Famous Actors You Forgot Guest-Starred on Friends
Ten seasons. 236 episodes. Lots of guest stars. There were famous people on Friends who didn’t even realize how famous they’d come to be, making cameos and guest appearances throughout the years. If you’re not catching reruns constantly and haven’t watched in years, you might not even remember these Friends guest stars. These are the famous actors you forgot guest starred on Friends - could they BE any more nostalgic?
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Episode: "The One with Two Parts"
This was in 1995, when Clooney was on ER as Dr. Doug Ross, which is why it’s funny that he was playing a doctor on Friends. In the episode, Noah Wyle, also from ER, guest stars too, and he and Clooney’s characters go on a double date with Rachel and Monica.
Role: Dr. Michael Mitchell
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Episode: "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Championship"
Williams wasn’t alone in this episode, guest starring alongside Billy Crystal, who played Tim. This is a pretty legendary duo to have appear on your show, and in this episode the characters they played, Tomas and Tim, joined the Friends regulars on their couch, interrupting Monica’s story and talking about how Tomas is suspicious his wife has been cheating until eventually, Monica had forgotten what she was going to say.
Role: Tomas
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Episode: "The One Where Rosita Dies"
Alexander - of Seinfeld fame - played Earl, the suicidal man who talks to Phoebe when she’s working as a telephone sales woman at Empire Office Supplies. Eventually Phoebe talks him out of committing suicide.
Role: Earl
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Episode: "The One with the Rumor"
Jennifer Aniston’s then husband Brad Pitt played Monica and Ross’s old high school friend, Will Colbert. It turns out that Colbert doesn’t like Rachel because she was mean to him in school, but he attends dinner with the gang and it results in hilarity.
Role: Will Colbert
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Episode: "The One with Princess Consuela"
The Man on Fire star was only 10 years old when this episode aired, but she played an 8-year-old girl who makes friends with Joey when he's sad that Monica and Chandler are moving into a new house.
Role: Mackenzie
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Episode: "The One with the Mugging"
Goldblum’s character is directing a stage play that Joey for which Joey is auditioning. At first Leonard doesn’t like Joey, but a producer convinces him to give Joey a second chance, leading to a sequence of events that ends with Joey wetting his pants.
Role: Leonard Hayes
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Episode: "The One with the Donor"
Stamos played Chandler’s co-worker, Zack. Chandler and Monica were having trouble getting pregnant and considering a sperm donor. Zack was a prospective donor, though Monica and Chandler scared him off with all of their health-related questions.
Role: Zack
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Episode: "The One Where the Stripper Cries"
Rachel and Monica find a male exotic dancer for Phoebe’s bachelorette party: Roy “Goodbody.” He’s an emotionally unstable, angry stripper who Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe wind up feeling pity for, encouraging him to finish his dance routine.
Role: Roy “Goodbody”
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Episode: "The One with the Chicken Pox"
Sheen played Ryan, a Navy guy who used to date Phoebe. When Phoebe gets chicken pox, Ryan refuses to let that get between them spending time together, despite never having had chicken pox himself. Of course, he too catches the pox and it results in a two week long, unromantic disaster.
Role: Ryan
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Episode: "The One After the Superbowl, Part 2"
Roberts’s character, Susie, is a makeup artist who meets Chandler; the two remember each other from elementary school. He asks her out and she tries to involve him in some ~unconventional~ sexual activities, which are actually an elaborate plan to get back at him for wronging her in fourth grade.
Role: Susie Moss
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Episode: "The One with Ross’ Wedding: Part Two"
The beloved actor who played Dr. House was once simply a “guy on a plane.” He sits on a flight next to Rachel and has the sassiness and irritable of Dr. House. He is annoyed by Rachel, putting on headphones to ignore her and interrupting her story that he overheard, telling her that she’s horrible for trying to stop Ross’s wedding.
Role: The Gentleman on the Plane
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Episode: "The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad"
Willis played Elizabeth’s father, Paul. Paul strongly disliked Ross and didn’t approve of his and Elizabeth's relationship. He was on the series for three episodes, making fun of and intimidating Ross.
Role: Paul Stevens
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Episode: "The One with the Screamer"
Stiller played Tommy, and the name of the episode revolved around his character. Tommy seems pretty chill initially, but he turns out to be an overly aggressive bully, scaring an old couple that is sitting in his and Ross’s seats, yelling at them. He does more scaring with his hostile personality throughout the episode.
Role: Tommy
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Episode: "The One with Rachel’s Sister"
Jill pops up in Rachel's life because she has no money and is being forced to survive on her own. Witherspoon played this role again in the following episode, “The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry.”
Role: Jill Green
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Episode: "The One with Rachel’s Other Sister"
Applegate played Rachel’s inconsiderate sister, Amy, who is first introduced by unexpectedly popping up to request a hair straightener. She eventually has a classic catfight scene with Rachel, who gets fed up with her ways. Applegate played this role again in “The One Where Rachel’s Sister Babysits.”
Role: Amy Green
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Episode: "The One with Princess Consuela"
Robinson, who later had roles in films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Hot Tub Time Machine, briefly appeared in this Season 10 episode of Friends. He played an office clerk who talks to Phoebe.
Role: Clerk
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Episode: "The One with Ross’ Grant"
Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear played Benjamin, a Nobel Prize-winning paleontologist who was in charge of awarding a grant Ross desperately wanted. Unfortunately for Ross, Benjamin tries to bribe him into giving up his girlfriend, Charlie, who Benjamin had dated previously. When Ross doesn’t accept, Benjamin reacts poorly. Eventually Charlie decides she still has feelings for Benjamin and breaks up with Ross.
Role: Benjamin Hobart
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Episode: "The One with the Cheap Wedding Dress"
Union plays a girl who moves in across the street from Central Perk, and draws the attention of Ross and Joey. They both go on dates with her without knowing she's seeing them both. She is wooed by the guys throughout the rest of the episode as they compete to impress her. When Joey and Ross fight over her, Kristen walks away and that’s the last we see of her character, though Union has obviously had a great deal of success since.
Role: Kristen Leigh
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Episode: "The Last One, Part 2"
Academy Award winner Jim Rash was in the very last episode of Friends, sitting on the plane next to Rachel on her flight to Paris. His character becomes uncomfortable when he hears Rachel mention that there's something wrong with the “left phalange” and he makes a fuss. This causes an uproar that delays the plane long enough for Ross to catch Rachel in time to profess his love.
Role: Nervous Male Passenger
