How 'Friends' star Dermot Mulroney's brief appearance as Gavin Mitchell left lasting impression on fans
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The NBC sitcom 'Friends' was perhaps the best of its kind when it was at the height of its success. Only a select few actors were given the chance to join the ensemble cast, but many more actors also had the good fortune to play guests over the years.
Kristin Davis of 'Sex and the City' appeared in just one episode. Some, like Davis, are fortunate enough to be able to look back on their brief stays with fondness. On the contrary, Lauren Tom was heckled by the live audience, who apparently did not enjoy her character's romantic relationship with David Schwimmer's Ross Geller. Dermot Mulroney from 'Young Guns' was another actor who had the opportunity to make a guest appearance on 'Friends,' per The Things.
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How Gavin Mitchell became one of the most liked characters
Dermot Mulroney is best recognized for his roles in the movies 'My Best Friend's Wedding' and 'August: Osage County.' Mulroney joined the cast of 'Friends' quite late in the run of the program; he played Gavin Mitchell in just three episodes of the ninth season. Gavin was Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) coworker who handled her job role while she was on maternity leave, with the onscreen duo fighting over the same.
Gavin quickly gained popularity as a 'Friends' character owing to his sharp wit and sense of humor, which let Rachel fall in love with him right after their heated first encounter. The connection between Mulroney's character and Rachel functioned as a particularly entertaining sub-plot in the episodes that were popular.
Mulroney has publicly disclosed that he declined the chance to shoot three additional episodes because of schedule conflicts. Despite his brief appearance, Mulroney's Gavin has become one of the most adored guest actors on the series thanks to 'Friends' long-running success over the years.
Dermot Mulroney reunites with Courteney Cox
Mulroney opened up about reuniting with Courteney Cox in 'Scream 6' after the two of them co-starred on 'Friends.' In the sixth entry of the slasher series, Mulroney plays Detective Bailey. Cox will reprise her role as Gale Weathers, a recurring character who has appeared in all five previous Scream films, in 'Scream 6,' which is this time set in New York City.
Mulroney said that seeing his old co-star again was "so fun," and the two agreed after talking about it that Mulroney's three 'Friends' episodes were among the greatest of the entire run. The actor then reflected on how strange it had been to collaborate once again after all these years.
Mulroney said, "It was so fun to talk to Courteney because I appeared with her on Friends. We together decided that the three episodes that I did were by far the most favorite of all the series, which seems weird that we’d then be in a movie together and get to talk about that. But it’s amazing," as per Parade.
'Who the f** is Gavin?'
After 'Friends' began to stream on Netflix, Mulroney recently opened up about how he began to be recognized by younger viewers, "I was suddenly being shouted at on the street, 'Hey Gavin!' and I'm like, 'Who the f*** is Gavin?'" he exclaimed as per Wired. He added, "I'm being stopped in the street being called 'Gavin'. I didn't even know who Gavin was till I figured it out."
