Friends was famous in the ‘90s and early 2000s for having the best guest stars, with several A-list actors making cameos during its 10-season run. But even for celebrities who made their living in front of the camera, visiting the famed NBC comedy’s set was said to be overwhelming, with even Tom Selleck saying he was “scared to death” during his stint on the show. Alison Sweeney spoke with CinemaBlend recently, and I had the chance to ask her about her own experience on Friends, and she confirmed that it was, indeed, “intimidating.”
Jennifer Aniston once said that movie actors who guest-starred on Friends were “terrified” of acting in front of a live audience, so I was curious about how a TV veteran like Alison Sweeney felt when she made her own cameo on the show in Season 7. I got the chance to ask her just that while speaking to the actress about her latest movie for Hallmark, Love & Jane, and it turns out that not even a storied career on Days of Our Lives could prepare her for that set. Sweeney confirmed:
It was totally intimidating. It was, you know first of all, the No. 1 show on TV, and they’re all such pros, and they’re so good at it, and I was so nervous. You just want to fit in and do what they want. You know, they all know what they’re doing, they’re all experts at the comedy, and so you just want to be like, ‘Sure, yeah, whatever, I’ll say that! Sure, yeah, no problem, OK!’ Like you just want to give them what they want, because they know how to make it funny. They know how to make it work.
It makes sense that Friends was different, at least tonally, than what Alison Sweeney was accustomed to while playing Sami on Days of Our Lives — especially given the live studio audience. Whether the actress was taking the suggestions of those around her or simply following her instinct, Sweeney absolutely killed as the stuck-up soap opera star Jessica Ashley.
In the episode “The One With Joey’s Award,” Alison Sweeney played a colleague of Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), who won a Soapy Award for her work on Days of Our Lives. Her character Jessica scoffed at the trophy, much to the horror of Joey, who proceeded to steal it after he failed to win one of his own. Sweeney said the Days of Our Lives cast “just loved” seeing their show portrayed on Friends, and being a fan probably didn't do anything to make the experience less nerve-wracking.
Many actors have looked back at their own Friends guest appearances, especially since the death of Matthew Perry in October. Full House star John Stamos recalled an embarrassing moment that the Chandler portrayer saved him from, and Reese Witherspoon remembered being scared “out of [her] body” until Joey blew her mind with his “How you doin’?” pickup line.
If you want to relive Alison Sweeney’s episode of Friends — or any of the 10 seasons — the series is available to stream with a Max subscription. You can also catch Sweeney in Love & Jane, which next airs on the Hallmark Channel at 4 p.m. ET Friday, March 8.
