Lovable sitcom lug Joey Tribbiani wasn’t all that discriminating of a diner on Friends, but Matt LeBlanc has his limits. Said limits include the sitcom culinary monstrosity that is Rachel Green’s meat trifle. Can we get a visual aide? Fantastic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5YckMkwmm4
Rachel’s bungled attempt at a classic English trifle has become such a part of sitcom lore that civilians were trying out this recipe for all the wrong reasons. Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, Matt LeBlanc confirmed that the trifle scene was every bit as disgusting as you might imagine to film. It wasn’t a surprise cameo from meat that caused the problem, though.
“There’s a really funny story with that,” explained LeBlanc on the UK chat show. “It was this meat trifle with whipped [cream], really nasty. But what we were actually eating was not that. Storywise, it was just whipped cream and some bananas or something.” He went on to explain how Ross decides to eat the actual trifle in the episode so he doesn’t hurt Rachel’s feelings, but actor David Schwimmer started laughing during the take so they cut.”
“As we were cutting, he kind of spits it back on his plate…” he continued. “I didn’t see him spit it back on the plate, so I take his plate and go ‘Give it to me,’ and scrape some on my plate . . . and then we [start filming again], but now I’m eating it. We finished the take, and no one said anything to me!”
YUCK! Unless you’ve had a crush on Schwimmer since The Pallbearer and have a lax approach to food boundaries, that sounds like an unpleasant work scenario. Always check your food to make sure it hasn’t been in a co-worker’s mouth first. That’s the right way to do things. Hit play and take it from Matt LeBlanc.