Jean-Claude Van Damme recently expressed regret about his cameo in the famous ‘Friends’ episode “The One After the Superbowl: Part 2,” admitting he found his performance awkward and subpar.
Short Summary:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme regrets his performance in the ‘Friends’ cameo.
- He feels his acting was below par, calling himself “like a ham.”
- The actor recalls the strange experience of being on set and interacting with the cast.
Jean-Claude Van Damme recently revisited his cameo in the popular sitcom ‘Friends,’ revealing his discontent with his performance. Speaking to the New York Post, the Belgian action star regrets his role in the 1996 episode, “The One After the Superbowl: Part 2.” Despite his extensive acting career, Van Damme couldn’t shake off the awkwardness he felt during his appearance on the show.
The episode had Van Damme playing himself, sharing the screen with series regulars Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green) and Courteney Cox (Monica Geller). Monica and Rachel both compete for his attention, leading to comedic yet strenuous interactions.
“My acting is so bad,” Van Damme confessed to the New York Post. “I look so like a ham. Like, ‘Hey, girls.’ … It’s like, I’m ashamed of myself.”
Reflecting further, Van Damme described his initial bewilderment upon entering the set. His agent had insisted he take the part, emphasizing the show’s skyrocketing popularity at the time. The action star admitted he was not familiar with ‘Friends,’ but quickly realized it was a significant opportunity.
“I didn’t know much about the show. So when I go to the show, I see those two beautiful girls, and they say this is the hottest show right now in the world. So I was very glad,” Van Damme remembered.
However, filming the cameo turned out to be a peculiar experience for the actor. He described being caught off guard when Aniston and Cox kissed him, leaving him unsure how to respond appropriately.
“I was on the set, and those girls, they go and they kiss me, and they kiss me on the lips,” Van Damme explained. “I didn’t know what to do, how to do … It was strange. They were very nice.”
Though the encounter was awkward, Van Damme emphasized that the ‘Friends’ cast and crew were exceptionally welcoming and professional. He praised their well-oiled teamwork, noting the stability and consistency of their production process.
“They were very open because they did the show every day,” Van Damme remarked. “So for them, I enter into a place where everything is working like a very well-trained mechanic engine.”
Despite Van Damme’s criticism of his acting, he acknowledged the episode as a memorable part of his career. His cameo remains a significant talking point among fans, often surpassing his other works in conversations.
“Everybody talk[s] about that show more than all of my movies together,” Van Damme said. “Nothing wrong! But [that shows] you how strong TV can be.”
While Van Damme’s personal regret is clear, the reception of his cameo was marred further by claims from the show’s director, Michael Lembeck, about difficult behavior on set. In a 2021 interview, Lembeck recounted how Van Damme’s actions made Aniston and Cox uncomfortable, leading to multiple interventions by the director.
“He was unprepared and arrogant,” Lembeck shared. “Jennifer walked over to me and said, ‘Lem, would you do me a favor and ask him not to put his tongue in my mouth when he’s kissing me?’”
Lembeck had to relay the same message to Van Damme more than once, underscoring the actor’s disruptive presence. Additionally, Van Damme’s tardiness and unyielding approach to rehearsals compounded the on-set tension.
“He arrived at the set three or four hours late and went straight to his trailer,” Kevin Bright, the show’s executive producer, recalled. “We asked him if he had any questions, and he just said, ‘No! First, I memorize lines. Then you give me the feeling.’”
Despite these challenges, the double-length episode featuring Van Damme, Julia Roberts, and Brooke Shields became the most viewed in ‘Friends’ history, attracting nearly 52.9 million viewers. The episode’s success significantly contributed to the show’s cultural impact.
Van Damme’s appearance in ‘Friends’, while awkward for him, opened the door for many more high-profile celebrity cameos, including Bruce Willis and George Clooney. As public interest in his cameo persists, it serves as a testament to the powerful influence of television.
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