David, "the Scientist Guy" (Hank Azaria): a physicist with whom Phoebe falls in love in "The One with the Monkey", when he receives an academic grant for a three-year research trip to Minsk (incorrectly -- and consistently -- described in the scripts as being in Russia, rather than Belarus). After a quarrel with his research partner Max (Wayne Pére), Phoebe urges him to take the trip, even though it breaks her heart. Seven years later, he returns to New York for a brief visit and shares an evening with Phoebe, at the end of which he wants to say he loves her, but chooses not to as it will make it harder for him to leave. Two years later, he returns for another visit in "The One with the Male Nanny", where he kisses Phoebe before she admits she is seeing Mike Hannigan, who catches them together. He returns permanently in "The One with the Donor", having failed in his research, and when he finds out that Phoebe and Mike have broken up, he and Phoebe begin dating again. In "The One in Barbados—Part 1", David proposes to Phoebe but is turned down in favor of Mike.