Jean-Claude Van Damme made a cameo appearance in Friends season 2, and it turned out to be during one of the most notable episodes in the sitcom's history. The Belgian actor was still at the height of his popularity when the episode aired in January 1996. Known for martial arts action films, Van Damme's Friends appearance marked the actor's first-ever TV role. Based on the reception, it made sense why the actor never kept a focus on the small screen.
Van Damme appeared in "The One After The Superbowl, Part 2," the second half of a special episode that aired after Super Bowl XXX. When Ross attempted to reunite with Marcel the monkey, his search took him to the set of a film titled Outbreak 2: The Virus Takes Manhattan. The others accompanied Ross to the set, including Monica and Rachel, who set their sights on the movie's star, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Playing a version of himself, Van Damme became the target of Monica and Rachel's affection. As the two women argue who should get the chance to date the movie star, they both realized they could do better after he requested a threesome with Drew Barrymore.
Van Damme was a well-known figure after starring in films like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Timecop, and Street Fighter. Based on his notoriety, it made sense why Friends added him to the ever-growing list of celebrity cameos. Rather than give him a fictional role, the writers thought his cameo would pay off if he played a version of himself fittingly working on the set of an action movie. Granted, Van Damme's guest appearance coincided with a very special two-part episode of Friends. Lead-out programs on the night of the Super Bowl are known for being high-profile new releases. In 1996, NBC decided to go with their most popular sitcom, but they need extra factors to attract viewers.
Van Damme Wasn't A Highlight Of The Friends Super Bowl Episode
To grab that new layer of attention, the series invited a handful of guest stars. Aside from Van Damme, "The One After The Superbowl" featured Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Chris Isaak, Fred Willard, and Dan Castellaneta. Broadcasting the Super Bowl was already a big win for NBC, but the network had the mission of making it the highest-grossing ad-revenue day in television history. To do so, there had to be record-breaking viewership for the post-Super Bowl timeslot. While Friends was already an immensely popular program, NBC wanted the series to turn it up a few notches. The episode was a great success, becoming the most-watched Friends episode and the highest-rated Super Bowl lead-out program of all time.
Despite the record-breaking viewership numbers, the episode itself didn't get stellar reviews. Van Damme's performance, in particular, wasn't well-received based on his failed attempt at comedy. According to the director of the episode, Michael Lembeck, Friends stars even disliked working with Van Damme. In the end, Van Damme's cameo, as well as the appearances by other major guest stars, helped the network achieve its goal of raising the standards when it came to post-Super Bowl programming. Following his Friends cameo, Van Damme has only appeared in a small handful of TV shows, guest-starring as versions of himself.