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.
.@DavidSchwimmer confirms Ross & Rachel were definitely on a break! #Friends https://t.co/w0eJ0ecZIr #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/4mvXrJ9GQ2
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) July 21, 2020
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.
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.”