For many, the relationship that “Friends” had and the chemistry they had between them was enviable. The 82-year-old director of the series, James Burrows, admitted, however, that in some episodes the difficulty was too great since some actors did not have such good chemistry with each other.

In his new memoir, the director said he had a particularly difficult time working with guest star Ellen Baxendale, who played Ross’s English wife Emily. As he explains the reason was that they were not “particularly funny” and that there was not the required chemistry with the actor, David Schwimmer (Ross).

“She was nice, but not particularly funny,” Burroughs wrote of Baxendale, and claimed he nearly replaced her in the cast.

“David Schwimmer had nothing to interact with in the joke. It was like clapping with one hand. In sitcoms and any kind of romantic comedy, the joke is just as important as the chemistry between the actors. We discovered that any new partner for Ross had to be as funny as Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston. “Often, you can’t change an actor because of tight shooting deadlines or other logistical issues,” he said.

He added that “sometimes you start something with someone and it doesn’t work, so you have to get rid of that person. If it’s for a shoot, it’s an easy goodbye. The reverse is also true. If there’s chemistry, the writers get to work finding some way to keep the actor.”

The character of Baxendale first appeared in season 4 and appeared in a total of 14 episodes. Emily and Ross tied the knot in Season 5, but Friends fans will remember that their wedding was anything but a celebratory affair after, during the vows, Ross said Rachel’s name instead of hers . So Ross and Emily’s marriage didn’t last long.