Friends: Julia Roberts made Matthew Perry ‘write a paper on quantum physics’ before agreeing to guest role

A-list actor featured in the 1996 episode ‘The One After the Superbowl’

The co-creator of Friends has revealed that Julia Roberts only agreed to appear on the series after making Matthew Perry write a paper on quantum physics.

Roberts made a sensational appearance on the hit sitcom in 1996 as a former classmate of Chandler Bing (Perry), in the two-part episode “The One After the Superbowl”.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter to mark the 25th anniversary of the episode’s airing, writer Kevin Bright revealed the lengths the show’s staff went to to organise the A-list guest star.

“Getting Julia Roberts was incredibly exciting,” said the show’s other creator, Marta Kauffman. “We knew she would have the right touch for it. And when she said yes, it was pretty awesome.”

“Do you know the story of how we got her?” Bright asked. “Matthew [Perry] asked her to be on the show.

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“She wrote back to him, ‘Write me a paper on quantum physics and I’ll do it.’ My understanding is that Matthew went away and wrote a paper and faxed it to her the next day.”

The cast of Friends are set to appear in an unscripted reunion special, which will debut on the HBO Max streaming service in the US later this year.