The Best Guest Stars In Friends

Summary

• Robin Williams and Billy Crystal’s improvised cameo stole the show in S3, leading to Courteney Cox forgetting her line.
• Julia Roberts playing Susie seeking revenge on Chandler in S2 provided one of the best moments, along with Joey and Ross’ reactions.
• Danny DeVito’s hilarious appearance as the stripper who cried in S10 was filled with funny moments, making a lasting impression.

Back in 1994, Friends was almost an instant hit, and within the first few seasons alone, it began to attract guest stars who would make small cameos, feature for an entire episode, or even take on small recurring roles.

The best guest stars on Friends are those who made the biggest impact in a short amount of time, although naturally, part of this is down to the writing of the character, which may or may not have been written specifically for the star actor or actress. Sometimes episodes are even named based on a guest star’s role.

7

Robin Williams & Billy Crystal

An Improvised Opening That Made Courteney Cox Forget Her Line

• S3 E24 – The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion

Robin Williams and his co-star Billy Crystal featured in one of the show’s most bizarre openings, with Robin Williams’ dramatic performance of finding out his best friend had been sleeping with his wife, stealing the spotlight from the main cast.

Incredibly, this cameo was reportedly improvised, with the two stars filming nearby and being invited to appear. The main cast had no idea what was going on, with Robin and Billy ad-libbing on the spot, highlighting their comedic genius. Even Matt LeBlanc as Joey chipped in with a funny quip. After they left, the two had made such an impression that Courteney Cox couldn’t remember her line, although this actually suited the moment well.

6

Julia Roberts

Played Susie Looking For Revenge On Chandler

• S2 E13 – The One After the Superbowl: Part 2

Julia Roberts wasn’t the only guest star in The One After the Superbowl: Part 2, but she played a much more prominent role than Jean-Claude Van Damme, who briefly played himself. Her role was as Susie, who had once been embarrassed by Chandler in school, but had since grown into a highly attractive woman.

Unfortunately, Chandler didn’t know she was after revenge, leading to an awful situation for him, bereft of clothes. This entire scene, including Joey and Ross’ reactions after, was one of the best in Season 2.

5

Ben Stiller

Played Tommy, Rachel’s Screaming Date

• S3 E22 – The One with the Screamer

Ben Stiller is pretty great at yelling in his roles, and Friends made full use of his talents in a comedic role as Rachel’s date, Tommy. At first, Tommy only screams in front of Ross, with the rest refusing to believe him and assuming he’s just jealous that Rachel is dating.

The juxtaposition of Ben Stiller’s character screaming at Ross in one instance and then pleasantly talking about summer with the others is particularly funny. Thankfully, his true nature is eventually exposed when Tommy screams at Joey and Chandler’s new chick and duck.

4

Danny DeVito

Played The Stripper Who Cried

• S10 E11 – The One Where the Stripper Cries

Easily one of the most hilarious cameos on Friends was Danny DeVito’s time as a male stripper, hired for Phoebe’s bachelorette party. He arrived dressed as a police officer and was at first ridiculed and made to cry after discovering he wasn’t seen as alluring.

Thankfully, after arriving at the decision to retire, his character got to give one big final performance to the joy of all attending. His appearance was riddled with funny moments, and as one of the last guest stars on the show, he certainly made an impression.

3

Bruce Willis

Played Elizabeth’s Dad, Paul, Over Three Episodes

• S6 E21-23 – The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad, The One Where Paul’s The Man, and The One With The Ring.

Bruce Willis was easily one of the most popular guest stars on Friends and appeared in three episodes. While there are reports that he apparently starred after losing a bet to Matthew Perry, it’s unclear if this is true or an urban legend. He plays Paul, the father of Ross’ girlfriend Elizabeth, and so naturally there is plenty of hilarious tension between the two.

Eventually, Rachel ends up dating Paul, which leads to more funny moments, culminating in Ross watching Paul hype himself up in a mirror. What makes Bruce Willis’ cameo even more interesting is that he’s the star of Die Hard, one of Joey, Chandler, and Ross’ favorite films.

2

Winona Ryder

Played An Overly Excited Old Friend Of Rachel’s

• S7 E20 – The One with Rachel’s Big Kiss

While modern audiences may best know Winona Ryder for her role as Joyce Byers in Stranger Things, she was arguably a much more prominent star in the 90s and early 2000s, when she appeared in one memorable Friends episode. Her character, Melissa, was an old college friend of Rachel’s, and, much to Joey’s delight, the two sorority sisters had once shared a kiss.

This kiss was the main talking point of the episode, with Melissa first denying it, before eventually declaring her love for Rachel. Winona Ryder was even mentioned earlier in S3 E24, when Ross used her name to secure a table booking, and before that, she was on Ross’s list of celebrities he could freely sleep with.

1

Brad Pitt

Played An Old Friend Of Ross & Monica Who Hates Rachel

• S8 E9 – The One with the Rumor

Brad Pitt is easily one of the biggest stars to appear on Friends, and in 2001, when he featured in The One with the Rumor, he was currently married to Rachel’s actress, Jennifer Aniston. Funnily enough, Brad Pitt’s character, Will, who is an old friend of Ross and Monica, hates Rachel with a passion as she was apparently mean to him in high school.

Back in their school days, he and Ross founded an I-Hate-Rachel-Green Club, and nearly two decades later, Will’s hatred is still simmering, making for a petty and humorous character. He and Rachel have many funny exchanges throughout the episode, while Phoebe swoons due to his looks. All around, Brad Pitt’s character was highly memorable and made for a great Thanksgiving episode. The cheers from the live crowd also suggest he’s arguably the show’s most popular guest star.