Mates had fairly a number of A-list visitor stars in its time, together with Brad Pitt, George Clooney (principally half the forged of Ocean’s Eleven), Bruce Willis, Susan Sarandon and the checklist goes on. Amongst these wonderful names was Brooke Shields, who was completely unhinged as Joey Tribbiani’s stalker Erika in “The One After the Tremendous Bowl: Half 1.” The actress has been within the information recently for broaching some large matters in her highly effective new documentary, Fairly Child: Brooke Shields, together with that iconic hand-licking scene. She’s additionally since opened up extra about how indignant her then-partner Andre Agassi was about it.
Brooke Shields ‘Begged’ The Showrunners To Maintain The Licking In The Scene
“The One After The Tremendous Bowl: Half 1” aired in 1996 following, you guessed it, the Tremendous Bowl. Joey (Matt LeBlanc) began getting hand-delivered letters from a stalker who believed his Days of Our Lives character Dr. Drake Ramoray was actual. The total scope of her mania actually got here out when the 2 have been out for dinner (due to course Joey went on a date along with his stalker). Mates’ showrunners have been apparently apprehensive at first about Brooke Shields taking her efficiency to 11 the way in which she did, because the actress recalled to the New Yorker:
And I throw my head again on this cackle. We had carried out it in rehearsal, and so they stated, ‘It’s too loopy. Don’t do it.’ And I begged for it. ‘It’s so humorous. It simply makes her crazier. And she or he’s fairly, so she wants to actually be loopy.’ And so they have been, like, ‘No, no.’ We did the primary take, and it was superb. After which the second take, they scream, ‘Shields! Put it again in!’ Impulsively, the power modified, and all these males in fits began coming into the studio. The subsequent day, I used to be requested if I needed to do my very own tv present.
Community execs apparently had their eyes opened to Brooke Shields’ comedy prowess, and that became Immediately Susan, which aired for 4 seasons on NBC.
The actress additionally revealed the humorous trade she and Matt LeBlanc had earlier than filming that career-altering second, recalling:
Within the scene, I’m alleged to lick Joey’s fingers, as a result of they’re the fingers of a genius, and I need to devour them, and I’m a nut. He was cute—he was, like, ‘I’ve washed my fingers and so they’re all clear.’ I used to be, like, ‘I had a mint!’
Some visitor stars could have been terrified to movie alongside the celebs of the preferred sitcom of its time, however Brooke Shields fought for what she knew the scene wanted and even introduced a mint to a hand-licking scene. What a professional.
Andre Agassi Had An Over-The-Prime Response To Watching Her Movie That Scene
It might have been an enormous profession second for Brooke Shields, however it additionally induced some turmoil in her relationship with Andre Agassi, who apparently didn’t admire seeing Shields act in such a method with Matt LeBlanc. Shields recalled:
Andre was within the viewers supporting me, and he stormed out. He stated, ‘Everyone’s making enjoyable of me. You made a idiot of me by that habits.’ I’m, like, ‘It’s comedy! What’s the matter with you?’ I discovered later that he was hooked on crystal meth at that time, in order that irrational habits I’m positive had one thing to do with that.
Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi, who have been married from 1997 to 1999, have each spoken in regards to the tennis icon’s drug dependancy of their respective books, even mentioning this particular occasion on the set of Mates.
Andre Agassi Broke His Tennis Trophies After Brooke Defend’s Hand-Licking Scene
In his 2009 autobiography Open (through USA TODAY (opens in new tab)) Andre Agassi opened up in regards to the incident, wherein he stated he broke all of his tennis trophies, one after the other, after he returned house from the Mates set and ripped aside the partitions. He stated within the e book:
After all I’ve watched Brooke kiss males onstage earlier than. […] That is totally different. That is over the road. I don’t fake to know the place the road is, however hand licking is unquestionably over it.
That’s a fairly excessive — and really scary — response to somebody simply doing their job as an actress, and it’s unlucky that such a enjoyable scene and vital second in Brooke Shields’ profession was tainted.
Luckily for us, although, we will relive that scene and all of our favourite Mates moments, with all 10 seasons accessible to stream with an HBO Max subscription. Fairly Child: Brooke Shields will probably be accessible to stream with a Hulu subscription on April 3.
