Highlights
- Mitchell Whitfield described his intimate scenes with Jennifer Aniston on Friends as awkward, and even found it odd when people asked him about it.
- Cosimo Fusco had a positive experience playing Paolo on the show and praised his scenes with Aniston as "lovely."
- Both Whitfield and Fusco had high praise for their time on Friends, with Whitfield crediting the show's relatability and Fusco praising the main cast's chemistry.
Appearing on Friends sounds like a dream for fans, actors and actresses. However, appearing on the series also came with lots of pressure. Even experienced stars like Anna Faris were terrified when it came to their cameos. Jennifer Aniston herself admits that appearing on the show came with a lot of pressure, especially for those that were not accustomed to such an environment.
In the following, we're going to take a closer look at Mitchell Whitfield's time on the show as Barry, while also putting the spotlight on Paolo, played by Cosimo Fusco. Both characters spent lots of time with Jennifer Aniston, but had different experiences on the show. We'll take a closer look at what their time was like, and why one of them called his intimate moment with Aniston, 'awkward'.
Mitchell Whitfield Described His Intimate Scenes With Jennifer Aniston On Friends As Awkward
Mitchell Whitfield played the role of Barry, one that was rather unpopular with Friends fans. If Barry stayed in the picture, this meant no Ross and Rachel which was a sin for fans.
Nonetheless, the actor is still asked about his role on the sitcom today. As expected, he's typically asked about his dentist scene alongside Aniston, one that shows the two getting intimate. Whitfield revealed that not only was the moment awkward, but getting asked the question is just as odd for the actor.
He revealed alongside Today, "It was very awkward. And it makes me laugh just because there's some great lines there. The writing in that scene was really good. And again, awkward moments tend to make me laugh and give me joy. I have guys for years who would ask me, ‘Dude, you kissed Jennifer Aniston. What was that like, dude?"
The actor continues, "And they actually would ask it like that, which was awkward too. And I was like, ‘Well, imagine kissing someone you know that you've known for a long time that you're just friends with in front of about 200 people when it's about 120 degrees with a bunch of cameras on you and I think it always ruins it. ‘Oh, man. I wanted to hear it was great.’ I was like, ‘OK. It was great.’ You don't know what to say in those times.”
We can understand the actor's point of view. However, Cosimo Fusco described things differently looking back.
Cosimo Fusco Praised His Scenes With Jennifer Aniston, Describing Their Kiss As 'Lovely'
Playing the role of Paolo, the character was yet another person getting in the way of Rachel and Ross' potential romance. Fusco had a blast in the role, and it was definitely a lighthearted one. The actor states that he had to be 'outrageous' for such a part. He tells Today, “I had to be a little bit of that guy. I found it a bit outrageous, but right for the part.”
“I had to be the little bit cheesy guy, you know, with a sweater that's tucked up in his pants,” he added. “I would never dress like that. But I enjoyed very much to play that character, and I wish you’d show Paolo after a haircut. I would love to see him now, after 25 years, how he would, you know, present himself.”
As for his intimate scenes with Jennifer Aniston, Fusco kept things classy, calling his co-star 'lovely'. “I say, ‘Hey, she was a lovely, adorable, young woman — very talented actress,’” he said.
Looking back, both actors walked away from the experience on a positive note.
Both Mitchell Whitfield And Cosimo Fusco Had High Praise For Their Time On The Iconic Sitcom
Jennifer Aniston revealed in past interviews that appearing on Friends was stressful for film stars, especially given the involvement on the audience, and how different of an atmosphere it was.
As for Whitfield and Fusco, they didn't reveal to any type of nervousness, perhaps a major factor is that they appeared early on during the series. Whitfield in particular credits the show's success to the fact that it was so relatable.
"I think for ‘Friends,’ there weren't that many shows when ‘Friends’ came on that skewed younger and that a younger generation could say, "Hey, that's us,’ when they watch the show. ‘That's us sitting and having coffee. That's us in our apartment or looking for love.’ So many people related to that show. It really captured the imagination of a generation. And I think that's what made it and continues to make it so special.”
Fusco agreed that the show was a major hit due to the fact that the main characters were relatable. Fusco also praised the main cast for their chemistry together - the actor was particularly impressed by David Schwimmer. This was a theme among lot of guest stars crediting the actor for his work on the series.
Sources - Today
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGikoqyTnbKtuIywn6Kslp6yrbCMmqWdZZOkwKq5zmadrquTpHqprcNmm6Kelpq%2FprrTZpyxqJWntqa6wp6qZp%2BVqcGqusZmoKesmaKutbGMsKCtoF2fsq%2B6yJ%2Bcq2WRo7a0wM6nZKimXZu%2FqrHNnapo