Paget Brewster had never landed a major TV role before when she first auditioned for “Friends,” which, by its fourth season, was already a household name. Brewster was an avid viewer and during an appearance on “The Talk,” the “Criminal Minds” star shared that when she walked into the audition, she found herself among several famous faces who were also vying for the role of Kathy, so she just assumed she had no chance (via The Things). Because the actor didn’t see herself as a viable candidate, she didn’t overthink it, which allowed Brewster to be herself.
In fact, when it was her turn to audition, she announced, “Clearly I’m your runty alternate so let’s just get this show on the road.” Brewster’s self-deprecating sense of humor worked to her advantage; Matthew Perry thought she was bold and funny, and executive producer/co-creator Kevin Bright clearly agreed because he ultimately hired her. However, she almost didn’t get to keep the part because of a haircut.
As Brewster admitted to The AV Club, before she began filming, the hair team decided to cut her locks short and dye them red, a choice Bright didn’t appreciate. The “Friends” co-creator screamed at the hairdressers, “I hired her because she had a black bob! You can’t do this!” Brewster remembered, “I just went upstairs, I put my magazines in my bag, and I just sat and waited, like, ‘I lost my best job I’ve ever gotten.’”
