There isn’t any character more misunderstood by Friends fans than Ross. For some, his funny moments have been more about mishaps than outright comedy, while some others consider his sad moments to be mainly about self-pity.
However, the truth is Ross had a lot of layers to his personality, and his funniness and emotions just happened to be surrounded by bizarre circumstances. He could be hilarious on several occasions, but he also had many sad moments that can make one cry. In order to combine both elements, here are five each of funny Ross quotes, and those that signify his most heartbreaking moments.
Funny: "Keep Your Mitts Off My Grub."
If there’s one thing Ross definitely is not, it would have to be a tough guy. All of his friends laughed at any attempt he made to be a badass, and this amusement wasn’t unfounded either, as this quote will attest to Ross’s lack of intimidation.
Here, he figured he would leave a threatening note on his sandwich in his work refrigerator so his colleagues wouldn’t eat it. Unfortunately for him, this quote was the best he could come up with. Someone should have told Ross that the word “Mitts” is never going to sound cool.
Heartbreaking: "That's That...My Marriage Is Over."
Although it was his fault in setting up his marriage to fail with Emily, Ross did do all he could to make it up to her. He went so far as to remove his friends from his life and move somewhere else to convince Emily, only to be shot down at the end.
After she told him she wanted to get divorced, a devastated Ross displayed a moment of bravery, before collapsing on a chair and falling upon the realization that his wife didn’t want him anymore. It took him saying the words out loud for it to really sink in.
Funny: "...Otherwise It Would Just Be Called The "'Room Room.'"
Ross doesn’t get enough credit for being clever in the comedic department, and this quote is proof he could do just that. After witnessing Chandler make a fool of himself by sitting on his father-in-law’s lap in a steam room, Ross wasn’t pulling any punches.
He went on to make fun of Chandler’s embarrassment, and couldn’t hide his amusement before hitting him with a dose of sarcasm. When Chandler fumed over why there was so much steam in the steam room, Ross countered by saying that it would simply become a room.
Heartbreaking: "My Father Said, 'What's Wrong With You? Why Aren't Outside Like A Real Boy?'"
This is part of an underrated moment that dove into why Ross had the insecurities he displayed. When he opened up to the male nanny Sandy over his past, Ross revealed that his father had admonished him as a child for playing with dinosaurs.
The wording here is telling concerning Ross feeling like less of a man, as his father had straight-up asked him why he wasn’t a “real boy.” It was so traumatizing to him that Ross ended up breaking down in tears over this memory.
Funny: "Hi..."
While in-universe this was supposed to play out whenever something bad happened to Ross, the frequency of which he took to saying “hi” to his friends in a depressed tone ended up making this a running gag on the show.
In fact, Ross said this so many times that it’s hard to keep count of the exact number of instances. However, he mixed it up with any scenario, whether it was genuinely saddening, or if he was down about something that wasn’t a big deal. It was the husky voice and somber expression that made this one word so funny.
Heartbreaking: "She's Not Rachel..."
There’s always been a debate over whether Ross and Rachel should have ended up together or not, but nobody can deny that he had true feelings for her throughout the run of the show. What’s really sad to watch in earlier seasons is how unconditionally in love he was with her.
Despite having a seemingly perfect girl in Julie, the one con in picking her was the fact that she just wasn’t Rachel. The real heartbreaking part about this is that Rachel misinterpreted what he meant, thereby making what should have been a sweet comment into one that led to Rachel rejecting him.
Funny: "You Know That Smell Gas Has...?"
If you’re ever looking for tips on how to flirt, then remember never to refer to Ross for guidance. Considering his idea of flirting consisted of bringing up trivia on the different kinds of gas, it’s not difficult to see why he struck out with so many women.
The funniest thing about this exchange was how Ross brought up the topic of gas out of nowhere. During his bid to impress the pizza girl Caitlin, he started his flirting session with this quote, after which it all went downhill as soon as he brought up the smell of methane.
Heartbreaking: "I Really Thought She'd Stay."
There are numerous friendships on the show that have been well-liked, and Phoebe comforting Ross here at least provided him some comfort. However, it was a tearjerker for sure when Ross rushed over to Rachel at the airport and begged her to stay, only for the latter to turn him down.
The audience, along with Ross, were all convinced she would have reciprocated his feelings when he caught up to her, and it was a huge shock when Rachel left anyway. A devastated Ross could only muster up these words as he broke down in Phoebe’s arms.
Funny: "We're Done Being Stupid. Unless We're On A Break... Don't Make Jokes Now!"
It wouldn’t be Ross if he didn’t make a mess of things even when they were perfect, but this time it was too much of a perfect callback for it not to be funny. When he and Rachel finally got back together, Ross agreed he would never be stupid enough to let her go.
The next instant, he just had to bring up the “break” thing once again. Seeing Rachel’s expression, Ross recovered fairly quickly as he reminded himself this wasn’t the time to make any stupid jokes. Still, fans do appreciate the joke for summing up the show one last time.
Heartbreaking: Every Time I Have To Drop Ben Off At Carol's, It Breaks My Heart A Little."
Many accuse Ross of apparently abandoning Ben after Emma was born, but let it be known that he actually always had his son in his heart. Here, he revealed to Joey that being apart from Ben broke his heart each time he had to say goodbye.
It wasn’t his choice to be away from Ben, and even though he did get to see his son on occasion, Ross felt the sting of separation each and every time. Even more heartbreaking is how his sadness over this wasn’t apparent to anyone until he admitted it.