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Friends remains one of the most beloved TV sitcoms of all time, even though the show has been off the air for two decades. Fans love the humor and outrageous storylines and appreciate the wide variety of guest stars, including legendary screen performers such as Reese Witherspoon and Tom Selleck. One particularly memorable guest star was one of the non-human variety. The first two seasons of Friends featured appearances from an adorable monkey named Marcel, who lived with Ross until the character had to rehome him. Behind the scenes, one monkey who played the role of Marcel didn’t get along well with actor David Schwimmer at all.

David Schwimmer didn’t like Marcel the monkey in ‘Friends’

friends marcel
(l-r) Katie/Monkey as Marcel, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in ‘Friends’ | NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Marcel the monkey makes multiple appearances throughout the first season of Friends, accompanying Ross to many events and gatherings. By the second season of the show, Ross explains that he has to rehome Marcel because the animal has reached maturity. In real life, however, Schwimmer and the animal, who was played by two different monkeys, Monkey and Katie, didn’t get along well at all, with Katie receiving the majority of Schwimmer’s ire.

“I hate the monkey. I wish it were dead,” Schwimmer once told Entertainment Weekly. “The trainers won’t let me bond with it. They’re really, really possessive. It’s like, ‘Land on your marks, do your job, don’t touch or bond with the monkey.’ It’s a bummer.” Over the years, Schwimmer has continuously slammed his experience working with Katie the monkey, and didn’t seem to be upset when it was time for the animal actor to move on to other projects. 

What did Katie the monkey’s trainer say about David Schwimmer?

As it turns out, the feeling was mutual. Mike Morris, Katie’s trainer, told The Sun that Katie didn’t care for Schwimmer much either, allegedly sensing some animosity from the star. “Schwimmer was fine with the monkeys for the first couple of episodes and happy to be there,” Morris said. “But people would laugh at the monkey, and I think he got jealous because it wasn’t him getting the laughs. He seemed to get a little bitter about them being there after that.” Ultimately, after appearing in a total of eight episodes, both Katie and Monkey left Friends.

Katie the monkey is still working in Hollywood

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While Monkey died a number of years ago, Katie the monkey has gone on to have an extremely successful career in the entertainment industry after she left the role of Marcel in Friends. According to a video from MsMojo YouTube channel, Katie has become one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and popular animal actors around, after making her debut in Friends so many years ago. Katie has her own IMDb page, which details her roles in shows such as Sam & Cat, 30 Rock, and The Loop. 

In recent years, Katie has also dabbled in the modeling world as well. According to Nicki Swift, Katie even posed with model Kendall Jenner for an Allure photoshoot in 2015. Even though Schwimmer doesn’t have anything good to say about Katie, there have been many industry insiders who have praised the monkey’s professionalism.

FX CEO John Landgraf, who worked on Friends back in the day, recognized Katie when she was recently cast on the FX drama series Y. “I recognize Jennifer Aniston, I recognize Courteney Cox and I recognize that monkey!” Landgraf told The Hollywood Reporter. “There’s nothing like a really experienced actor who knows how to hit their marks! She’s still as good!”

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