When you think of Friends, what moment pops into your head first? Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) endless will-they-won’t-they tension? Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler’s (Matthew Perry) unexpectedly sweet romance? Joey (Matt LeBlanc) shouting “Joey doesn’t share food”? Or Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) renaming herself Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock?
All great picks — but notice none of them involve Marcel the Monkey 🐒.
While Friends remains one of the most beloved sitcoms ever, not every storyline aged well. Marcel is the perfect example — a quirky addition that ended up dividing fans and the cast alike. The monkey appeared in eight episodes before being written off the show entirely, marking one of the strangest (and most frustrating) chapters in Friends history.
Who Was Marcel the Monkey on Friends?
Marcel was Ross’s pet monkey introduced in Season 1 of Friends. He adored the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” — even figuring out how to turn on Ross’s stereo to play it — and, as you’d expect from a monkey, brought total chaos to the apartment.
He first appeared in “The One With the Monkey,” and quickly became the center of several episodes. In “The One Where the Monkey Gets Away,” Rachel loses him while babysitting, sending everyone on a frantic search before animal control catches the illegal exotic pet. Later, in “The One With the Fake Monica,” Marcel reaches maturity, forcing Ross to give him up to a zoo for proper care.
Marcel made one last appearance in Season 2’s “The One With the Superbowl,” where it’s revealed that he’s now a movie star — his fame hilariously compared to Cybill Shepherd’s. It’s a bizarre but fitting send-off, giving Ross’s mischievous sidekick a Hollywood ending.
Still, Marcel was never really loved by fans — or even the cast. His chaotic presence often stole focus from the six friends, disrupting the show’s grounded charm. After all, Friends was about twenty-somethings navigating life and love — and somehow, Ross owning a monkey felt like a midlife crisis no one asked for.
The Cast of Friends Hated Working With Marcel the Monkey
While Friends was still finding its rhythm in the early seasons, one thing became clear fast — Marcel wasn’t helping. Fans weren’t the only ones who disliked Ross’s pet monkey; the Friends cast, especially David Schwimmer, had a tough time working with him.
During the Friends reunion, Schwimmer shared that, although he loves animals, acting alongside Marcel was frustrating:
“I have nothing against animals, I’m an animal lover. However, the monkey had to hit its mark perfectly, and when it didn’t, it messed up the timing for everyone else.”
Even after Marcel’s final appearance in Season 2, Schwimmer’s real-life feelings seemed to sneak into the show. In Season 6’s “The One With The Unagi,” Ross jokes, “Remember when I had a monkey? What was I thinking?” — a line that feels a little too real. Marcel gets one last mention in Season 7, when Joey teases Ross about sharing a bed with the monkey, and Ross snaps back, “Leave Marcel out of this!”
Whether you loved or hated Marcel, there’s no denying he’s a quirky part of Friends history — a reminder of the show’s early, experimental days. Looking back, though, it’s clear that Friends didn’t need a scene-stealing monkey to become one of the greatest sitcoms ever. ✨
