Helen Baxendale won international recognition at 27, when she scooped a role on Friends, in the midst of her appearance on Cold Feet.
The British actress, 53, joined the US sitcom in series four, playing Ross’ (David Schwimmer) English love interest Emily Waltham for 14 episodes while she was playing Rachel in Cold Feet on home soil.
Her catalogue of work has been increasingly varied in recent year, with more and more hard-hitting roles – including her most appearances in 2020.
And far from just her screen work, Helen spoke last year about how her role in Friends changed her attitude to fame, as she was left debating whether she truly wanted to be famous due to the ways they were ‘hounded’.
The star was seen stepping out on Monday in the wake of the tragic passing of her Friends co-star Matthew Perry in LA over the weekend, after he was found dead in his hot tub on Saturday afternoon of a suspected drowning.
There’ll Be There For You: Helen Baxendale won international recognition at 27, when she scooped a role on Friends, in the midst of her appearance on Cold Feet
Star: Her last screen roles were in 2020, with a critically-acclaimed appearance in a BBC adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s novel Noughts + Crosses as Meggie McGregor (pictured)
Hey there: In the same year, she played the titular role in Channel 5’s Agatha and the Midnight Murders, which also aired on PBS in America (pictured with Blake Harrison)
My guy: It was her role as Rachel in Cold Feet from 1997 to 2003 which truly placed her on the map
Downcast: The star was seen stepping out on Monday in the wake of the tragic passing of her Friends co-star Matthew Perry in LA over the weekend, after he was found dead in his hot tub on Saturday afternoon of a suspected drowning
Tragic loss: Perry was found dead in his hot tub on Saturday afternoon of a suspected drowning (pictured on Friends with Baxendale)
Helen has been a jewel in the crown of UK TV since the Nineties.
In 1994 – two years after she graduated from drama school – Helen played a doctor in Line Of Duty’s Jed Mercurio’s TV debut Cardiac Arrest before nabbing the role of a detective in the PD James adaptation An Unsuitable Job For A Woman.
It was her role as Rachel in Cold Feet from 1997 to 2003 which truly placed her on the map however, with her role in Friends coming in the midst of Cold Feet.
Her last screen roles were in 2020, with a critically-acclaimed appearance in a BBC adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s novel Noughts + Crosses as Meggie McGregor.
In the same year, she played the titular role in Channel 5’s Agatha and the Midnight Murders, which also aired on PBS in America.
Her most recent sitcom role came as she starred alongside Greg Davies on Cuckoo, playing his wife Lorna from 2012 to 2019.
It’s been two decades since she starred in the American sitcom but her character featured in one of the show’s most memorable storylines.
Her relationship with Ross dominated series four of the show, with their marriage after Ross said his ex Rachel Green’s [Jennifer Aniston] name instead of hers.
Iconic: It’s been two decades since she starred in the American sitcom but her character featured in one of the show’s most memorable storylines
Iconic: Helen also worked on Cold Feet with Hermione Norris, Fay Ripley, Robert Bathurst, John Thomson and James Nesbitt
Here she is: In 2013 she played Elizabeth Cole in Agatha Christie’s Poirot
Danger: In 2011, she starred in ITV mini series Kidnap and Ransom about a hostage negotiator
Starring role: Helen is seen playing Bea in The Distance with Bill Milner as Liam at the Orange Tree Theatre in 2014
Here she is: In 1994 – two years after she graduated from drama school – Helen played a doctor in Line Of Duty’s Jed Mercurio’s TV debut Cardiac Arrest
The whole gang: Her most recent sitcom role came as she starred alongside Greg Davies on Cuckoo, playing his wife Lorna from 2012 to 2019
Last year, in an interview with The Independent, Helen admitted her turn on Friends had made her reluctant to fame.
She said: ‘I think I saw where all that eventually takes you. Not that I was heading there at all. But I saw those people in Friends, for example, and thought, ‘I don’t think that life is really what I want.’ They were hounded…
‘They weren’t able to walk into a supermarket and buy something.. I didn’t think what I was doing warranted [all the attention]. It wasn’t about me, it was about this…
‘This thing. This programme that I happened to be in for a few episodes. The whole thing was bonkers. I think you need a certain character to be able to deal with it…
‘Attention and press still doesn’t sit well with me, but… I suppose I’ve been quite prepared to deal with it to get good parts.’
Helen hit headlines in August when Friends fans have hit out at the producer who blasted her turn on the show by insisting she was ‘not funny’ in her role as Emily.
James Burrows, who directed more than 1,000 episodes of sitcoms, including Cheers and Will & Grace, revealed that it was a struggle to work with Helen because the other actors couldn’t feed off any comedic energy.
On the show: Friends fans have hit out at the producer who blasted Helen Baxendale’s turn on the show by insisting she was ‘not funny’ in her role as Emily
Shocker: James Burrows, who directed more than 1,000 episodes of sitcoms, including Cheers and Will & Grace, revealed that it was a struggle to work with Helen because the other actors couldn’t feed off any comedic energy
Speaking out: Director James Burrows revealed it was a struggle to work with Helen because the other actors couldn’t feed off any comedic energy (pictured with Jennifer Aniston)
As a result the attempted comedy ‘was like clapping with one hand’, said the director, who then noted that David Schwimmer had ‘no one to bounce off.’
Enraged fans penned insisted his observations were incorrect, writing: ‘What a s**t… he needs attention so throws insults around. i liked her. Friends director wanted to recast ‘not funny’ Helen Baxendale… This is harsh!…
‘I think #HelenBaxendale was fantastic! She WAS FUNNY in her own way and loved her in #Friends… Remember when ‘Friends’ was funny? Me neither. Maybe the director blaming Helen Baxendale for it is just another bad joke.’
Helen has been with her boyfriend David L. Williams, a film director, since 1993 and they have three children and live in London.
Happy couple: Helen has been with her boyfriend David L. Williams, a film director, since 1993 and they have three children and live in London
