Eddie Cahill of ABC's "Conviction" -- Forever a Friend of “Friends”

Cahillamp8217s character Tag Jones Rachelamp8217s naamp239vehunky assistant at Ralph Lauren helped introduce the word Tag to the vernacular long before it became synonymous with social media While Tagamp8217s employment credentials were dubious his boyish charm and ability to paint a house would see him win the assistant position over the more qualified Hilda and soon move from behind his work desk to front and center of Rachelamp8217s dating life Although Cahillamp8217s arc on Friends lasted just seven episodes the actor admits itamp8217s a role he canamp8217t escape amp160and thatamp8217s just fine with himamp8220I couldn39t give you a number but it comes up quite a bit and came up recentlyamp8221 he recently told me amp8220The reach of that show is remarkable to me and it gives me hope because it was 16 years ago I was 22 years old Every time someone says amp8220You we39re on Friendsamp8221 I think amp8216Iamp8217ve still got itamp8217amp8221 The showamp8217s resurgence on Netflix likely has a lot to do with this not to mention its continued popularity in syndicationCahill still gets goose bumps talking about his audition for the role one he describes as amp8220nerverackingamp8221 amp160He says audiences almost saw a very different actor in the part amp8220The final audition was on a Tuesday and down to myself and Tom Welling Clark Kent on Smallvilleamp8221 he recalled amp8220They bought us to set and whoever got the role was going to go to right to rehearsals I remember walking into a room with Marta Kaufman David Crane Kevin Bright and Jennifer Aniston and they could see I was terrifiedamp8221According to Cahill both actors read for the part and somehow through his amp8220white knucklingamp8221 he landed the role amp8220Tom very graciously shook my hand and wished me wellamp8221 he smiles amp8220Then I asked for a telephone so I could call my momamp160 It was precell phonesamp8221Not bad for a first audition by an actor who had just landed in LA and used his last 230 to buy a plane ticket to get there amp8220I was supposed to go back to New York that dayamp8221 Cahill laughed amp8220We finish rehearsals and I was outside of Stage 24 and Courteney Cox looked at me I must39ve looked lost She said amp8216Do you need a ride homeamp8217 I was way too scared to say amp8216Yesamp8217amp8221Cahill was quick to add his thanks to Jennifer Anniston whose generosity as an actor made his Friends experience so joyous amp8220She really let me have a voice on the setamp8221 he recalled amp8220There was one moment I remember in particular we were trying to work on a joke in rehearsal and I kind of leaned in with an idea and she said amp8216Hey Eddie has an idea and it39s a pretty good one Let39s try itamp8217 She allowed me to have a voice which was very coolamp8221Today Cahill pictured above in Convictionamp160withamp160costar Hayley Atewllamp160has much to thank Friends for including longstanding friendship with costar David Schwimmer and endless reruns of the episodes he is featured in Unlike a lot of actors who donamp8217t watch themselves Cahill is not afraid of the TV wayback machine and will watch an episode if he happens upon it amp8220I was very hard on myself back then because I was young and newamp8221 he said amp8220Now I39m sort of soft about it I can see it and see my youth and kind of see my sweet younger self I look at him now and instead of being hard on him and saying amp8216You didn39t do it well enoughamp8217 now I think amp8216Well done kidamp8217amp8220I feel fortunate because I got to be a part of something so important in television and they received me very wellamp8221 he added amp8220It was a really nice beginning a nice introduction and as scared as I was and as much as I felt like a threeheaded dragon there was so much support and that encouraged me to say amp8216keep going you belongamp8217amp8221When it comes to the question of amp8220Where would Tag be todayamp8221 Cahill has his own ideasamp160 However running Ralph Lauren was probably not in the cards amp8220I wonder if he didn39t run back to Ohioamp8221 Cahill mused amp8220I don39t know where Tag was in the moxie departmentamp8221Read Steve39s interviews with other Friends of quotFriendsquot including Leah Remini and Anna FarisClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Eddie Cahill of ABC's "Conviction" -- Forever a Friend of “Friends”

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Steve Gidlow

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Eddie Cahill of ABC's "Conviction" -- Forever a Friend of “Friends”

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Steve Gidlow

FEMA and the Ad Council Encourage AANHPI Communities to Enhance Disaster Preparedness in New PSAs - Ad Council InSites

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