Streaming has changed the game, and even though original offerings are taking over, fans can still find older favorites to watch on a variety of streaming services. It's kept these shows alive, and it gives everyone a wide variety of things to watch.
Friends has seemingly grown more popular thanks to being readily available, and people love tuning in to the show. The cast still makes bank from the show, which generates a fortune thanks to fans going back and watching its best episodes.
"The One With Russ" is an iconic episode, and fans were shocked to see that Russ was played by an unknown performer. Let's unravel the mystery of the actor named Snaro!
Why Wasn't David Schwimmer Credited As Russ?
When it comes to the biggest and the most impactful shows in television history, there aren't many that are on the same level as Friends. NBC was the king of television during the 1990s, and while it was already great having Seinfeld as the main attraction, Friends came along and gave them another mega hit.
The young cast of Friends made for an iconic team-up, and they were brilliant in their respective roles. The show would have succeeded thanks to the quality of its writing, but it became a classic thanks to the performances that were given on screen in each episode.
The show has been off television for years now, but because it's featured on streaming platforms, its legacy has only continued to grow. Each year, new fans enjoy the show for the very first time, and old fans continue to watch the show again and again. Because of this, it is easily one of the biggest shows in TV history.
Friends has many classic episodes and one of the most famous in its early seasons is an episode featuring a Ross look-alike.
"The One With Russ" Is An Ionic Episode
During the 10th episode of the second season of Friends, fans were treated to a classic when "The One With Russ" made its debut on the small screen.
During the episode, Rachel begins dating a guy named Russ, who is a lot like Ross. The group is able to pick up on this fact, except Ross, who can't stand the guy. Funnily enough, it takes an argument between the two men for Rachel to pick up on the heavy similarities and to see that she's basically dating another Ross.
There's more going on in the episode, of course, but this is the primary storyline that fans are following along with. It's a fun watch, and it made for a memorable episode that fans still enjoy checking out.
Throughout the episode, it was clear to many that David Schwimmer was serving double duty as Ross and Russ, but the makeup work done to transform the actor was quite convincing. Nevertheless, many fans assumed that Schwimmer was behind both characters and was the driving force behind the episode.
However, once the credits rolled, fans saw that Russ was played by a totally different person than they thought.
Who Got Credited As Playing Russ?
According to the episode's credits, Russ was played by an actor named Snaro, someone that fans had never heard of. For years, fans were left to wonder about Snaro and the performance that was eerily similar to David Schwimmer's during that episode.
So, who in the world is Snaro, and where did he go after all these years?
"David Crane joked that Snaro was his Croatian friend to further the ruse and keep fans guessing about the identity of Snaro. Schwimmer looked just different enough in the role of Russ for fans to have an inkling of doubt as to whether or not David Schwimmer's lookalike was really him, although it is obvious looking back on the episode that Schwimmer plays both, as no one could be so similar to Ross as the man who knew him best," ScreenRant wrote.
"It was later confirmed that Snaro and David Schwimmer are one and the same. Schwimmer was credited as Snaro as a tribute to one of his friends and it’s also an alias he used from time to time," the site continued.
At long last, the mystery of Snaro has been solved! It was, in fact, David Schwimmer all along, and the name was simply used to pay tribute to a friend of his. It's hilarious to think that this caused so much confusion in the fandom for so long.
The next time you watch "The One With Russ," just remember that David Schwimmer is playing both roles, and brilliantly at that.
