Aisha Tyler Reflects on ‘Friends’ Audition: A Life-Changing Experience
The Actress Shares Heartfelt Memories and a Special Moment with Matthew Perry on iHeartRadio Podcast
Aisha Tyler recently opened up about her audition experience for the hit TV show “Friends” during an interview on iHeartRadio’s And That’s What You REALLY Missed podcast.
“When I auditioned for Friends, I had seen every single episode — every single one,” Tyler recalled. “It didn’t make me confident, though. I knew how to tell a Friends joke, but I wasn’t sure if I could do it well.”
Tyler described reading with David Schwimmer, who played Ross, for the role of his character’s girlfriend, Charlie Wheeler, as “intimidating,” despite Schwimmer being “lovely.”
Initially cast for four episodes, Tyler ended up filming nine. She fondly remembered the show’s curtain call tradition: “At the end, it’s very much like theater. You do a curtain call, then everybody bows. You wait in the wings, and they introduce the guest stars before the main cast. So, I would be one of the last people to go out before the main cast.”
Tyler shared a touching memory from her first episode involving Matthew Perry: “Right before I went out at the end of my first taping, Matthew Perry leaned in and said, ‘Get ready for your life to change.’”
Tyler has held onto Perry’s words ever since. “It was such a sweet, generous thing to say. It wasn’t like, ‘Uh-oh.’ He was genuinely excited for me. I never forgot that moment because it really did change my life.”
