Paolo From 'Friends' Reveals The Real Story Behind His Italian Lines

The one where he ad-libbed his lines.

Cosimo Fusco, the Italian actor who played Paolo in “Friends,” has revealed how he made up what he said in his native language during filming for the first season of the hit NBC sitcom.

The show’s producers asked Fusco to improvise, he explained in an interview with the “Today” show that is now going viral.

“I was a little bit skeptical because my English then wasn’t as good as it is now, let’s face it,” said Fusco in the segment marking the comedy’s 25th anniversary. “But I was told not to speak any English: ‘Just say whatever you want in Italian.’”

“When I’m standing by the window with Jennifer and I say, ‘Look at the moon, look at the star’ and I just say that and it stayed in everyone’s mind,” he added.

Paolo briefly dated Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel Green until he made a pass at Phoebe Buffay (played by Lisa Kudrow) during a massage.

Fusco still had affection for his character, however, saying he “would love to see him now, after 25 years, how he presents himself.”

Check out the interview here: