During its 10-season run on NBC, Friends welcomed its fair share of A-list celebrity guests. Everybody from Brad Pitt to Bruce Willis to Susan Sarandon took the time out of their busy schedules to appear on the show over the years. Even Danny DeVito popped up at one point. But there was another entertainment icon the showrunners weren’t able to get for the role of Ross’s one-time father-in-law.
As you may remember, we’re first introduced to Stephen Waltham, as played by Tom Conti, in the Season 4 two-parter “The One With Ross’s Wedding.” Stephen is the father of Ross’s then-fiancée, Emily (Helen Baxendale). Ross’s parents butt heads with Tom when he asks them to pay to remodel his wine cellar as part of the wedding expenses.
You can check out a highlight reel featuring some of the character’s memorable moments right here:
Paul McCartney Almost Played Ross’s Father-in-Law on ‘Friends’
While speaking with The Huffington Post in 2015, Friends casting director Leslie Litt revealed that the role of Stephen Waltham was not originally intended for Conti. According to her, the top choice for the part was former Beatles member Paul McCartney, despite the fact that he wasn’t known for doing a ton of acting. Litt sent McCartney’s manager all the details for the episode, though it’s not clear if the character was supposed to make more than one appearance at that stage. For those who don’t know, Stephen was also in the Season 5 premiere, “The One After Ross Says Rachel.”
McCartney, of course, didn’t end up doing the guest spot, but took the time to respond to the request personally. “One day, someone in the office brought me a faxed letter written to me by Paul himself,” Litt recalled. “He thanked me for my interest and said how flattered he was, but it was a very busy time for him.”
Litt, understandably, was thrilled to hear back from McCartney at all, even though he was turning down her offer.
The post 29 Years Ago, ‘Friends’ Almost Cast This Music Icon to Play Ross’s Father-in-Law appeared first on VICE.
