One of ‘Friends’ Most Impactful Characters Was Only in Nine Episodes

The Big Picture

• Dr. Richard Burke, played by Tom Selleck, made a lasting impact on
  Friends
  despite only appearing in 10 episodes.
• Richard displays maturity in his relationship with Monica, though they struggle with the age gap.
• Chandler’s insecurities about Richard drove comedic jealousy and growth, culminating in Monica and Chandler’s strong relationship.

Ten seasons of Friends means there are countless guest stars to choose from that have wandered their way into the main social circle, but one was extra impactful. So much so, even when they weren’t on-screen, their name could instantly send Chandler (Matthew Perry) into a jealous fit, delivering laughs from the studio audience. That is none other than Dr. Richard Burke (Tom Selleck), the “McDreamy” of ophthalmology, a special guest star who wasn’t supposed to be featured for as long as he did. But in his episodes, he gave insight into the various members of the friend group. There are questionable ideas behind his arc, but to the show’s credit, and with Selleck’s performance, he is part of the sitcom’s legacy despite appearing ten times in the show’s 200-plus episodes.

The One Where Monica Dated Richard

There have been many good and bad times shared on the couch in Central Perk and many more over in the East Village apartments across the hall from one another. A good chunk of those are due to the friends’ dating life, and a significant moment for Monica (Courteney Cox) was when she got together with Richard, a connection neither of them expected. A Friends fan might still wonder if Monica should have ended up with the charming eye doctor. On The Kelly Clarkson Show, Selleck talked about his time on the series, opening up on how scared he was about accepting the love interest role, which the cast helped him overcome by making him feel welcome on set. He also talked about how the guest role was originally for three episodes, which, to his surprise, got expanded, giving more time to highlight two characteristics that made Richard catch Moncia’s eye: his maturity and, quite instantly, how handsome he is.

When Richard appears in “The One Where Ross And Rachel… You Know,” he arrives to applause from the studio audience, recognizing Selleck from Magnum P.I., and helping Richard’s grand entrance is his suave tux and his clean, distinguished mustache. Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) says it best, “It’s James Bond.” As Monica and Richard get close, they know their biggest hurdle is their 21-year age gap. There is a lot of history and experience gained in that time, as Richard is divorced and has been a family friend of the Gellers since Monica was a kid. The show seems to forget this last plot point, as the writers hardly do much with it in “The One Where Joey Moves Out,” when Monica reveals to her parents about who she’s seeing.

The Geller parents, known for their bluntness, don’t get enough screen time for their reactions. They’re shocked and upset at first but ultimately accept it with relative ease. Richard’s friendship with them doesn’t change. It’s too easy, but an unflinching discussion about whether the Geller parents saw Richard and Monica’s relationship as appropriate was never going to happen. Friends has emotional moments, but it never touches on serious topics like other sitcoms, such as what The Golden Girls did a decade earlier, featuring episodes on racism and the LGBTQ community. The Friends showrunners might have even regretted putting in the tidbit of Richard knowing Monica as a child, as it was left behind to focus on their romance.

Ross and Rachel Had More Drama Than Richard and Monica

In “The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies,” two couples get into a discussion over their individual sexual history, a perfect example of how this sitcom can build jokes out of how opposite the pairings are. In this case, Ross (David Schwimmer) gets jealous upon hearing about Rachel’s past, especially when she doesn’t consider themselves having wild “animal sex.” Meanwhile, Richard opens up to Monica about his low number of partners, namely her and his ex-wife, leading to an honest conversation. Laughs come from watching Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Monica fight over who got the last condom, seemingly because in this version of NYC, there aren’t late-night convenience stores. It might be hectic and ridiculous in Rachel’s bedroom, contrasting with the next room, where it’s sweet and thoughtful.

In bringing up Dr. Burke’s low number of women compared to Monica’s higher count of men shows how these two people from different generations can find common ground. Richard married his high school sweetheart, while Monica hasn’t settled down yet, but they talk it out, eventually resolving with the two admitting they’re falling in love with each other. By the next appearance, Tom Selleck got to integrate further among the ensemble, a smart move on Friends’ part to see the chemistry that Selleck and Cox shared wasn’t the only way to make his character simmer with charisma, it was from how he interacted with the cast too.

Joey and Chandler Never Had the Perfect Dad

“The One Where Old Yeller Dies” explores a different dynamic when Richard hangs out with Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler, who bring him to a Knicks game. Joey and Chandler view him as a “cool dad,” something that isn’t a compliment for Richard, believing he could tag along as “one of the guys.” How Joey and Chandler view him is a sign of the past troubles they never got over with their fathers. While the episode doesn’t dig into this, it’s not hard to see.

In Season 1, Joey learns his father (Robert Costanzo) is having an affair, then finds out his mother believes the infidelity is helping their marriage. These revelations don’t sit well with poor Joey. But he lets it go, seeing how his mom is content. Mr. Tribbianni was never the ideal male role model his son needed, possibly explaining why Joey’s dating life isn’t the healthiest. Then Chandler, in what becomes a long-running storyline, has him deal with his drag queen parent who headlines “Viva Las Gay-gas.” This gag frequently turns homophobic and transphobic. Even worse, the show never really figured out if the character was gay or trans.

Joey and Chandler get some healing regarding their estranged parents, but it’s no surprise how they idolize the laid-back Richard Burke. They concentrate on the surface-level stuff, smoking a cigar or trying to grow a mustache like their new “cool dad,” as these younger guys fail to look beyond Richard’s age and see him as an equal. This episode is also an important one that Tom Selleck has fond memories of behind the scenes, where Matthew Perry helped him get comfortable on set. Like how Richard was the oldest in the friend group, Selleck was the oldest actor among the cast and found a way to ease the divide by chatting with Perry about his father, an actor Selleck had known for years.

Tom Selleck Needed Matthew Perry’s Help on a Joke

One of the best results of Perry and Selleck’s relationship is in “The One Where Old Yeller Dies,” during the scenes where Richard gets close to Joey and Chandler. One joke caused Selleck problems, as his character tried to beat them in a foosball game. When he wins, he matches how Chandler would deliver a sarcastic line, saying, “Could that shot be any prettier?” Selleck turned to Perry to figure out how to say it and figured Perry knew he was overthinking it, but the late actor helped him each time, and Selleck always appreciated that.

Richard’s time ends when he and Monica break up, realizing they don’t want the same future. The goodbye wouldn’t last, however. Like Monica, the show couldn’t let go of Dr. Burke, having them meet again to hook up. And when that ended, Friends kept mentioning Richard here and there, which would cause a big problem later. While Selleck and Perry had a good relationship off-screen, their on-screen characters developed a rivalry.

Richard’s Name Was Enough To Keep His Character Memorable

Monica had a tough time getting over the hunky eye doctor, leading to causing mistakes on her journey. She got into his voice messaging box and accidentally left her own as the greeting. She dated Richard’s son in a very bad decision. Then Monica falls for Chandler, who, like Richard, she didn’t expect to get into a relationship with. From this, the series found a new way to bring in her ex, not forgetting how hard it was for Monica to get over him after their last farewell.

Richard’s name has a power of all its own, dampening Chandler and Monica’s first anniversary of dating when she admits she had lunch with him, setting off Chandler’s jealousy, but she did so to confirm that her feelings for him are gone. Which they are. That didn’t stop Chandler from times when he couldn’t help but unleash his insecurities. “If I won $5000, I’d join a gym,” he tells Joey, “You know, build up my upper body and hit Richard from behind with a stick!” While Tom Selleck didn’t show up, he didn’t need to. Chandler was his own worst enemy and needed to work on it. It would be better said than done. Friends finally brought Tom Selleck back when Chandler and Monica were close to getting engaged, turning Richard into “the other man.”

The show did love adding obstacles in the way of its couples. In “The One with the Proposal,” the biggest obstacle is Richard trying to win Monica back, promising her the future she wanted for them. Chandler barges into his apartment, knowing Monica has been there by seeing the evidence: a drink on a coaster. At this point, Chandler understands her obsessions and loves her for them. Richard sees how much the couple means to each other and steps back. Sure, he did step in to cause a problem, but it helped viewers understand Monica and Chandler were endgame. It also gives Selleck a dramatic scene where his tall frame is shrunken as he sits down, deflated from his disappointment and sadness at seeing Monica as the one who got away. This was a bump in the road that Monica and Chandler needed so they could both know they wanted the same future.

Chandler Had To Grow Out of His Insecurities

Friends couldn’t help but add an extra mention of Richard, stretching thin how many times the show could bring him up with a good enough purpose. In Season 9, Chandler snoops around Richard’s apartment when it goes for sale, finding a sex tape with Monica’s name. It ends up being a sex video Richard taped over with a football game and then with an encounter with another girlfriend. It’s a weird storyline, which isn’t new to Friends, but it does bring the point home that Chandler needs to realize how Monica has truly moved on. By the series finale, the two are ready to start a new chapter together, their relationship in a stronger place from what they’ve been through, Richard-centric issues, and others.

Tom Selleck’s performance alone could always ensure viewers were in awe of him, as Monica and her friends could be. Maybe, in a “what if?” scenario, Monica and Richard were able to make things work out, finding ways to be happy with what the other wanted in their relationship. Even without this, the sitcom knew how important Richard could be, whether to add some drama or laughs to the episodes. Ten appearances were short, but more than enough time to recognize Dr. Richard Burke as one of the most charming characters on Friends and helped the group grow into better people, though Chandler would disagree.

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