The Actress Who Almost Got Replaced on Friends James Burrows, the director of Friends, recently revealed in his memoir, Directed By James Burrows, that actress Helen Baxendale, who portrayed Ross Geller's love interest Emily in seasons four and five, was almost removed from the show. Burrows claimed that Baxendale lacked chemistry with her co-star David Schwimmer, which made it difficult for their characters to connect on screen.

According to Burrows, Schwimmer "had no one to bounce off," and it felt like "clapping with one hand."

Burrows also mentioned that Baxendale was "nice, but not particularly funny" compared to Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel Green, who had a famous will-they-won't-they relationship with Ross. He emphasized that in sitcoms and romantic comedies, the actors' comedic skills are just as essential as their chemistry.

Burrows realized that any new girlfriend for Ross needed to be as funny as Rachel in order to work on the show. Despite these creative hesitations, Burrows decided to keep Baxendale on the show due to tight deadlines.

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