Top 15 Celebrity Cameos in FRIENDS History

Premiered almost two and a half-decade ago on NBC, Friends is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and timeless TV shows ever made. Revolving around the lives of six FRIENDS who share great chemistry and when single got each other for a family, the TV show turned Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer into forever stars who are known better by their reel names, i.e. Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross.

FRIENDS was first broadcasted in 1994 and spans over a period of 10 years till 20014. The sitcom comprises of 10 seasons having 236 episodes. With a star cast, witty punch lines, hilarious jokes, sarcastic comments, and the love and emotions shared by the friends on top of the list makes it the best sit-com ever, which will be loved by generations to come.

Be it Joey’s “Joey doesn’t share his food”, Monica’s “I know!”, Rachel’s dramatic “Nooo!”, Chandler’s timely or untimely sarcasm, Phoebe’s screams, or Ross’s annoying explanations about Paleontology, FRIENDS reside in the hearts of 90s kids and make it the most loved, trusted, and binge-worthy show one can turn to any time any day of the week.

List of awards and nominations received by Friends:

1. The iconic TV series that premiered more than 20 years ago has made a bunch of records and won multiple awards.
2. Friends had been nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards
3. Friends won the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002 when its eighth season was broadcasted
4. Friends ranked 21st on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
5. Friends was placed at no. 7 in the list of 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time by Empire magazine
6. Friends’ season 2, episode 14 named, “The One with the Prom Video” made it to TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time in 1997
7. Friends ranked 24th in America’s 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time
8. Friends was also named among TV Guide’s 60 Best TV Series of All Time ranking at no. 28

What further added to the popularity of FRIENDS was the fact that many A-Listers got featured in the show and made it more entertaining and hilarious. The 90s sitcom was so successful that many renowned stars of that time made cameo appearances in the show. Some actors like Tom Selleck appeared on the show on and off throughout the ten seasons while others like Brad Pitt, Winona Ryder, and Julia Roberts made comparatively short appearances in the show.

Here, we have compiled a list of the top 15 celebrity cameos from FRIENDS. Let us know who your favorite celeb appearance from FRIENDS was?

Sr.	Original Name	Character
1.	Paul Rudd	Mike Hannigan
2.	Brad Pitt	Will Colbert
3.	Winona Ryder	Melissa Warburton
4.	Isabella Rossellini	Isabella Rossellini
5.	Julia Roberts	Susie Moss
6.	Charlie Sheen	Ryan
7.	Christina Applegate	Amy Green
8.	Reese Witherspoon	Jill Green
9.	Robin Williams And Billy Crystal	The Two Arguing Men In Central Perk
10.	Bruce Willis	Paul Stevens
11.	Tom Selleck	Dr. Richard Burke
12.	Alec Baldwin	Parker
13.	Hugh Laurie	The man on a flight with Rachel
14.	George Clooney and Noah Wyle	Cute doctors
15.	Danny DeVito	Roy The Stripper

1. Paul Rudd

On top of our list from Friends celebrity cameos is Paul Rudd who played the love interest of Phoebe Buffay in the show with who she ends up getting married. Paul Rudd featured in 18 episodes of the last two seasons of the show as Mike Hannigan. Thanks

to a blind date set-up by Joey, Mike and Phoebe get into a serious relationship. Their relationship gets a little messy because of conflicting views (Ah Phoebe!) on marriage and they break-up to eventually get back together later. After several failed proposals, our favorite scene is when Phoebe chose Mike over David Crane (Phoebe’s on-and-off boyfriend), whom she would have gotten married to had he not gone to Minsk leaving her behind. In their wedding vows, Mike expresses his gratitude having found someone so “wonderfully weird”.

2. Brad Pitt

One of the most memorable star appearances on the FRIENDS was Jennifer Anniston’s (aka Rachel) then-husband Brad Pitt. He appeared in the 9th episode of Season 8, “The One With The Rumor”. Brad Pitt played Will Colbert, Ross’ high-school best friend who founded the “I hate Rachel Green” club along with Ross. He considered Rachel as his biggest enemy and spread the rumor in the high school that she was a hermaphrodite. The main reason behind this hate was that Rachel was mean to him in the high-school.

3. Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder is the next on the list who played Melissa Warburton, Rachel’s sorority sister in the show. She appeared in the 20th episode of the 7th season, “The One With Rachel’s Big Kiss”. When Friends bump into her, Monica tells everyone that Rachel made out with her during drunken college night. When Phoebe doesn’t believe the story, Rachel invites Melissa to dinner to prove that she isn’t lying. Melissa refuses to agree with Rachel’s story and in a desperate and frustrating moment, Rachel kisses Winona as in Melissa to jolt her memory to which Melissa confesses that she had been in love with Rachel ever since the incident and she didn’t her earlier because she was afraid that her feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated.

4. Isabella Rossellini

The next in the list is Isabella Rossellini who came in as herself. She appeared in the 5th episode of the 3rd season, The One With Frank Jr., in Central Perk. It was the episode in which Ross makes a list of celebrities he was allowed to date and Isabella Rossellini was on his list until he removes her from the final laminated list. Ross then comes across her at Central Perk where Rachel and other Friends push him to go talk to her where he tells her about his list. Isabella Rossellini is bewildered throughout the awkward conversation with Ross, and when she finds out that she was removed from his final list, she turns his effort to hit on her down.

5. Julia Roberts

One of the most memorable guest appearances in Friends is that of Julia Roberts as in Susie Moss or the infamous Susie Underpants. She appears in the 12th and 13th episodes of the 2nd season of Friends. Susie Moss went to the same junior school as Chandler Bing, where he pulled her pants down in fourth grade earning her the bad name, Susie Underpants. She couldn’t forget the childhood insult and returns as an adult to see revenge from Chandler. Burning in the fire of vengeance, Susie pretends that she had forgiven Chandler for his deed and goes on a date with him. She seeks her long-awaited revenge in a restaurant stall, where he makes Chandler take off his clothes and runs away with his clothes leaving him naked there.

6. Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen appeared in 2nd season’s 23rd episode. The Two and a Half Men famed star plays Ryan in the longest-run sitcom. He is featured as Phoebe’s Navy boyfriend who she meets every few years when he takes leave from his submarine.

In the episode, Charlie Sheen informs Phoebe that he will be visiting her in New York for two weeks. Phoebe starts planning romantic activities to do with him during his stay but her plans get interrupted by the chickenpox at the last minute. Charlie Sheen ends up catching Phoebe’s chickenpox and the two spend some itchy time together.

7. Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon plays Rachel’s sister Jill Green. She appeared in the 13th episode, “The One With Rachel’s Sister”, and 14th episode “The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry” in season 6 of the show. Jill comes to New York to follow Rachel’s footsteps and become independent but she spends her time in the city shopping off her father’s credit card while Rachel is trying to find her a job. The two sisters have an argument and Jill ends-up dating Ross to get back at Rachel providing the history between Ross and Rachel.

8. Christina Applegate

Next in the list, Christina Applegate appears in two different episodes of the show; 8th episode of season 9, “The One With Rachel’s Other Sister”, and 5th episode of the last season, “The One Where Rachel’s Sister Baby-Sits”. She plays Rachel’s spoiled sister Amy Green. Amy is shown as bratty, irresponsible, and spoiled. She makes the situation awkward by her mean, rude comments about Friends and even mocks Joey for his eating habits and keep calling her own niece Emma by the wrong name.

In another episode, she appears demanding Rachel to let her adopt Emma which Rachel refuses, and the two sisters end-up in a fist-fight after Ammy says mean things about Emma. One of the most bizarre scenes is where when she gets to baby-sit Emma (against Ross’s will as he knew she was irresponsible), she gets the baby’s ears pierced without anyone’s permission.

9. Billy Crystal and Robin Williams

One of the most unforgettable and hilarious moments in Friends was when Billy Crystal and Robin Williams made a guest appearance in the show. They appeared in the 24th episode of the 3rd season, “The One With The Ultimate Fighting Champion”. The two actors loudly stormed into the Central Perk interrupting an ongoing conversation between the six friends. Billy Crystal and Robin Williams ask friends to give them some space on their famous couch and continue to argue on personal matters.

In an awkward instance, Friends start hearing their argument as spectators. During the argument, Williams’ character complains that his wife is dating someone else which Crystal’s character admits to being him, leaving the Friends gang shocked.

10. Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis has won an Emmy award for his outstanding guest appearance in Friends. He played Paul Stevens in the 22nd episode of the 6th season, “The One Where Paul’s the Man”.

Paul plays the father of Ross’s much-younger girlfriend Elizabeth who doesn’t approve of their relationship but ends up dating Rachel himself.

While Paul is preparing himself for a date night with Rachel, Ross catches him doing weird dance moves to himself in the mirror. Ross later blackmails Paul about his weird act and uses that to his own advantage of dating Elizabeth.

11. Tom Selleck

The next in line is handsome hunk Tom Selleck who kept appearing on-and-off throughout the show. He played Dr. Richard Burke, a friend of Ross and Monica’s father who Monica dates despite the fact that he was 21-year-older than her. The two have a messy and weird yet very passionate and romantic relationship that gets broken over the fact that Monica wants babies while Dr. Richard doesn’t.

In the 6th season, Dr. Richard gives in and returns for Monica only to find her happy with Chandler, who is giving her everything she wants, and leaves.

12. Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin featured in the 18th episode of the 8th season, “The One in Massapequa”. He came in as an overly enthusiastic guest Parker, who Phoebe brings to Monica and Ross’s parents’ 35th wedding anniversary.

Throughout the episode, Parker goes around meeting and complimenting all the guests of the function and everything he sees on the way but soon everyone gets annoyed by his over-enthusiastic behavior.

13. Hugh Laurie

Have you ever gotten stuck with an annoying, talkative person on a flight? Hugh Laurie did! The versatile actor appeared in the 4th season of Freinds in a flight from New York to London with Rachel; yes! Rachel was the talkative person Hugh got stuck with.

It was the episode where Rachel was flying to London to stop Ross and Emily’s wedding and tell him that she was still in love with him. Rachel acts all nervous and chatty during the flight making it pretty unpleasant for Laurie.

14. George Clooney and Noah Wyle

One of the most memorable scenes from the first season of Friends was when George Clooney and Noah Wyle made a guest appearance in the show. The two played a pair of doctors who come to treat Rachel’s ankle. It was the episode where Rachel and Monica replace their names so Rachel could benefit from Monica’s health insurance. The two handsome doctors ask Monica and Rachel out on a date unaware of the fact that two friends had replaced their names. This leads to an awkward double-date filled with chaos and confusion.

15. Danny DeVito

Danny DeVito plays the role of Roy, the 50-year-old stripper in the 11th episode of the final season, “The One Where The Stripper Cries”.

While preparing for Phoebe’s bachelorette party, Monica and Rachel forget to book a stripper at first and end-up hiring Roy at the 11th hour. While Roy tries to perform his duty, the three make it obvious that they aren’t happy with his services, to which the old stripper ends up crying. Unable to see him cry, Phoebe requests him to continue his sensational dance – a request he happily complies with.

Although there were many more celebrity appearances in the show that made the show more humorous and memorable but these 15 celebrity cameos stood out for us. Who was your favorite A-lister cameo of Friends? Let us know in the comments.