Well, scratch David Schwimmer off the potential audition list for the next “Planet of the Apes” movie.
Mike Morris — trainer of that funny “Friends” monkey, Marcel — has some words for Schwimmer.
The “Friends” star, 54, made some discouraging remarks about the money during an interview segment on the recent wildly popular “Friends” reunion show on HBO Max back in June.
While discussing the topic of Katie and Monkey -- the two capuchin monkeys who played Ross' simian sidekick, Marcel -- Schwimmer said he definitely did not like working with them.
As the New York Post detailed, Schwimmer had numerous complaints about the little crazies holding up rehearsals, eating the live bugs Morris fed them, and then always wiping their “monkey grubby hands all over.”
In the reunion interview, Schwimmer finally exclaimed, “It was time for Marcel to f– off!” The line got some laughs from the cast and viewers for sure, but Morris is none too happy.
“I just don’t agree with it,” said Morris, 53. “If anything he threw off their timing, if we want to be truthful.” Morris also clarified that Schwimmer was “fine with the monkeys for the first couple episodes.”
Morris’ belief is that Schwimmer was a little jealous because the monkeys often got more laughs than him. “He seemed to get a little bitter” about getting upstaged by his furry co-stars, says Morris, and would refuse to rehearse scenes with them.
“It got to the point where he just really resented the monkey being there,” Morris concluded. “He obviously had a problem with her and he’s still talking about it now.”
If so, Schwimmer was just another casualty of that timeless actor rule — never do a scene with a baby or an animal. The eyes go right to them.
Morris’ feelings have no doubt been heightened by the fact that Monkey died of cancer last August, at the age of 36.
“I find it despicable for [Schwimmer] to still be speaking ill of her,” lamented the mourning trainer.
Schwimmer wasn’t there for a 4th of July mini-reunion of “Friends.” Maybe some monkeys were invited instead.
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