As far as sitcoms of the 90s go there are very few that can reach the heights ofFriends,which still remains a staple of pop culture to this day. The show made its main cast household names due to its ever-lasting popularity, but it also featured cameos that helped give the show its charm.
Related:‘Friends’ Creator Marta Kauffman Counters Diversity Critiques With Alma Mater Donation
The classic series holds an impressive roster of guest roles that may have been underlooked or forgotten over the years, ranging from famous heavy-hitters to previously unknowns.
Julia Roberts
Julia Robertsmade herFriendsdebut early on in the series in season two, where she starred as a childhood friend of Chandler, Susie Moss.
Julia was already a rising star in Hollywood when she made her guest cameo on the show withMatthew Perryallegedly writing a paper on quantum physicsin order to persuade her to make an appearance. The two actors even had such chemistry on set that they ended up dating in real life, even if the episode ended with Susie purposely embarrassing Chandler out of revenge.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stillerplays a date of Rachel’s, Johnny, who suffers from extreme anger issues that are set off easily, screaming profusely with a passionate display of pure rage.
Related:Jennifer Aniston’s 10 Best Roles, According to IMDB
The actor’s involvement in the show is highly regarded as one of the funniest and best cameos of the entire series, with Ben’s unhinged performance being one of the show’s most memorable moments.Jennifer Anistonand Ben Stiller remained close after their work together on the series, with them later working on other films and shows that show off their excellent chemistry.
Cole Sprouse
Before he and his twin brother,Dylan, took part in the beloved Disney Channel seriesThe Suite Life of Zack and Cody,Cole Sprousemade his first ever solo acting role as Ross' son from season six to eight.
Cole also revealed that he hada huge childhood crush onJennifer Anistonwhen he worked onFriends,often forgetting his lines and losing focus because he was so enamored by the actress. Aw!
Bruce Willis
Bruce Williswas one ofFriends’biggest guest spots, withMatthew Perryonce again being the reason that the show managed to snag this A-lister. Bruceallegedly lost a bet to Matthew, resulting in his appearance on the sitcom classic.
He played the ultimate DILF who angrily disapproves of Ross dating his daughter, but who then hypocritically starts dating Ross' on-again-off-again love interest Rachel much to Ross' chagrin.
Anna Faris
Anna Farismade an appearance in season 10 of the show as the surrogate mother of Monica and Chandler, Erica, in four total episodes. Anna is unsurprisingly hilarious and plays the role of a ditzy but well-meaning young woman, who unknowingly gives the couple twins.
The actress is most well-known for her work in theScary Moviefranchise, as well as other comedy works such asThe House Bunnyand the cult stoner classicSmiley Face.
Before his iconic role as Dean Craig Pelton on the cult comedy seriesCommunity,Jim Rashwas a nervous plane passenger on the last ever episode ofFriends, who overheard Rachel’s phone call to a panicked Phoebe who then inadvertently convinces everyone to evacuate.
Related:The Cast of ‘Community’: Where Are They Now?
His involvement in the final episode added some much-needed comedy relief during the last ever will-they-won’t-they storyline of Ross and Rachel, where Rachel gives up an incredible job opportunity overseas so that she can be with a man who is arguably the least likable member of the main crew. If Jim just kept his mouth shut maybe Rachel would probably be living a much more fulfilling life.
Robin Williams and Billy Crystal
Legendary comediansRobin WilliamsandBilly Crystalmade a small cameo appearance on the third season of the show as two friends having an intense argument in front of the main cast, ending with them both storming out of the iconic Central Perk café.
Robin and Billy’s cameos were pure coincidence -they happened to be at a nearby set and wandered onto theFriends’set where the writers asked the pair if they would agree to a quick appearance on the show. The entire scene was completely improvised and adlibbed by the two, showing off their excellent comedy skills and making for a memorable moment in the show’s history.
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryderplayed the character of Melissa Warburton, Rachel’s sorority sister from college, who shared a kiss with her on a drunk party night. The two end up sharing another kiss by the end of the night which leads to Melissa’s reveal that she is in love with Rachel, which is sadly unreciprocated.
Related:Best Winona Ryder Performances, From ‘Stranger Things’ to ‘Beetlejuice’
While Winona’s appearance is of course excellent, this episode is another sad example of the show’s bad treatment of LGBT+ charactersthat has not aged well at all. The episode is one of the lowest-rated episodes of the entire series, as well as had an incredibly low viewership at the time of its release. Winona deserved much better.
NEXT:‘Better Call Saul’: Other Characters Who Deserve Their Own Prequel Series
