'Friends': From Brad Pitt to Winona Ryder, 10 celebrities you forgot appeared on star-studded sitcom
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Even after 20 years, the classic sitcom 'Friends' continues to create waves throughout the world, thanks to its legendary cast and humorous plotlines.
The sitcom, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, follows six friends as they navigate job, family, and relationship challenges while remaining supportive of one another.
The show, featuring a talented ensemble cast, also had cameos from A-list celebrities and comedy powerhouses.
So, without further ado, let's get on the bandwagon and look at the 10 celebrities you may have forgotten guest-starred on the famous sitcom.
'Friends' Season 8 Episode 9: Brad Pitt as Will Colbert
With a real-life romance between Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt at the time, the dashing hunk made a memorable cameo as Will Colbert, a high school friend of Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) who detested Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston).
Will's visit over Thanksgiving dinner reveals that he co-founded the 'I Hate Rachel Green Club' with Ross, resulting in one of the show's most memorable and funny guest star moments.
The episode is packed with hilarious tension and surprise discoveries, making it one of the most memorable episodes on the show.
'Friends' Season 8 Episode 6: Sean Penn as Eric
Sean Penn's appearance on the show added a new layer to the life of Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow). Penn portrayed Eric, a guy who was engaged to Phoebe's twin sister Ursula Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) but incorrectly thought he was dating Phoebe.
Confusion arises when Phoebe uncovers Ursula's web of deceit to Eric, in which she lies about her age, background, and even her position as a teacher at the imaginary 'Top-Secret Elementary School for the Children of Spies'.
Phoebe, in her attempt to spare the guy from the deception of falsehoods, conveys the news to Eric as gently as possible, citing Ursula's missing purse as proof.
'Friends' Season 7 Episode 20: Winona Ryder as Melissa Warburton
Winona Ryder made a cameo as Melissa Warburton, a former college acquaintance of Rachel. Her character added a twist to the plot when it was revealed that Rachel and Melissa kissed during their college years, resulting in some uncomfortable and amusing moments when they met again.
Throughout the episode, Rachel struggles with her emotions and attempts to find out if Melissa recalls their kiss, but Melissa continues to ignore the existence of such an event.
The episode's climax happens when Melissa finally confirms the kiss and reveals her infatuation for Rachel, which takes her by surprise.
'Friends' Season 6 Episodes 21, 22 and 23: Bruce Willis as Paul Stevens
Bruce Willis' portrayal of Paul Stevens, the father of Ross's girlfriend Elizabeth Stevens (Alexandra Holden), added a humorous and tense element to the relationship between Ross and Rachel as it was revealed that Paul was dating Rachel.
As Ross attempts to win over Elizabeth's doubtful father while navigating the fact that he is dating Rachel, things take a comedic turn.
Willis's character brings a humorous touch to the plotline and is undeniably one of the most memorable guest appearances on the show.
'Friends' Season 2 Episodes 12 and 13: Julia Roberts as Susie Moss
Julia Roberts appeared as Susie Moss, Chandler Bing's (Matthew Perry) old elementary school friend. Susie, now an accomplished makeup artist, meets Chandler on set, and the two reunite.
Susie's affable demeanour conceals a thirst for vengeance; she dupes Chandler into wearing her panties in a restaurant restroom, leaving him humiliated and abandoned.
So, why did she do that? To avenge Chandler's misdeed, in which he humiliated Susie by lowering her skirt and revealing her knickers. This funny yet vengeful plot is one of the series' most memorable guest appearances.
'Friends' Season 6 Episode 13: Reese Witherspoon as Jill Green
Reese Witherspoon stunned fans with an appearance in Friends as Rachel's sister, Jill Green. Jill pays Rachel a visit after her father cuts her off financially, hoping to teach her some responsibility.
Her stay, however, creates stress as Rachel senses feelings developing between her and Ross. The episodes focus on sibling rivalry and Jill's, highlighting Witherspoon's comic abilities in a remarkable two-episode storyline.
Rachel's protective and sometimes annoyed replies illustrate their sibling rivalry and varying degrees of maturity. Witherspoon's comic timing and charisma made Jill a memorable addition to the hit sitcom's cast, even if only for a short time.
'Friends' Season 3 Episode 22: Ben Stiller as Tommy
One of the series' most remarkable additions was Ben Stiller's debut as the violent bully Tommy. In this episode, Rachel's date Tommy, who first comes off as endearing and charming but soon demonstrates his excessive aggression.
Tommy at Joey Tribbiani's (Matt LeBlanc) exhibits erratic behavior throughout the episode, including screaming at strangers and expressing jealousy, but his facade is quickly discovered by Ross, who tries to warn Rachel about his date's aggressive tendencies, but she ignores his warnings.
'Friends' Season 3 Episode 22: Charlie Sheen as Ryan
Charlie Sheen appeared in the famous comedy as Ryan, a navy man Phoebe used to date. It was found that the man had been visiting the city for two weeks but was suffering from chicken pox.
Ryan wouldn't let the pox stand in his and Phoebe's way, so they both got chicken pox, and the itching drove them insane.
Ryan departs after two less-than-romantic weeks. Charlie Sheen's portrayal of Ryan was a comedic marvel, adding charm and wit to the character while also emphasizing Ryan's hesitation to commit to Phoebe.
'Friends' Season 8 Episode 18: Alec Baldwin as Parker
Alec Baldwin appeared in the popular comedy as one of Phoebe's romantic interests, whom she meets during Ross and Monica's parents' anniversary party.
Baldwin played Parker, an enthusiastic and crazy character who was happy, chatty, and always saw the bright side of things, but also had an odd and bothersome tendency of continuously admiring the most minor things in an absurdly over-the-top manner.
Alec Baldwin's brief stint on the show added humor to the episode, demonstrating his exceptional comic abilities.
'Friends' Season 8 Episode 18: Gary Oldman as Richard Crosby
Gary Oldman portrayed renowned actor Richard Crosby in the classic comedy show. The plotline revolves around Joey as he gets a tiny part in Richard's film.
Joey's joy at working with a renowned actor rapidly turns to annoyance when he learns that Richard has an unsanitary tendency to spit in people's faces when reading his lines, and this time his victim was him.
His guest presence brings a touch of Hollywood glamour to the show and offers lots of funny moments as Joey deals with the difficulties of working alongside a renowned artist, who is a bit irritating as well.
How to stream 'Friends'?
To watch the classic comedy show on Netflix, you must have an exclusive membership, as the streaming service provides a number of packages depending on your budget.
The Standard Plan with advertising requires a monthly membership of $6.99 and includes full HD (1080p) streaming.
The Standard Plan, which does not contain advertisements, costs $15.49 per month and enables you to use one account on two screens at once while streaming in 1080p/full HD resolution.
The $22.99/month Premium Plan allows customers to watch video on up to four screens at the same time in 4K Ultra HD.
'Friends' trailer