Actress Jessica Hecht, who portrays the brilliant Susan Bunch inFriends, has recently reflected on her time on the show. Even more than 20 years aftertheFriendsseries finale, Hecht’sSusan is well-remembered as a co-parent to Ben and the partner of Ross’ ex-wife, Carol.While Susan is depicted as the bad guy in Ross’ story, audiences love her sharp tongue, wit, and commitment to Carol despite her ex-husband’s erratic behavior.
However, Susan is primarily a supporting character and never becomes a lead, something that Hecht is “grateful”for upon reflection. While speaking toPeople, the actress discussed her time working onFriends, especially how the success of the show caused multiple other performers’ careers to skyrocket. Looking back, Hecht now “watch[es] it with awe,” especially aswhen the show first aired, she didn’t believeFriendswould become as impactful as it is now.See Hecht’s full comment below:
“I don’t watch things that I’ve made more than just to say, ‘Oh God, okay.' That show affecting so many people’s lives and the actors on that show affecting so many people’s lives … I watch it with awe, and I understand the need for that … I’m also grateful that I wasn’t a lead character in many ways, because the responsibility of that is more than most people could manage… the fact that they were each unique within that beautiful cluster was truly an accomplishment.”
What This Means For Friends' Legacy
Susan Being A Supporting Character Helped Hecht’s Career
Throughoutall 10 seasons ofFriends, the main characters are the focal point. There are several other supporting characters like Susan, including both her wife and son, but the main group are always at the forefront of the story.Carol isn’t integral, but she provides plenty of brilliant moments,and this has worked in Hecht’s favor, ultimately.Friends’ legacy doesn’t change because Susan is a supporting character, but Hecht’s comments do.
The actress is able to realize just how muchFriendshas helped boost her career, and reflect on her past attitude toward the show.Hecht speaks toPeopleabout how she continues to be “grateful that [she] wasn’t a lead character… because the responsibility of that is more than most people could manage.” She makes a good point, because theFriendscast did face a lot of pressure in the limelight, and if one had been unable to keep up with the others, the show might have seen a dip in quality eventually.
Our Take On Jessica Hecht Being Happy She Wasn’t Part Of The Main Friends Cast
If Hecht had been a part ofFriends’ main cast, she likely wouldn’t have taken on some of the other incredible dramatic roles in her filmography, like Gretchen Schwartz inBreaking Badand Michelle Pantsil inSuccession.
Hecht is also a celebrated Broadway actress,and has received multiple Tony Award nominations throughout her career, most recently for the 2025 playEureka Day, in which she portrayed Suzanne. The actress tellsPeopleabout the honor of being nominated:
“It’s very rare that anyone gets acknowledged in life for anything they do, so why should this be different? … I was very, very touched and excited that I can go to [the Tonys]."
Ultimately, as great as Hecht was and still is,Susan being a supporting character was for the best.Many stars fromthe greatest sitcoms of all timestruggle to break out of their characters’ archetypes, but by playing a supporting character, Hecht avoided this. While the actress will often be recognized asFriends’ Susan, she is just as renowned for her other roles, too.
