The acclaimed Italian actress Isabella Rossellini recently revealed she was initially hesitant about her memorable 1996 guest appearance on Friends, questioning whether she had enough name recognition to play herself on the hit sitcom.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rossellini expressed her surprise at being invited to appear as herself on the show. "I was surprised because at the time there weren't many foreign actors that were recognized in America," she explained.
The actress appeared in season three's "The One With Frank Jr." episode, where her character featured in a plot involving Ross Geller's list of celebrities he'd like to date. In a comedic twist, Ross had actually removed Rossellini from his list, reasoning she was frequently out of the country, only to encounter her at Central Perk coffee shop.
The scene culminated in a witty exchange where Rossellini, after learning she'd been replaced on Ross's list by Winona Ryder, revealed she too had a list of "five goofy coffeehouse guys" - and had coincidentally just removed Ross from it.
By the time of her Friends appearance, Rossellini had already established herself in Hollywood with notable roles in films like "Wild at Heart," "Wyatt Earp," and "Cousins." The actress currently stars in "Conclave," a papal election thriller featuring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci.
Despite her initial reservations about her fame level, Rossellini's self-deprecating performance became one of the show's memorable celebrity cameos, demonstrating both her comedic timing and ability to poke fun at herself.
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