Sitcom Moms and Dads: Ross and Monica's Dad

Elliot Gould played the sitcom parent of Jack Geller, Ross and Monica's dad on the hit sitcom Friends. Younger audiences might also recognize him from his role as Reuben in the Oceans 11 films. However, Elliot Gould was famous long before these recent supporting roles. Elliot Gould is an Academy Award nominated actor, most famous for starring in the 1970 film M*A*S*H (which inspired the long running sitcom). The film made him a huge star, landing him on the cover of Time Magazine. He also starred in hit films such as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (which earned him his Academy Award nomination), A Bridge Too Far, Capricorn One, and The Devil and Max Devlin opposite Bill Cosby. Gould also starred on Broadway in Irma La Douce, Say, Darling, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Drat! The Cat!, and Little Murders. Gould was also famously married to Barbra Streisand, who he met while performing in I Can Get It for you Wholesale on Broadway. Later in his life he appeared in supporting characters in Bugsy, American History X, and the Oceans 11 films. His success in the 1970's led him to host SNL 6 times in the show's first 5 years. Below are some clips from one of the sketches that he starred in back in 1975, as well as various other clips of Elliot Gould in film and on televsion:

Saturday Night Live Season 1, Episode 9 (1975):
Interior Demolitionists:

Godfather Therapy:

Killer Bees:


From the film Move (1970)


From the film Little Murders (1971)


From Friends Season 9 Episode 1-The One Where No One Proposes: