Dermot Mulroney has enjoyed an impressive career, both in movies (from ‘90s kids classics like Angels in the Outfield to more modern rom-coms like Anyone but You) and on TV (where he’s looking good in that chief’s uniform as Chicago Fire airs on the 2025 TV schedule). But, when it comes to the roles he’s most recognized for, Mulroney mentioned his guest role on Friends, which is funny considering two of his biggest movies involved Friends actors.
Dermot Mulroney Gets Recognized As Gavin From Friends
Friends boasted some A+ guest stars during its 10-year run, with Dermot Mulroney getting a three-episode arc in Season 9 as Gavin Mitchell. Gavin stepped in for Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) while she was on maternity leave, and in fighting to get her job back, Rachel ends up developing feelings for him. (Wow, that plot's not problematic at all.) Mulroney visited The Jennifer Hudson Show, where he talked about appearing on one of the best sitcoms of all time, saying:
It's a huge show and I have a tiny part on it, but that guy, that character just came to life — and then took on even more of a life when people started to watch it over and over again. You know, we didn't used to have comfort shows, but now we do. It's like something we invented to explain what happens when you go back and start at the beginning and watch all of the Friends episodes again.
Dermot Mulroney is definitely speaking my language with those Friends rewatches (all 10 seasons can be streamed with a Max subscription), and he joked that the three best episodes were the ones he was in, naturally.
The role was certainly a fun one, with Gavin being such an antagonist for Rachel (and then Ross, when he saw them kissing on the balcony), and it’s kind of funny that so many people held onto that role. The actor continued:
That one was weird, though, because people are shouting, ‘Hey Gavin!’ at me at a gas station, and it had been so long. When Friends re-emerged on streamers, I was suddenly super-recognizable for something I did 20 years ago, previous to that.
I honestly can’t imagine what it would feel like to have a stranger randomly yell at me (even in a positive way) for something I did at work 20 years ago. How surreal.
His Friends role isn’t the only one he gets recognized for, of course, but a couple of his biggest movies can still be connected back to the sitcom.
Two Of Dermot Mulroney’s Best Films Star Friends Actors
There’s simply no question that my favorite Dermot Mulroney movie is My Best Friend’s Wedding. Julia Roberts (in one of her best rom-coms) fights to keep her best friend Michael (Mulroney) from marrying Kimmy (Cameron Diaz). But this 1997 work of art isn’t the only credit Mulroney and Roberts share. That’s right, they were both also on Friends.
Julia Roberts’ role, however, came in Season 2 in “The One After the Super Bowl,” so their paths didn’t cross on that set. Roberts played Susie (aka “Susie Underpants”) who exacted revenge on Matthew Perry’s Chandler for a prank he’d pulled on her when they were kids (hence the nickname).
Other fans recognize Dermot Mulroney from the more recent Scream VI, and while I won’t spoil anything about the latest offering in one of the best horror franchises of all time, I will point out the obvious — that Friends star Courteney Cox also has starred as Gale Weathers in all of the Scream movies.
Dermot Mulroney may have only appeared in three Friends episodes, but he certainly left his mark on fans. It’s also fun that his career has taken him to other projects that feature actors from the show.
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