Friends fans know Ross, played by actor David Schwimmer. But only Friends superfans would know Russ. For those of you who failed Friends bar trivia, here’s a reminder. Russ is a man who dates Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston, for one episode. He appears in the aptly named episode “The One With Russ.” It was the tenth episode of Season 2, and aired on Jan. 4, 1996.
What’s funny about Russ is that he looks, well, exactly like Ross. looks like him, sounds like him, acts like him. He’s even a doctor, like Ross! Understandably, Ross hates all of this, and his jealousy around Russ rears its ugly head throughout the episode.
What happens in “The One With Russ?”
Throughout the episode, it’s obvious to everyone that this Russ character is no more than a doppelgänger of Ross. Ross calls Russ a “complete jerk,” and feels bereft that Rachel would date someone who could practically be his identical twin, but won’t date him (him, the original Ross!). Rachel seems totally oblivious to the resemblance and similarities between her date and her old friend.
But after a while, her eyes are opened. Rachel realizes this Russ guy is almost exactly like Ross, and to the audience’s delight, she finds herself hilariously shocked that she just didn’t see it before! Rachel dumps Russ, who is heartbroken. He tells the crew at the coffee shop that he’s been axed by his beloved, only to see Ross’ ex, Julie, enter Central Perk.
Julie, played by actress Lauren Tom, met Ross in graduate school. The two dated for a time, but broke up messily when Rachel calls Ross, leaving a voice message admitting that she has feelings for him. Their break-up was a rough one, and it’s several weeks later that Julie enters the coffee shop with a box of Ross’ stuff. But it’s on that fateful day that Julie locks eyes with Russ, and it’s love at first sight, providing a happy ending for the two formerly heartbroken characters.
Who is Snaro?
It’s obvious to any viewer that Russ is played by David Schwimmer, the same actor who plays Ross. Albeit, for the role, Schwimmer dons some serious prosthetics to create Russ’ mega chin, and a truly hilarious wig for Russ’ floppy locks. But still, it’s definitely Schwimmer under there.
While Russ is clearly played by Schwimmer, viewers noticed that the actor credited for the role was listed as “Snaro.” Over the years, Friends fans began to wonder; Just who was this Snaro? Was it possible that David Schwimmer didn’t play the role at all, and actually has a Russ-like doppelgänger of his own running around? Or was this some inside joke, perhaps an Easter Egg of some sort?
Luckily, this isn’t an Elena/Katherine Vampire Diaries type of situation. Schwimmer doesn’t have an evil twin, or a creepy lookalike out there. He played the role of Russ, but credited the performance to an alter ego named “Snaro,” which was a tribute to one of his own friends. Schwimmer uses the alias from time to time, and it’s become an inside joke among Friends fans.
What are some other Friends Easter Eggs?
But this type of joke isn’t uncommon in the Friends-verse. The jovial team had plenty of in-jokes and pranks throughout the series, often using the credit sequences, cameos, and gags to give the cast, crew, and audience a giggle.
Perhaps one of the all-time favorites was when Courtney Cox married David Arquette in 1999, after which she changed her name to Courtney Cox-Arquette. Shortly after the nuptials, Season 6 of Friends began. In the very first episode of that season, the production team changed the opening credits so that not only Courtney’s name now said Arquette, but everyone’s did! Every actor was listed with the last name Arquette, as a way to celebrate Cox’s recent marriage.
Another hilarious Easter Egg came In Season 7, episode 24, when Monica and Chandler are getting married. In the episode, Rachel is searching for a minister to perform the ceremony for her two friends. She happens upon a Greek wedding for a couple whose name is “Anastassakis.” This is an inside joke. The name is a nod to Aniston’s Greek heritage, and their family name before immigrating to the United States. It’s these type of inside jokes and Easter Eggs that have fans still scouring re-runs for clues, almost three decades since the show first aired.