Courteney Cox ‘loved playing overweight Monica’ in Friends because she ‘felt free’

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Courteney Cox has spoken about how much she “loved playing overweight Monica” when she starred in Friends.

The actor wore a fat suit to play the beloved character in flashback episodes of the sitcom, which aired between 1994 and 2004.

Speaking in a new interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Cox said: “I loved playing overweight Monica because I felt so free. I could dance… like you [Ellen] and just sit up and dance and have no problem at all. I did love it. Those are really good episodes.”

Cox, who has been watching Friends while in lockdown, joked: “It’s really good, turns out… Thanksgiving episodes are my favourite.”

Friends has been criticised in recent years for perpetuating the image of overweight people as punchlines and nothing more.

DeGeneres herself nearly starred in Friends as Phoebe, but after she turned the role down it went to Lisa Kudrow.

Last month, it was revealed that the planned Friends reunion special won’t be available when HBO Max launches at the end of May as intended, due to coronavirus delays.