Eagle-eyed 'Friends' fans are noticing iconic characters being replaced by random actors on the show
- Someone recently pointed out how Ross' dad was replaced by a random actor on a "Friends" episode.
- This isn't the first time a "Friends" fan flagged a continuity error related to stand-in actors.
- The show's been remastered to be wider, so viewers can now see things they weren't meant to.
As "Friends" continues to be a hit with streaming platforms and cable reruns, fans are pointing out some continuity errors that haven't been spotted before.
Most recently, an eagle-eyed fan on TikTok drew attention to a season-eight scene where Ross' dad is briefly replaced by a stranger in glasses.
On 'The One in Massapequa,' Ross' dad is suddenly replaced with someone else
On "The One in Massapequa," Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller's (Courteney Cox) parents, Judy (Christina Pickles) and Jack Geller (Elliott Gould), host an anniversary party.
As TikTok user @bronniiieee pointed out, in one scene, someone with glasses can be seen holding Gould's place during Jack and Judy's conversation with Ross and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston).
"In all my 'Friends' fan years how have I never noticed this guy before?" she wrote on the video of the moment.
The actor appears to be a stand-in, which is a term for someone who serves as a body double or substitute for a star prior to filming. Stand-ins typically help with camera and lighting setup or shots where an actor doesn't necessarily need to be fully on-screen.
It's unclear who the stand-in actor is or if he has appeared on other episodes, though fans commented that he resembled Eugene Levy from "Schitt's Creek."
This isn't the first actor replacement fans have noticed - and it likely has to do with how the show's been remastered
Instances like these have become pretty frequent since the show was remastered several years ago, and it's likely tied to how much screens and streaming have changed since the sitcom aired in the 1990s.
As reported by Tasha Hegarty for Digital Spy, the series' HD remastered versions feature a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is much wider than the 4:3 format the episodes were originally edited to be broadcast in.
This wider aspect ratio means viewers can now view things they were never supposed to see, like stand-in actors who were once off-screen.
In recent years, viewers spotted a stand-in for Rachel behind Joey (Matt LeBlanc) during season nine's "The One With the Mugging."
There's even a stand-in Monica talking to Phoebe on the famous Central Perk couch on season eight's "The One With Rachel's Date."
Emily (Helen Baxendale) also became someone else entirely as Ross chased her through the airport during season five.
And as fans stream the decades-old series wider than ever before, they may notice even more stand-ins taking the place of iconic characters on the sides of the screen.
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