Before she became known as Ross Geller’s ex-wife’s partner Susan on Friends, actress Jessica Hecht was nearly cast as Monica Geller. In a recent interview with Parade, the three-time Tony nominee revealed she initially auditioned for Monica and believes her body type may have played a role in why she didn’t land the part.
“I think looking at me back then, I was tall, and I just had a bigger size than the rest,” Hecht said. “Now I look at it, and I think how perfect Courteney [Cox] was. I would have been more of a Lisa [Kudrow], just physically and energetically.”
Hecht, who was eventually cast as Susan Bunch, Carol’s partner and Ross’ co-parent, recalled knowing casting director Ellie Kanner from high school in Connecticut, which led to the Monica audition. “There’s one part; they’re not sure if the actor will take,” her agent told her at the time. “So I went in, mostly excited to see Ellie Kanner, and then they started to read me for Monica.”
Though Courteney Cox ultimately secured the role, Hecht went on to appear in 13 episodes across the 10 seasons of the show. Still, she expressed mixed feelings about how Susan’s character was written over time. “They just couldn’t figure out how to make Susan work,” she admitted. “They just wanted a lesbian that didn’t look exactly like lesbians had previously; let’s be honest.”
“Use your imagination!” she added with a laugh. “They’re wonderful. They come in all sizes.”
Reflecting on the early days of the series, Hecht said she felt a strong creative spark when the show was just beginning to find its footing. “I had more creativity and had more of a sense of just trusting my gut,” she said. “The actors were awesome, but nobody had that confidence yet, so it was a very delicious time.”
She also spoke warmly of her on-screen wife, Jane Sibbett, who played Carol. “We were so locked into each other, so it was mostly about our energy together.”
Friends, which starred Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, and the late Matthew Perry, became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of television’s most beloved sitcoms.
