Why Ross Gellar's son 'disappeared' from Friends

In happier times, Ben with his father, Ross. Photo / Supplied

After eight seasons on Friends, the character of "Ben" vanished. Now, the actor has revealed why he thinks he was cut from the popular series.

A young Cole Sprouse played the cheeky role of Ben, the son of Ross Gellar and his first wife, Carole.

As Ross, who married and divorced three times over the course of the series, went on to have daughter Emma with Rachel, it seems his first born was forgotten.

Now 26 and starring in popular Netflix series Riverdale, Sprouse has opened up about why his role was abruptly cut, and his character only mentioned a few times afterwards.

Responding to questions in a YouTube chat for GQ magazine, Sprouse surmised the story arc for Ben came to an end because of Ross' poor parenting skills.

Cole Sprouse, now 26, shares why he thinks his character disappeared from the show. Photo / Getty

"Critics would agree that Ross was never really the most present father," he said of the character played by David Schwimmer.

"And so it doesn't surprise me too much."

Fans on Reddit have also discussed why Ross' son was cast out and never met his half-sister, Emma.

"I think Ross Geller lost custody of his son Ben in the later seasons of Friends," one person posted.

"Friends was on for ten seasons, but Ben doesn't show up in person after episode twelve of season eight. He's only mentioned six times in the remaining fifty-four episodes after his last appearance."

They went on to consider: "People like to give Ross the benefit of the doubt, wondering if perhaps he was a better father off-screen.

"Perhaps his children met but the audience never saw.

"The more likely answer is that he was such a deadbeat father that he completely faded away from his son's life, pretending to his family and so-called friends that he still saw a boy he barely knew."

As the final season of Friends wrapped up, it was never made clear if Ben and Ross maintained a relationship.