Here’s one that fans of Friends may just be reading with great interest, although if you only had a passing interest you may be a little lost.

A senior writer at the Huffington Post went on a year-long mission to find the identity of the “Ugly Naked Guy” (UGN), who twice made an appearance during the entirety of Friends.

Todd Van Luling just couldn’t let it go. Here’s some background:

For those who don’t know, Ugly Naked Guy was a bit character on “Friends” who Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross all referenced many times. But the truth is, Ugly Naked Guy actually only appeared on the show twice, and his face was never revealed.

His on-screen debut on the show occurred in the Season 3 episode “The One With The Giant Poking Device,” when the friends stabbed him with a long pole they had fashioned out of chopsticks, but all that could be seen of Ugly Naked Guy was his protruding belly. His second and final appearance on “Friends” occurred in the Season 5 episode “The One Where Everybody Finds Out,” when Ugly Naked Guy moves out of his apartment, and Ross gets the place after he strips and eats muffins with Ugly Naked Guy.

And then, he was gone. The show didn’t credit the actor who played Ugly Naked Guy in either episode, and the actor (or actors) never came forward in the almost two decades since the 1999 episode. Believe me when I say I know far too well that any and all guesses since then have turned out to be wrong.

The mission took Todd on a rollercoaster ride, with very little luck. He emailed producers, directors, cast members and even casting agencies, but to no avail.

The story is quite a tale and, Todd puts every step of his ordeal into a piece on the Huff Post that you can read HERE.

It’s just not my story to tell.

[source: huffngtonpost]