Paul Rudd says he felt out of place while appearing in the final episode of Friends

Paul Rudd spoke about appearing in the Friends finale during an appearance on the Heart Breakfast show that took place last week.

The 53-year-old performer discussed his time on the program and expressed that he found working on its final episode to be particularly interesting.

The actor, whose canine twin was recently discovered, appeared as Mike Hannigan during the series’ final two seasons.

Rudd began by recalling that, as opposed to the show’s longtime cast, he only appeared on the program during its last two seasons.

‘The whole thing was a bit surreal, I must say, to be a part of that because I came on really at the end,’ he said.

Looking back: Paul Rudd spoke about appearing in the Friends finale during an appearance on the Heart Breakfast show that took place last week

The Anchorman cast member also expressed that he felt as if he was intruding on the cast’s final goodbye. 

He said: ‘I never knew that I was going to be in as many [episodes] as I was. But it also felt strange. I was in that last episode, and I just thought, “I shouldn’t be here. I’m getting a front-row seat to things I’m not supposed to see.”‘

Rudd humorously stated that, while the show’s main cast was broken up about the program’s conclusion, he did not have the same emotional response. 

He recalled: ‘They were all crying, it was all emotional, and I was just like, “woah!”‘

The performer remarked that, although he was grateful for his time on Friends, he did not feel the same way that the show’s stars did upon the airing of its finale.

He stated: ‘I felt very privileged, but I also was like “I just, I don’t know. I just want to sit back here, not get in the way.”‘

Rudd portrayed Mike Hannigan in the long-running comedy program, in which he made its debut in its ninth season.

The performer remained with the program until its conclusion, which occurred at the end of its ninth season.

Intrigued: The 53-year-old performer discussed his time on the program and expressed that he found working on its final episode to be particularly interesting

Eventual addition: Rudd began by recalling that, as opposed to the show’s longtime cast, he only appeared on the program during its last two seasons

Unaffected: The performer remarked that, although he was grateful for his time on Friends, he did not feel the same way that the show’s stars did upon the airing of its finale

The actor briefly appeared at the end of Friends: The Reunion, which aired on HBO Max in 2021.

Rudd recently discussed his time on the hit program during an interview with Variety, where he stated that his presence in the series was purely functional. 

He stated: ‘In something like Friends, the show was about them, but it’s an interesting thing to be a part of. I was only in it for just a blip. I felt, “I’m like a prop on this show.”‘

However, the actor expressed that he was happy to have been involved with the project given its cultural significance.

‘There’s a very interesting feeling to be a part of something that has that kind of profound impact on pop culture,’ he said. 

Grateful: The actor expressed that he was happy to have been involved with the project given its cultural significance