Mr. Heckles actor reveals story behind Friends reunion episode

While the 2021 Friends: The Reunion was one of the most celebrated and glorified reunions of any American 90s sitcom cast, with the gang appearing together on television after the 2005 finale, one cast member felt particularly disrespected and unwanted during the event.

Unsurprisingly, fans of NBC's most successful sitcom to date, Friends, had one demand: for the cast members to reunite one last time. However, it wasn't what hardcore fans expected since the stars refused to reprise their roles for anything planned. The cast participated in a televised reunion special, reminiscing about their favorite moments from all those years ago.

The reunion special that premiered on HBO Max last year in May featured the six main actors: Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow. There were guest appearances by showstoppers Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, among others, as well.

Another guest appearance that fans did not expect was that of Larry Hankin, who played Mr. Heckles and appeared in a total of five episodes until his character was killed off during the second season.

Shockingly, Hankin disclosed quite unsettling and disappointing behind-the-scenes information related to the reunion.

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How was Larry Hankin's Friends: The Reunion experience?

Reportedly, in a virtual interview, Friends star Larry Hankin (Mr. Heckles) revealed that on the set of Friends: The Reunion, he faced unfair treatment.

During the interview, Hankin stated that he felt unwanted and assumed that the producers did not want him around for the special reunion when asked about his participation and appearance at the special event.

Giving it deep thought, he figured that the reason for the producers not wanting him was their desire to only have prominent stars. Claiming so, he further explained that the individuals working on the reunion were not a part of the hit show all those years ago and therefore were not familiar with him. He also asserted that the creators did not feel obligated to include him.

Hankin continued by saying that he remembered the producers contacting him at the last moment to attend the reunion special with a financial deal that he felt was not sufficient.

Despite the actor's initial rejection of the offer, the team eventually called back and extended a better deal, which he accepted. Nevertheless, the partial treatment and disrespect came as a shock to him when he arrived on the set.

Claiming that he wasn't authorized to meet the rest of the Friends cast, recalling the moment, Hankin revealed:

"They wouldn’t let me talk to anybody. And they sent me to a dressing room upstairs and said, 'Go there and wait [until] we ask you to come down and be there on the show.'"

The star even claimed that he was prevented from watching the show and was sent away immediately after the completion of his part. Disheartened and angry, Larry Hankin said:

"So I am really angry at the people who produced the Friends reunion."

The team for the special reunion consisted of Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane, who served as producers for the original NBC show. They reprised their roles for the special event. On the other hand, Ben Winston, who was not a part of the initial series, acted as a producer and director for the reunion.

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Larry Hankin's Mr. Heckles was Rachel and Monica's rude and creepy downstairs neighbor. The 80-year-old actor's character was known as "Old Man Heckles" and appeared on the show in only five episodes, leaving his mark on all Friends' fans.