Friends reunion: Why didn’t Paul Rudd come to the reunion special?

The Friends Reunion Special is finally available to watch on HBO Max and it’s all anyone can talk about right now on social media. Throughout the nearly two-hour-long special, we saw the core six “friends” reunite to reminisce and discuss the show and its enduring legacy.

Several cast members, some of who appeared on the show and some who didn’t, appeared during the show, too, but there were a few glaring omissions. Why didn’t Cole Sprouse, Sean Penn or Christina Applegate make appearances?

But out of all the absences, the most glaring seemed to be Paul Rudd’s. The Marvel star previously appeared on 17 episodes of Friends as Phoebe’s boyfriend and eventual husband, Mike Hannigan. And considering how beloved Rudd is an actor, his character is considered a fan-favorite with many fans loving the pairing of him with Phoebe.

If you look on Twitter, many people are, understandably, disappointed by Rudd’s absence from the show, but there are a few different factors at play.

Friends reunion: Paul Rudd doesn’t think he was an important part of the show

Per Bustle, Rudd has previously downplayed his involvement with the show, calling his arc as Mike a mere “blip” in the show’s ten-season run. He told Variety that the show was about the main cast and that he wasn’t really as relevant as the rest.

"“I was only in it for just a blip. I felt, ‘I’m like a prop on this show. It’s not about Mike Hannigan.’ But there’s a very interesting feeling to be a part of something that has that kind of profound impact on pop culture.”"

While that might be partly true, fans would probably beg to differ. Mike did marry one of the main characters after all.

Paul Rudd has appeared on other reunion specials

It’s also a little surprising Rudd couldn’t at least dial in via Zoom since we know he’s not opposed to reunion specials. He previously reprised his role as Andy in Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer sequel series that focused on the characters from the original 2001 film.

It could be argued that Andy was a main character and that’s why he appeared in the two-season show. But what about his role as Bobby Newport in Parks and Recreation? Rudd only appeared in five episodes of the NBC sitcom yet made time to film a cameo for the 2020 cast reunion.

Paul Rudd’s current filming schedule was probably the main reason he didn’t appear on the Friends reunion

That said, there is no reason to believe that Rudd has any negative feelings toward Friends or the cast. The most likely reason for his absence is likely due to his filming schedule. As Bustle pointed out, Rudd has a full plate right now and is reportedly filming the Ant-Man threequel,  Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is rumored to release in February 2023.

He is also set to star in the Apple TV+ series The Shrink Next Door, reprise his role as Scott Lang in Marvel’s animated series What If…?  and his film Ghostbusters: Afterlife is also finally set to release later this year.

The Friends reunion special is now available to stream on HBO Max.