Jane Sibbett, the actor who played Ross's ex-wife Carol in Friends, has opened up about a funny moment on set filming for the series, when she managed to make the late Matthew Perry blush.
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Speaking with The Sun, Sibbett, who got the role of Carol soon after she had given birth, revealed that Chandler's uncomfortable reaction in the scene where Carol breastfeeds Ben in The One With the Breast Milk was only part acting, as Perry was actually taken aback by a decision she made.
Sibbett said: "I actually tried to nurse the babies - with their mother’s permission - and that’s why you get such a hilarious reaction from Matt Perry.
"He was like 'Whoa, Sibbett’s breast is out.' He thought I was going to [be] pantomime breastfeeding, but didn’t know I’d do it for real.
"I was really free in front of the audience, put my boob out and the babe on. The baby is like, 'How the heck?' as he’d never breastfed before. The baby had no idea what was going on and reacted. That’s why Matt’s reaction was so funny too."
Friends. Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
She continued: "You can almost see him blush if you look at that take closely enough. It’s so hilarious.
"I mean, I’m sure he’d seen breasts before, but he’d never seen me whip mine - my big, milky breast - out. That was funny."
Meanwhile, Phoebe star Lisa Kudrow revealed one classic moment, in which Joey comes up with a way that Phoebe can outsmart Chandler as she tries to 'seduce' him, was Perry's idea.
She explained: "It’s like, 'We’ve got to come up with something to up the stakes.' And I think it was him that went, 'What if he just [imitates unbuttoning a shirt with one hand] … and the shirt flies open?'
"And they’re like, 'Are you OK wearing a bra?' And I went, 'A bra? There’s more covering than a bathing suit! It’s fine.'"
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
