Jessica Hecht says she was in the running for Monica on ‘Friends’ but didn’t fit physically

Could you imagine heading up to apartment 20 at 485 Grove St., or maybe popping by at Central Perk, and seeing someone other than Courteney Cox in the role of Monica Geller?

Hello, are you there? Quick, huff on these smelling salts. We’re sorry to have sent you into a catatonic state. But the truth is that the cast of Friends did not just happen. It came about through a lengthy process that included some trial and error. And as actress Jessica Hecht, who later played Susan on the NBC sitcom, recently revealed to the good people at Parade, she was nearly cast in the primary role.

Though Hecht added that she now thinks she was “a total backup,” she then explained that she and the casting director, Ellie Kanner, were chums since high school, having grown up in a small town in Connecticut. When Hecht’s agent heard they were still reading people for the parts, she suggested that Hecht head over.

“I went in, mostly excited to see Ellie Kanner, and then they started to read me for Monica,” she recalled.

Obviously, she didn’t land the part, and as Hecht told it, “I think looking at me back then, I’m tall and I just had a bigger size than the rest. Now I look at it, and I think how perfect Courteney was, I would have been more of a Lisa [Kudrow], just physically and energetically.”

As is frequently the case, performers who do well in auditions often make their way into a series in supporting roles. Hecht made 13 appearances as Susan Bunch, the new partner of Ross’ (David Schwimmer) ex-wife Carol.

But Hecht had some criticism for the way the character developed.

“They just wanted a lesbian that didn’t look exactly like lesbians had previously, let’s be honest,” she said. “Use your imagination!” she joked. “They’re wonderful. They come in all sizes.”

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In another recent interview, Hecht admitted some relief that her character never grew into one of the lead roles.

“The responsibility of that is more than most people could manage,” she said.

“That show affecting so many people’s lives,” she added, “and the actors on that show affecting so many people’s lives … I watch it with awe, and I understand the need for that.”

Post-Friends, Hecht has worked in films directed by Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, and David Gordon Green, and had key roles on shows like Breaking Bad and Red Oaks. She’s also been nominated for three Tony Awards, including one just this year for her turn in the vaccination drama Eureka Day.

For 30 years, she has been married to Adam Bernstein, a director of film, television, and several legendary music videos like the iconic “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot, one of the 20th century’s most lasting works of art.