On "Friends", which profession did Tom Selleck portray?

On "Friends," Tom Selleck portrayed Richard Burke, an ophthalmologist. Richard was Monica Geller’s older boyfriend and a close friend of her parents, Jack and Judy Geller.

Richard’s profession is part of his character’s established identity rather than a one-off joke. His medical career also helps explain why he is presented as established, respected, and financially comfortable when Monica begins dating him. The relationship attracts attention because Richard is 21 years older than Monica and was already a family friend.

Richard and Monica eventually separate because Richard does not want more children, while Monica does. Although they remain in love, that disagreement proves impossible to resolve. Tom Selleck’s performance earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2000.

A common mix-up is confusing Richard’s specialty with general medicine: he is specifically an ophthalmologist, a physician who diagnoses and treats eye-related conditions. Selleck appeared in nine episodes across several seasons.