“Friends” is one of the most popular sitcoms around the world. We could follow the lives of the heroes of a certain New York tenement house for ten seasons, and the last episode was broadcast in 2004. Despite the passage of years, the character of Mr. Heckles is still considered one of the most popular supporting characters to this day.
Larry Hankin said goodbye to the show’s crew, making everyone fall silent
Larry Hankin had the opportunity to play the character in only five episodes, mainly in the first season. Mr. Heckles was remembered as an eternally complaining old gentleman who came to the title friends to ask them to calm down.
The fifth episode with his participation turned out to be the last. At the beginning of the second season, the producers decided to kill off Mr. Heckles, who suddenly died of a heart attack. Larry Hankin in a recent interview with the portal said that he was furious when he found out what they would do with his character. The actor revealed that he was aware of the popularity of the character he played and initially even hoped for a raise:
I starred in five episodes in total, and Mr. Heckles gained popularity. There was one issue: if you actually become a supporting character in your sixth series, that means a raise
However, things turned out completely differently. After some time, Hankin received information about his participation in “Friends”, but this was not the news he expected:
My agent called me to tell me he had good news and bad news. First of all, they want my next appearance on Friends. Then I thought, ‘I’m going to buy a house.’ Then he added that secondly, I’m having a heart attack and I’m dying
The actor was not happy with this turn of events. He didn’t understand why the creators wanted to get rid of a character that gained immense popularity. During the shooting, he decided to give vent to his emotions. He managed to make the entire plan of the series fall silent for a long time:
On set, I was going to let the producers know that I wasn’t happy with it. I broke down after recording. I went up to the producers and yelled ‘What have you done?’. Everyone shut up, and there were about a hundred people there. They were choked. One of the producers asked if we could talk later. I recovered. Everyone was looking at me. I withdrew and stood for a few minutes at the table. Then a 14-year-old boy, I think someone’s son, came up to me and said it was great
While his opposition did not change the decision in the case of Mr. Hackles, it certainly managed to be well remembered by the producers and cast of the series. In 2021, a unique episode of the series “Friends: Meeting After Years” premiered on the HBO Max platform, in which the actors of the series and special guests reminisced about the iconic series. Larry Hankin also took part in the show.
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Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
