Friendsfocuses on the inter-tangled lives of friends, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, Joey, Chandler, and Ross and all the crazy shenanigans they endure. Since its debut in 1994, the show has been a fan favorite despite the decades past. The true heart of the show is the characters and their relationships, which grow and evolve with the various seasons of life while remaining strong and close-knit friends. The groundbreaking and relatable sitcom is loaded withiconic quotesthat many people consistently repeat and apply to everyday life. Each character has their own iconic quotes, and Ross definitely has quite a few contenders.The character of Ross Gellar, played by the talentedDavid Schwimmer, was a clumsy, nerdy, awkward, and romantic paleontologist with a questionable haircut and fashion sense that was continually attempting tofind ‘the one’with various divorces and failed relationships throughout the show. Despite Ross being the least likely to be a fan’s favorite from the entire gang, he is a well-written andin-depth characterthat is essential to the show. He starts out quite insecure, but, through the seasons, Ross grows to slowly accept and become more confident in himself.
Without David Schwimmer, Ross just wouldn’t be the same. Ross’ specific tone, perfected by Schwimmer, makes him the character we all know and love today. While there were various actors thatalmost got the role, Schwimmer was definitely the perfect fit. His inflection truly sells the character with every “hi” and his comedic timing is extremely clever. It is because of him that Ross has had so many great quotes over the show’s 10-season run.
12"The Lotion and Powder Have Made a Paste!”
From Season 5, Episode 11: “The One with All the Resolutions”
David Schwimmer’s physical comedy is brilliant and definitely shines through, specifically in this episode as Ross attempts to wriggle out of his fancy new leather pants that he loves oh so much. This is probably one of the best examples of Schwimmer’s niche comedic style. His physicality in this scene and his use of surrounding props and the small area are reminiscent of Dick Van Dyke, and when Ross' hand slaps back up at his head and he staggers back, the audience is transported back to one of the masters of physical comedy.
11“Here’s an Idea. You Walk Into a Room, Take a Quick Scan!”
From Season 9, Episode 1: “The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work”
Monica and Chandler are arguably the best couple, and their chemistry is off the charts, so much so that they can hardly contain themselves, especially when their relationship is in its beginning stages. The gang is always wandering into each other’s apartments unannounced with usually no backfire, but Ross continually interrupts Monica and Chandler’s intimacy, making for some memorable scenes displaying Ross' discomfort in hilarious ways.
Again, Schwimmer’s comedic timing is displayed excellently in his inflection, especially with these few words. He paces his words perfectly so that his high-pitched inflection on the word ‘scan’ makes a bigger and more comedic impact. Even without the laugh tracks' prompt, the audience definitely sneaks out a giggle or two.
Related:Friends: The 10 Major Relationships on the Show, Ranked
10“Mississippilessly?”
From Season 10, Episode 3: “The One with Ross’s Tan”
Ross' tan is a hilarious incident that emerges from the final season of the show, causing Ross to overly tan at a tanning salon because he counted too slowly. But, according to him, he counted properly as he counted ‘mississippily’ (as in ‘one Mississippi, two Mississippi’, and so on).
His first mistake leads to him returning to the tanning salon, but he just keeps making more mistakes in fashion with Ross' signature clumsiness and ends up an incredibly dark shade that ends up being relentlessly mocked by Chandler. The makeup department truly shines in this episode, as Ross' tan is so believable that it just builds upon the comedy of Schwimmer’s acting.
9“I’m the Holiday Armadillo!”
From Season 7, Episode 10: “The One With the Holiday Armadillo”
Ross definitely tries over and over again to connect with his son, and while this might be one of the funniest outfits on the show, it is also one of the sweeter moments where Ross tries to teach his son, Ben, about the history of Hanukkah and their Jewish heritage. He is always trying to be a good father, despite his fumbling attempts. But, of course, in typical Ross fashion, he ends up making a fool of himself while still slightly making his point and showing love for his son.
8“It Tastes Like Feet!”
From Season 6, Episode 9: “The One Where Ross Got High”
This is the famous scene where Rachel mistakenly combines two completely opposite recipes to make an English trifle with a shepherd’s pie, but Joey and Ross don’t want to hurt her feelings or make her start over, so they simply eat it and pretend to enjoy it. But, when Rachel is just out of earshot, Ross lets it all out. Schwimmer’s delivery and emphasis on ‘feet’ make this line a definite gut-buster.
7“My Sandwich?!”
From Season 5, Episode 9: “The One With Ross' Sandwich”
Ross has always had anger issues, but in this episode, they emerged in the best way with a giant freakout over someone eating his Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich. And what’s worse, it was his boss who ate his sandwich, and he didn’t even finish it. He threw it away. True, it washissandwich, but it was a definite overreaction that gave the audience a perfectly hilarious and typical ‘Ross response’ to quote for years to come.
6“My Best Friend and My Sister?!”
From Season 5, Episode 14: “The One Where Everybody Finds Out”
Monica and Chandler’s relationship is definitely one of the best things to emerge from the show, but what comes extremely close is the way that various characters find out about the two. Ross' reaction has to be the best as he goes through a whirlwind of emotions. True to Schwimmer’s inflection techniques, Ross repeats the same phrase twice but with vastly different meanings, making an immediate switch from anger to happiness.
5“Hurricane Gloria Didn’t Break the Porch Swing, Monica Did!”
Ross and Monica’s relationship as siblings is absolutely hysterical to watch. From ‘the routine’ to the Thanksgiving football game, they make a hilarious duo. Their competitiveness shines through dozens of times, but this definitely takes the cake, as they continually one-up each other in ratting out the other to their parents. The stakes are high, and the laughs are loud when it comes to these two.
4“I’m Fine”
From Season 10, Episode 2: “The One Where Ross Is Fine”
Ross and Rachel have one of thebiggest will-they-or-won’t-they relationshipson television, and the storyline of Joey and Rachel made the audience feel just like Ross was attempting to accept the two’s relationship. His delivery of “I’m fine” is so clearly coded that everyone who watches the scene knows he definitely is not fine, but can’t help laughing.
Related:Friends: Why Rachel and Joey’s Relationship Makes No Sense
From Season 6, Episode 17: “The One with Unagi”
Ross fancies himself an expert in martial arts and awareness, and he attempts to teach Rachel what he knows. And what ensues is comedic genius. Whenever Ross attempts to explain something he claims to be an expert in, he definitely goes over the top, especially with ‘unagi’, or as Rachel calls it, ‘salmon skin roll’. This also opens up the act of anticipation to amplify the comedy as the audience begins to look around corners, just like Ross and Rachel, and eventually Phoebe as well.
