It’s hard to believe that it’s been three whole decades since Friends first came into our lives. With the sitcom being one of the most rewatchable shows in TV history, sometimes it’s easy to forget that the characters frozen in time on our screens were portrayed by actual people who have actually gotten 30 years older. Despite the struggles of aging in Hollywood, time has been kind to many of our Central Perk crew and even Friends guest stars, as fans’ jaws were on the floor after seeing what Cosimo Fusco — the actor who played Paolo — looks like today.
Paolo was not a beloved character on Friends when he first showed up in Season 1’s “The One With the Blackout.” The Italian lothario was among the first of many, many roadblocks that kept Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) apart. Cosimo Fusco appeared in just four episodes, but the sleaziness of his character made it feel like more. It also made many fans forget how attractive the actor actually was, and some think he’s only gotten better with time:
The topic of how well the Paolo actor has aged since he guest-starred on one of the best sitcoms of all time became a topic of conversation on Reddit, where someone posted a current photo of Cosimo Fusco and allowed commenters to run wild with their reactions, which included:
- Aged like a fine wine (way better now than in 94) – MysteriousRadish2063
- He looks way better now! – tantofaz
- I wasn’t ready to restart my next rewatch, but I may have to move it up in my rotation now. – JFT8675309
- Still would – FrankieSausage
- Now we’re talking – niemownikomu
- Aw I, I just… I just really feel like giving that nose a proper poke. – SuperVGA
- Much better looking than Tom Selleck – rattlestaway
I’m not sure I can defend the Richard Burke slander of that last comment, but let’s just say I definitely understand why Rachel allowed herself to be seduced by Paolo way back when. Unfortunately the “crap-weasel” will always remain as such to the loyal viewers, and not just for keeping Ross friend-zoned for a little bit longer.
Fans remember all too well how Paolo came onto Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) in the midst of his situationship with Rachel, not only in Season 1 when Phoebe gave him a massage (as part of her job) but also when he popped in to “do Raquel” in Season 2.
Think what you will of his character back then, but that face isn’t an unwelcome sight here in 2024. To be sure, everyone looks a little different after three decades, and sometimes the inevitability of aging catches the Friends stars off-guard as well. For instance, Jennifer Aniston had a priceless reaction to learning that Cole and Dylan Sprouse — who played Ross’ son Ben — are now in their 30s.
If you want to relive our time with Paolo or any of Friends’ most ridiculous episodes, all 10 seasons are available to stream with a Max subscription.