' and 'Man Up.'
'Friends' Cast Remembers The Late Matthew Perry
While Olivia Williams did not release a statement on Matthew Perry's shocking death, many of his other co-stars, including his on-screen wife, Courteney Cox, shared their condolences and love for the late actor.
"I am so grateful for every moment I had with you, Matty, and I miss you every day," Cox wrote on social media at the time. "When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now, here’s one of my favorites."
"Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one-night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story," she shared alongside a behind-the-scenes video of the scene. "In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny, and he was kind."
'Friends' Co-Stars Pay Tribute To Matthew Perry
Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay on the show, broke her silence in the days following Perry's passing, recalling how the sitcom started.
"Shot the pilot, 'Friends Like Us,' got picked up then immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts. Then… you suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that," she began.
"Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY," she wrote. "Thank you for your open heart in a six-way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of 'talking.'"
Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc also released statements following Perry's death.