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'Friends: The Reunion': Where is Paul Rudd? Fans miss his Mike, ask why Justin Bieber was invited and not him

Paul Rudd played Mike in the iconic show but didn't get a cameo in the reunion and fans aren't happy

For the most part, fanatics were overjoyed that HBO Max brought together one of the most loved, awarded, and storied ensemble cast in sitcom history back. 'Friends: The Reunion' gave the show's fans a chance to see their favorite characters in one room after 17 years. The ravaging pandemic couldn't stop it. Not that anyone's complaining.

However, there were a few almost-main characters who were notably missing from the guest list. Richard (Tom Selleck), Janice (Maggie Wheeler), and even Larry Hankin (Mr. Heckles) appeared in the special episode but Paul Rudd and Cole Sprouse sat this one out with no fault of their own.

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Rudd's Mike Hannigan was introduced in Season nine, the third episode titled 'The One With The Pediatrician', in which Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) and Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) make a pact to find each other dates. While she keeps hers, Joey blissfully forgets to look for a date for Phoebe. He chooses Mike randomly from the crowd seated at Central Perk. All four go on a date, which was when Phoebe finds out that Joey had been lying about Mike. However, later Mike is able to convince Phoebe for a second date and that is how their story begins. By the end of the tenth season, the two are married.

Director Ben Winston, during a chat with The Wrap, revealed the real reason why some of the actors had to be dropped from the list. And let's be honest, the man had a point. "Well, we couldn’t have everybody on, because it’s only an hour and 45 minutes. And you’ve got to pay attention — the main nub of the show has got to be about the six cast members," he explained and added: "So you can’t have too many cameos because of course, there were hundreds of amazing people who were in ‘Friends’ over the years. Sadly, we couldn’t get everybody in."

He said the same ahead of the special when BTS ARMY went on overdrive while anticipating their favorite boy band's appearance. Like most celebrities, the K-pop group's special segment lasted for about twenty seconds. Meanwhile, fans are disappointed that Rudd went missing from the mega event.

"Can someone pls explain why Paul Rudd wasn't even mentioned is this reunion #FriendsReunion," a user tweeted, while another shared: "Just watched the #FriendsReunion, was so good! But I have one question. WHERE WAS PAUL RUDD."

"How they invited Justin Bieber and not Paul Rudd is beyond me #FriendsReunion," a third commented. "Friends reunion was better than I thought its going to be but I'm still mad that Paul Rudd wasn't there as a visitor. Whyyy? #FriendsReunion," a fan posted.

Rudd will be next seen in Apple TV's 'The Shrink Next Door', 'What if...?', and reprise the role of Scott Lang in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania', which will release only in 2023.

'Friends: The Reunion' can be streamed on HBO Max.