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One of Friends’ most hilariously chaotic moments was never part of the script. During the season five episode The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS, Ross had a full-blown meltdown after getting a call from Emily. In his frenzy, he picked up a lamp and randomly handed it to Chandler. The problem was, David Schwimmer made that move up on the spot. Matthew Perry had absolutely no idea what was happening.
The reaction that followed became pure gold. Chandler looked confused, held onto the lamp without question, and never broke character. That moment was not just funny because of the writing. It worked because Perry leaned straight into the chaos, making the confusion look effortlessly natural. The lamp scene didn’t just survive the improv, it became iconic because of it.
How Ross’s Unscripted Lamp Move Gave Us One of Friends’ Funniest Moments?
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It turned out Schwimmer improvised the move entirely. A clip of the scene went viral on TikTok with the caption (reported by Ladbible), “Ross handing the lamp to Chandler wasn’t scripted. David just randomly handed it to Matthew and his reaction is 100% genuine.” Fans were quick to recognize that the scene hit harder once they knew the truth behind it. Some even noticed Lisa Kudrow visibly trying not to laugh, with her eyes avoiding the camera.
