In the event you’ve ever watched Buddies, there’s no forgetting Chandler Bing’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Janice Hosenstein, performed by Maggie Wheeler. Even among the many sea of stellar visitor appearances, Wheeler shortly turned a recognizable face on the earth, which wound up touchdown her as a recurring character. As she appeared extra regularly, the Buddies crew ended up having to cover her till Janice appeared within the scene, which isn’t the usual apply. The 63-year-old shared why the method turned second nature for the set.
Wheeler visited with the Nonetheless Right here Hollywood Podcast with Steve Kmetko to reminisce about her time because the unforgettable Janice and her time on Buddies. In the course of the episode, posted to YouTube, the duo cowl Perry’s tragic passing (she nonetheless misses her good friend deeply) in addition to her time with the late actor on the hit present (accessible to look at with a Max subscription). Kmetko jumped into how a lot Miss Hosenstein was cherished, as audiences bought to know her extra and requested if there have been any BTS efforts to maintain her appearances a shock.
Maggie Wheeler instantly shared that they did, and her common entry was extraordinarily restricted till her cue, in order to not spoil the enjoyable. She defined:;
They’d maintain me hidden. I wasn’t allowed to even actually wander round craft providers, they made me keep in my dressing room…After which I’d kind of sneak down, after which they’d put up a black scrim to dam my entrance, to dam the doorway, so the viewers wouldn’t see me till the door opened.
It doesn’t shock me within the slightest. The one comparable response by reside studio audiences I’ve famous is Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld, and each are a few of the most rewatchable exhibits, in my view. However since Janice wasn’t an everyday staple, her reactions really feel all of the extra particular.
The podcaster then requested the Mum or dad Entice alum the way it felt to illicit that response repeatedly. She cooly shared that it felt a bit bigger than life, saying:
It is just a little little bit of a rock star feeling.
I believe it’s protected to say that Janice and Maggie Wheeler did attain rock star standing in these days. It was all the time a homerun when she was intermingled within the good friend group. She then expanded on the sensation, saying it was a wild experience of a sense, getting a uniformed response:
To have the ability to make an entrance every time and have the viewers gasp, and chuckle, and howl, you’d get sort of a wave of a response.
I’m positive that feeling by no means bought previous. In spite of everything, it feels like Wheeler and Perry by no means bored with their onscreen dynamic. The Ellen actress opened up about it by no means being a foul time, partly because of the truth that Perry’s skilled demeanor by no means wavered, even within the throes of his dependancy points.
Wheeler revealed that the night time Janice spent with Ross hit a brand new stage of pleasure for all within the crowd due to how the episode constructed on the anticipation. In her phrases:
Much more so after I had spent the night time with Ross, as a result of that was an enormous buildup. An enormous secret, no one may have imagined what was occurring — and the solid saved saying, ‘The place had been you, the place had been you, the place had been you?’ They usually actually simply milked it till the bitter finish. After which after I walked in, the viewers went nuts.
The actress’ legacy is an immaculate one on Buddies, and realizing she needed to keep out of sight illustrates how nice she actually was. I’m not outright remembering this explicit second, but it surely’s a fantastic excuse to get again into the traditional NBC present. I’ve little question that Janice exhibiting up at Ross’ does get an enormous, dramatic response, although.
Despite the fact that it’s the present that celebrated its thirtieth anniversary final yr, a lot of it stays within the popular culture zeitgeist, together with Chandler’s unpredictable ex-beau. Right this moment, Wheeler isn’t in the identical kind of highlight she as soon as was, however nonetheless appeared to have enjoyable within the 2025 film schedule child flick, Canine Man.