Jessica Hecht Reveals She Auditioned to Play Monica on Friends Before Landing Role of Susan The Serendipitous Audition

Published: June 12, 2025

Hecht revealed that the audition for Monica came about in a serendipitous way. She knew the casting director from high school, who had sent her picture to the director for the role of Monica.

The Monica Role Goes to Courteney Cox

Of course, the role of Monica ended up going to Courteney Cox, and Hecht told Parade she thought of herself as "a total backup." Hecht was later cast as Susan, and ultimately appeared in more than a dozen episodes of the hit show, beginning in the second episode of season 1.

The Experience on Friends

Hecht shared that showrunners struggled with creating Susan's character. Carol and Susan's storyline as a couple, which included a wedding in the first episode of season 2, was one of the first portrayals of same-sex marriage on mainstream TV.

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Hecht's Thoughts on Monica

Hecht told Parade that she thought she would have been more of a Lisa Kudrow type, physically and energetically, if she had landed the role of Monica.

Hecht's Success on Broadway

Outside of Friends, Hecht has found success on Broadway. She was nominated for best leading actress in a play for her role in Eureka Day at the Tony Awards in June.

Hecht's Appreciation for Theater

"I love that I'm part of this community," she told PEOPLE about her appreciation for the theater ahead of the Tonys. "I think that's been my greatest sense of accomplishment, that I've stayed in this community my whole career. So I feel tremendous gratitude for that."