Marcel the Monkey, the white-headed capuchin monkey from Friends, stole the show in each episode he appeared in. Even though Marcel proved to be a hilarious addition to the sitcom for the brief period he was on the show, the Friends monkey was the source of some controversy involving David Schwimmer, who played Ross on the show. But while there may have been monkey drama behind the scenes, Marcel added emotional weight to Ross' storyline early on.

From the time Friends premiered, Ross often had heavier storylines than the other main characters, and this trend continued throughout the series as some of the saddest moments on Friends happen to Ross. Bringing the monkey onto Friends added some much-needed humor to Ross' situation, and Marcel's story concluded in a bittersweet yet fulfilling way. While Friends officially ended its popular run in 2004, the discord surrounding Schwimmer and the monkey from Friends has continued for over a decade, a stark contrast compared to the full-circle nature of Marcel's arc.

The Monkey From Friends Was Ross' Pet

Ross and Marcel in Friends

At the start of Friends, Ross finds out that his wife Carol (Jane Sibbett) is a lesbian and leaving him. To have companionship after his divorce, Ross gets a white-headed capuchin monkey to have as a pet. Marcel first appears in Friends season 1, episode 10, "The One With The Monkey." In the episode, Ross introduces his friends to the monkey and takes Marcel to Monica's (Courteney Cox) New Year's Eve party. When Ross first gets Marcel, the two do not bond right away, which upsets Ross. However, they do grow closer over time, and Ross learns that Marcel loves the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

In Friends season 1, episode 21, "The One With The Fake Monica," Marcel reaches sexual maturity, and Ross is forced to give him up. He finds the monkey a placement at the San Diego Zoo, and Marcel becomes an animal actor in Friends season 2. When Marcel briefly returns to New York City to film a project, Ross is able to spend a day with him. In Friends, the characters become a found family as they find romantic relationships and form families of their own. Marcel leaving Ross because he grows up foreshadows what will happen to the friend group in later seasons.

The Monkey Trainer From Friends Clapped Back At David Schwimmer's Negative Comments

The cast of Friends with Marcel in the hospital

In the eight episodes Marcel appeared on Friends, the monkey was played by two different female capuchin monkeys named Katie and Monkey. While Monkey ed away, Katie continued to work, appearing on shows like The Loop and 30 Rock. But back in 1995 when Friends was on the air, Schwimmer itted to Schwimmer shared how he hated acting with Marcel again and explained that working with a live animal in a sitcom makes filming more complicated and time-consuming.

However, Mike Morris, the animal trainer who worked on Friends, had some choice words for Schwimmer. Morris called the actor "despicable" in an interview with The Sun and claimed Schwimmer was "jealous" that Marcel was popular with fans and got so many laughs. But while Schwimmer clearly did not enjoy working with the monkey from Friends, not every actor shared that experience. While on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2019, Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey on Friends, itted he liked Marcel, saying, "I liked the monkey! I like animals. The monkey was really cool."