Jean-Claude van Damme says he’s ‘ashamed’ of his role on Friends

The major ‘90s film star made an iconic appearance on the beloved sitcom – but now he can’t look back on it without cringing.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is “ashamed” of his “strange” cameo on Friends, more than 25 years on.

The Belgian-born actor, now 63, appeared as himself in “The One After The Super Bowl: Part 2” episode in 1996, in a role which saw Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Monica (Courteney Cox) fight over him.

And he can’t look back on it without cringing.

“My acting is so bad. I look so like a ham. Like, ‘Hey, girls.’ […] It’s like, I’m ashamed of myself,” Van Damme told the New York Post.

“So then I was on the set, and those girls, they go and they kiss me and they kiss me on the lips. I didn’t know what to do, how to do … It was strange.”

Van Damme made a cameo on Friends in season 2 (seen here alongside Courteney Cox). Picture: Supplied

Despite his self-criticism, Van Damme – a martial arts action star best known for Bloodsport, Timecop and Hard Target – gushed over working with Aniston and Cox as “amazing”.

“They were very open because they did the show every day. So for them, I enter into a place where everything is working like a very well-trained mechanic engine,” he continued. “It was amazing.”

Van Damme added that his brief cameo is more talked-about to this day than all of his dozens of films combined.

“Everybody talks about that show more than all of my movies together,” he told the publication. “Nothing wrong [with that] – but as to show you how strong TV can be.”

He described Cox and Aniston as “amazing” to work with. Picture: Supplied

Friends, which originally ran from 1994 until 2004, remains one of the most popular sitcoms of all time.

Along with Aniston and Cox, it starred Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt Leblanc.

The show was nominated for a whopping 62 Emmy Awards during its decade-long run, winning six of them.

Van Damme’s comments come just months after the director of Friends made headlines after he called out another of the series’ guest stars as “nice but not funny”.

Baxendale (centre) played Ross’ love interest. Picture: Supplied

In his new memoir, Directed, James Burrow admitted that Helen Baxendale, who played Ross’ (Schwimmer’s) love interest, Emily Waltham, in season four and five was not a great fit for the tight-knit cast.

“Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand,” he wrote.

“In sitcoms and any type of romantic comedy, the funny is just as important as the chemistry.

“We discovered that any new girlfriend for Ross needed to be as funny as Rachel.

“Often, you can’t recast, because of tight shooting deadlines or other logistic considerations.

“You need someone who gets laughs. Sometimes you start an arc and it ain’t working out, so you have to get rid of that person. If it’s a day player, it’s a quick goodbye.”

Baxendale was eventually written off the show after 14 episodes after Emily divorced Ross.