As far as sitcoms of the 90s go there are very few that can reach the heights of Friends, 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.
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 Roberts made her Friends debut 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 with Matthew Perry allegedly writing a paper on quantum physics in 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 Stiller plays 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.
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 Aniston and 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 series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Cole Sprouse made his first ever solo acting role as Ross' son from season six to eight.
Cole also revealed that he had a huge childhood crush on Jennifer Aniston when he worked on Friends, often forgetting his lines and losing focus because he was so enamored by the actress. Aw!
Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis was one of Friends' biggest guest spots, with Matthew Perry once again being the reason that the show managed to snag this A-lister. Bruce allegedly 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 Faris made 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 the Scary Movie franchise, as well as other comedy works such as The House Bunny and the cult stoner classic Smiley Face.
Jim Rash
Before his iconic role as Dean Craig Pelton on the cult comedy series Community, Jim Rash was a nervous plane passenger on the last ever episode of Friends, who overheard Rachel's phone call to a panicked Phoebe who then inadvertently convinces everyone to evacuate.
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 comedians Robin Williams and Billy Crystal made 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 the Friends' 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 Ryder played 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.
While Winona's appearance is of course excellent, this episode is another sad example of the show's bad treatment of LGBT+ characters that 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.