Friends: Why Carol, Ross’ Ex-Wife, Was Recast

Ross’ ex-wife Carol on Friends had a significant recurring role, but she was actually played by two different actors over the course of the series. At the beginning of the series, Ross had just divorced Carol, his college girlfriend, who had recently come out and left him to live with her partner, Susan. Carol was introduced in Friends’ second episode, “The One with the Sonogram at the End,” when it was revealed that Carol was pregnant with Ross’ child, who would become his son Ben. However, the Carol introduced in that episode wasn’t the same as in the following episodes.