Jason Graae is a Chicago -born American musical theatre actor, best known for his musical theater performances but with a varied career spanning Broadway , opera , television and film. He started his career in Tulsa, Oklahoma at Edison High School starring in many plays, singing in the chorus and playing the oboe in the orchestra. He went on to create the role of Sparky in the original off-Broadway production of Forever Plaid , and originated the role of Houdini in the LA production of Ragtime . He has won Ovation Awards for Los Angeles productions of Forbidden Hollywood and Forbidden Broadway and was nominated for a third for Anything Goes . He has been nominated for a Drama Desk Award for "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" off- Broadway. He appeared on Broadway in Falsettos , the Rodgers and Hammerstein revue A Grand Night for Singing , Stardust , Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? , Strike Up The Band , You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile , and Colette Collage .He won the New York Nightlife Award for his one-man show, Coup de Graae! and won the 2006 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award . He also appeared in an episode of Friends in the episode " The One Where Eddie Won't Go ".