Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Jessica Hecht opens up to PEOPLE in a new interview about her time onFriends, and why she's "grateful" she wasn't a lead character The Tony nominee played Susan, the wife of Ross's ex-wife Carol, on the series Hecht says the "responsibility" of playing a lead on the beloved series is "more than most people could manage" Jessica Hecht is grateful for her time onFriends— but she's also glad her role wasn't much bigger. Hecht, 59, tells PEOPLE that she didn't expectFriendsto have the staying power it's had, decades after its 1994 premiere. "I don't watch things that I've made more than just to say, 'Oh God, okay,' " she says. "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." Hecht played Susan Bunch on the series, wife of Carol Willick (Jane Sibbett), the ex-wife ofDavid Schwimmer's Ross. Carol divorced Ross to be with Susan, but early in season 1, she reveals she's pregnant withRoss's child, Ben, who's born at the end of the season. Hecht appeared in more than a dozen episodes ofFriends, including the season 2 episode "The One With The Lesbian Wedding," in which Susan and Carol tie the knot. Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Hecht explains she's not only "grateful" that she was a part ofFriends, but, "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." She praises the main cast —Jennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,Matt LeBlanc,the late Matthew Perryand Schwimmer — for managing that pressure "gracefully." They "owned" being part of an ensemble, she says, and "the fact that they were each unique within that beautiful cluster was truly an accomplishment." She also creditsJames Burrows, who createdCheersand directed many early episodes ofFriends, with helping the cast find the balance as an ensemble. Hecht is a2025 Tony nomineefor her performance in the playEureka Day, which is also nominated for best revival of a play. She tells PEOPLE she was shocked to be honored in the best featured actress in a play category. "It's very rare that anyone gets acknowledged in life for anything they do, so why should this be different?" she explains. Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty "We are not changing the world. We're doing plays that reflect on life and hopefully make people reflect on their own lives," she says. "But long story short, I was very, very touched and excited that I can go to [the Tonys]. But more than that, I love that I'm part of this community. I think that's been my greatest sense of accomplishment, that I've stayed in this community my whole career. So I feel tremendous gratitude for that." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Hecht made her Broadway debut in 1997'sThe Last Night of Ballyhooand has appeared in plays likeJulius Caesar,Brighton Beach Memoirs,A View from the Beach,Harveyand the 2015 revival ofFiddler on the Roof. This is her third Tony nomination. Hecht alsostars inEleanor the Great, Scarlett Johansson's directorial debutthat just premiered at Cannes. Hecht and Johansson starred together inA View from the Bridge. The 2025 Tony Awards air live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City Sunday, June 8, on CBS. Read the original article onPeople
