Friends' Sneaky Secret: Genius Casting Move That Fooled Almost Everyone
The on-off relationship between Ross and Rachel was one of the stories that helped define Friends. Who could forget "We were on break" or "I got off the plane"?
But before they got together, both characters dated other people. And one of those who caught Rachel's eye (shortly after she'd had her first kiss with Ross but decided that was as far as that particular relationship was going) was Russ, a man who, according to the end credits, was played by 'Snaro'.
Russ came into Rachel's life shortly after she had been so close to dating Ross and was, as quickly identified by viewers and the other characters, as both looking and acting a lot like Ross.
Indeed audiences were pretty impressed with just how much Russ was like Ross. Or, to put it another way, how closely Snaro was able to mimic David Schwimmer 's acting.
That was until it was revealed that Snaro was, in fact, David Schwimmer.
Fans had been kept guessing for years, not just because the character was credited as being played by Snaro, but also because co-creator David Crane explained that Snaro was a friend of his from Croatia.
He never explained why Snaro had only one name, but he did manage to string people along and reinforce the doppelganger theory.
Which begs the question of why they felt the need to make up a name rather than just crediting Schwimmer with both roles. And the answer to that is pretty simple. Because that's what the actor wanted.
That, of course, raises another question: Why Snaro?
Schwimmer explained the origin of the name by saying it was a tribute to a friend of his as well as being his pseudonym of choice.
So, "The One With Russ" never really featured a Croatian David Schwimmer lookalike. It starred David Schwimmer as Ross and David Schwimmer with a bit of makeup and a wig on as Russ.
And if you watch back Russ's time on the show, the clues are there. Aside from the fact that alleged Snaro looked almost identical to David Schwimmer, there are a few moments when the actor's unmistakable voice breaks through.
Also, there's no hint of a Croatian accent. But perhaps most telling of all is the time that Ross and Russ spend on screen together.
When they're introduced to each other, the interaction where they tap each other with papers uses the age-old, 'back of the head of a different actor' tactic.
But the 'casting' certainly gave fans something to talk about for years after the episode aired.