More so than most major TV shows of its era, Friends lives on as a high water mark in the sitcom genre, remaining just as popular today as it had in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Of course, one notable reason for its favorable legacy has to do with the inherent chemistry and buoyant comedic styles of its central cast, paving the way to plenty of standout moments in the course of Friends‘ 10 seasons on NBC.
As many funny moments as the series has seen over the years, one notable scene that stands out for two of Friends‘ most celebrated cast members involves a less than impressive performance with Scotland’s most notorious musical instrument in the season 7 episode, “The One With Joey’s New Brain.”
In a conversation for Variety earlier this year, Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow both discussed the infamous scene which saw David Schwimmer’s Ross attempt to play the bagpipes, a moment both actresses remember as particularly difficult to film owing to their constant laughter.
“All of us were cracking up, including me,” Kudrow said, discussing the scene.
“Nothing funnier,” Aniston confidently agreed.
Further adding to Schwimmer’s bagpipes, Kudrow said the scene got all the funnier when her character Phoebe attempted to join by singing along with the bagpipes, leading her to poorly recreate the instrument with her voice.
“You just sang it like the sound of those awful bagpipes,” Aniston recalled, laughing.
Expanding on the scene, the two co-stars said they remembered trying to hide their facial expressions to avoid ruining the take, but that they nevertheless had difficulty hiding their smiles from the camera.
“I was the worst,” Kudrow said. “When I watch it, I’m just like, ‘Oh, I’m laughing. I’m fully laughing.'”
“I know, I know,” Aniston agreed, laughing. “Well, it was funny, man.”