Actress Jessica Hecht, who portrays the brilliant Susan Bunch in the Friends series finale, Hecht’s Susan is well-ed as a co-parent to Ben and the partner of Ross’ ex-wife, Carol. While Susan is depicted as the bad guy in Ross’ story, audiences love her sharp tongue, wit, and commitment to Carol despite her ex-husband’s erratic behavior.

However, Susan is primarily a ing character and never becomes a lead, something that Hecht is “grateful” for upon reflection. While speaking to People, the actress discussed her time working on Friends, especially how the success of the show caused multiple other performers’ careers to skyrocket. Looking back, Hecht now “watch[es] it with awe,” especially as when the show first aired, she didn’t believe Friends would become as impactful as it is now. See Hecht’s full comment below:

"I don't watch things that I've made more than just to say, ‘Oh God, okay.' That show affecting so many people's lives and the actors on that show affecting so many people's lives ... I watch it with awe, and I understand the need for that ... I'm also grateful that I wasn't a lead character in many ways, because the responsibility of that is more than most people could manage... the fact that they were each unique within that beautiful cluster was truly an accomplishment."

What This Means For Friends' Legacy

Susan Being A ing Character Helped Hecht's Career

Throughout all 10 seasons of Friends, the main characters are the focal point. There are several other ing characters like Susan, including both her wife and son, but the main group are always at the forefront of the story. Carol isn’t integral, but she provides plenty of brilliant moments, and this has worked in Hecht’s favor, ultimately. Friends’ legacy doesn’t change because Susan is a ing character, but Hecht’s comments do.

The actress is able to realize just how much Friends has helped boost her career, and reflect on her past attitude toward the show. Hecht speaks to People about how she continues to be “grateful that [she] wasn't a lead character … because the responsibility of that is more than most people could manage.” She makes a good point, because the Friends cast did face a lot of pressure in the limelight, and if one had been unable to keep up with the others, the show might have seen a dip in quality eventually.

Our Take On Jessica Hecht Being Happy She Wasn't Part Of The Main Friends Cast

Susan Is Great, And Doesn't Need To Be A Lead To Still Be Appreciated

If Hecht had been a part of Friends’ main cast, she likely wouldn’t have taken on some of the other incredible dramatic roles in her filmography, like Gretchen Schwartz in Breaking Bad and Michelle Pantsil in Succession. Hecht is also a celebrated Broadway actress, and has received multiple Tony Award nominations throughout her career, most recently for the 2025 play Eureka Day, in which she portrayed Suzanne. The actress tells People about the honor of being nominated:

“It's very rare that anyone gets acknowledged in life for anything they do, so why should this be different? ... I was very, very touched and excited that I can go to [the Tonys]."

Ultimately, as great as Hecht was and still is, Susan being a ing character was for the best. Many stars from the greatest sitcoms of all time struggle to break out of their characters’ archetypes, but by playing a ing character, Hecht avoided this. While the actress will often be recognized as Friends’ Susan, she is just as renowned for her other roles, too.

Source: People