Odd Couple's Jack Klugman And Tony Randall 'Argued Like Cats And Dogs' About This One Thing

"The Odd Couple" is one of those rare creations that enjoyed success as a hit Broadway play, a 1968 movie, and finally a beloved sitcom that ran from 1970 to 1975. The premise of "The Odd Couple" was simple but hilarious: Two divorced friends, a neat freak and a slob who really could have used some home organization hacks, move in together and try to endure each other's quirks without losing their minds. Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were cast as the fastidious Felix Unger and the slovenly Oscar Madison for the show. And the actors were so perfect in their respective roles that fans have long wondered whether they actually got on each other's nerves in real life. 

As it turns out, they did — but not for the reason you think. During a joint interview with The Independent, in 1996, Klugman explained that despite the stellar cast and the positive reaction from the studio audience, the show did poorly in the ratings. Surprisingly, none of their seasons rank among the most perfect TV seasons rated by Metacritic. "I asked Tony what we should do, and that's when I first learned what a perfectionist he is," the actor recalled. "He simply said that we were going to work until 11:00 PM every night to make it work. We argued like cats and dogs for five years, but only ever about how to make the show better. We never, ever had a personal argument in all that time." 

Randall backed this up, acknowledging, "We used to fight like crazy while we were doing the TV show, but it was always about the script — never about ourselves." As he clarified, "We wanted the show to be good, we didn't want to waste time arguing about who had the biggest or best scene."

The Odd Couple" featured a strong supporting cast, including Penny Marshall in her pre-"A League of Their Own" fame, and guest stars like the great Betty White, Bob Hope, and Rob Reiner. But the star of the show was undeniably the chemistry between its co-leads, who were equally endearing despite their annoying habits. Jack Klugman played a large part in that facet of their characters, in particular. When Emmy TV Legends asked whether there was anything in the "Odd Couple" stage play that wasn't in the television show, the actor immediately replied, "Love," (via YouTube). In the original play, it's made clear that Felix is Oscar's "oldest and dearest friend," but the earlier episodes of the TV adaptation didn't get that relationship across. 

As Klugman pointed out, "When we did the series every Thursday, after all the comedy had been written and all the jokes, I'd say, 'Okay, fellas, but where's the love scene? Where's the scene where I say, "Felix, I love you but I can't do that?" Otherwise, it becomes 'Why do they stay together?'" The writers took his advice seriously, and the scripts from then on reflected the bond between the two men, which allowed them to remain on speaking terms even when they clashed over decorating or competing on the game show "Password" (fans know that the correct response to the clue "Aristophanes" is "Ridiculous!").

It helped that the veteran actors clicked from the very beginning. Tony Randall told Emmy TV Legends that they were lucky enough to have a natural chemistry that made it easy to play off each other. "I can't account for it," the actor confessed (via YouTube). "It's like sex: Either you feel it for someone, or you don't."