Fans of Friends were understandably frustrated when the cameos list for the much-anticipated reunion episode was revealed - and confirmed that despite playing a major role in the show for two seasons, fan favourite Paul Rudd would not be making an appearance in the one-off special. So why was Paul unable to take part in the series?
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The Clueless actor isn't on social media, and has yet to speak out about the project, and so it is unclear why he wasn't unable to take part in the episode. However, as a hugely prolific Hollywood actor, his lack of involvement could very much be due to scheduling conflicts, as he currently has several projects in the works, including the upcoming Ant-Man sequel where he plays the title character, Scott Lang.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to be released in 2023, and is currently filming. Paul also recently filmed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which is set to be released in 2021, and The Shrink Next Door, a miniseries for Apple TV+ starring co-starring Will Ferrell. He is a very busy man!
Paul is currently filming the Ant-Man sequel
Paul has also previously spoken about his days on Friends, and admitted he felt like a "prop" on the show. Chatting on Variety's Actors on Actors, he said: "In something like Friends, the show was about them. I was only in it for just a blip. I felt, ‘I’m like a prop on this show. It’s not about Mike Hannigan.' But there’s a very interesting feeling to be a part of something that has that kind of profound impact on pop culture."
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Speaking about their disappointment that Paul wouldn't be taking part in the Friends reunion on Twitter, one person wrote: "The Friends reunion doesn’t need guest stars! Other than the six friends the only exceptions would be Maggie wheeler, Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon, Cole Sprouse, & James Michael Tyler. #FriendsReunion," while another added: "I just want Paul Rudd, Cole Sprouse, Christina Applegate to be in the reunion, hoping they could be surprise guests."
A third person tweeted: "I’m just now realising that Paul Rudd isn’t one of the special guests in the #FriendsReunion... He’s literally Phoebe’s husband, but sure go ahead have Justin Bieber and James Corden come over why not."
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