Two decades ago, Bruce Willis appeared in three episodes of the iconic series ‘Friends’ and was not paid a single dollar for his work! Yes, you read that right Zero Dollar! Now, how is it possible that an actor so famous in Hollywood works for free on one of the most popular series in television history? All because of a bet with Matthew Perry, the actor who played ‘Chandler’ in the famous sitcom.
An unforgettable cameo: Bruce Willis as ‘Paul Stevens’ in ‘Friends’
‘Friends’, considered one of the best series of all time, attracted a number of actors who made special appearances. Actors such as Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Sean Penn and George Clooney joined the cast in the episode that will go down in history. however, Bruce Willis’s appearance in Season 6, where he brought life to ‘Paul Stevens’, the father of one of ‘Ross’ (David Schwimmer) students, was one of the most successful.
The storyline of ‘Paul Stevens’ and his relationship with ‘Ross’ and ‘Rachel’ (Jennifer Aniston) generated great anticipation among viewers for several episodes. In fact, Willis’ character gave us a memorable monologue in front of the mirror before his date with ‘Rachel’. However, despite standing out in the series, Bruce Willis did not receive any financial compensation for his participation in ‘Friends’ after he lost a bet against Matthew Perry.
False Appearance: The film that defined Bruce Willis’ fate in Friends
During the filming of the comedy “False Appearance” in 1999, the “Chandler” performer, starring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, was buoyed by the film’s success, Willis with a long-winded bet that if ‘False Appearance’ reaches No. 1 at the box office, Bruce Willis will appear in ‘Friends,’ but he will not be paid at all.
Bets were on the table, and Bruce Willis’ fate in ‘Friends’ depended on the reception of ‘False Appearance’ in movie theaters. And Luck thus played in favor of Perry, as the film was a huge success upon its release in February 2000., topped the US box office for three consecutive weeks. Because of this, Demi Moore’s ex was forced to fulfill his part of the deal and accept the role of ‘Paul Stevens’ in ‘Friends’, although it was always rumored that he really enjoyed the experience and Did not feel like working ” free ” in this series.
Despite the fact that Matthew Perry’s stipulation specified that Bruce Willis would not receive a single dollar for his part in ‘Friends’, the fact is that he received a salary from the producers due to union issues. Even then, The actor decided to donate the money he received to various charities, so he finally kept his word and received no financial compensation for this work.
