Top 10 Favorite Guest Stars on Friends
Friends is one of my absolute favorite tv shows, I’ve watched through all of the episodes a number of times. Plus I watched several of the episodes many many times. Over the 10 seasons, they had some great guest stars on the show. But who are the best guest stars on the show? Here are my 10 favorites. Let’s get started!
NOTE: In order to qualify on this list the actor had to appear in three or less episodes. So actors like Tom Selleck, Jon Favreau, and Paul Rudd, don’t qualify to be on this list.
10. Dermot Mulroney as Gavin Mitchell (Season 9, Episode 11-13): I sort of love the character of Gavin because his sense of humor fits up really well with my sense of humor. That’s probably why Chandler is my favorite character on the show. Where he’s very sarcastic towards Rachel, sarcastic humor makes me laugh. Even him being kind of a douchebag is what makes him fun. The chemistry between him and Jennifer Aniston is great. You buy into the relationship and dynamic between the two of them. You can see why Rachel might be turned off by him and why Gavin would have feelings for Rachel. He fits nicely into the show, his cocky personality always puts a smile on my face.
9. Julia Roberts as Susie (Season 2, Episode 13): This was the episode that aired right after the Super Bowl. They decided to go for it, do a big episode that’s a lot of fun. So they got big movie stars for this episode. In the episode, they got Julia Roberts to play a girl that Chandler starts to date. The dating relationship between the two of them leads to a lot of shenanigans where he gets dumped in a public restroom. We see that Julia Roberts’ character was using Chandler. It’s a fun situation to have happen, what makes it funny is that Matthew Perry and Julia Roberts were dating each other when this episode aired. It’s fun that they got some big as Julia Roberts to play this character when they were trying to go for a big exciting episode.
8. Danny DeVito as Roy (Season 10, Episode 11): This was just a fun appearance where Danny DeVito was perfect for the role. For Phoebe's bachelorette party, Rachel and Monica hire a stripper. When you hire a male stripper you’d expect this good looking, good bodied man. It’s funny when Danny DeVito is the actor they got for it, because he doesn’t necessarily fit your expectations for a male stripper. There’s all sorts of fun that takes place because of it. Since Danny DeVito is this comedy legend, he’s great here. It’s normally not nice to make fun of people, but the way it’s done here is handled very well. There would obviously be some confusion and disappointment when a 4’11 chubby man shows up as a stripper. They lean into all of the jokes you’d expect here really well.
7. Gary Oldman as Richard Crosby (Season 7, Episode 23-24): This is one of the most surprising guest stars on the show. All of the other actors (for the most part) make sense that they’re on the show. But they got this dramatic actor in Oldman to be in a few episodes. He fits perfectly into this show, him acting against type is what makes it great. I feel like it shows how versatile of an actor Oldman is, where in other movies he’s able to be a great dramatic actor. But here, he shows that he can be very funny. The moment where he and Joey are spitting back and forth at each other because of acting techniques that Oldman teaches him. In his second episode, Oldman is drunk and it’s once again great comedy acting. His episodes, his scenes always put a smile on my face.
6. Greg Kinnear as Benjamin Hobart (Season 10, Episode 6): The type of character that Kinnear plays and how he fits into the show is a classic sit-com style character. He’s this respected scientist that Ross looks up to, but is also the ex of Ross’ girlfriend. There’s a love triangle that forms between the three characters. Similar to what I said about Gavin, I love how cocky and douchey he is. The scenes where he’s asking Ross to spell made up words and very hard questions during an interview makes me laugh every time. Like I said, the type of character he is and the situation he’s involved in a classic set-up for an episode of a sit-com.
5. Reese Witherspoon as Jill Green (Season 6, Episode 13-14): When she appeared on the show, this was fully before she had broken out. It was before Legally Blonde was released. It’s interesting watching this performance and then you watch her in Legally Blonde. Because both characters are kind of cocky and self-centered, but their personalities are very different. Witherspoon is able to play both this sweet, kind, and caring person but also play this rude character that is very selfish and fake at points. Even the relationship she forms with Ross is very interesting. This was before we met Rachel’s other sister and we saw just how different all of them are. Speaking of Rachel’s other sister…
4. Christina Applegate as Amy Green (Season 9, Episode 8 & Season 10, Episode 5): One of my big disappointments when it comes to Friends was that we never got an episode where all three Green sisters were in the same episode. That would have been so much fun and so much madness taking place. Finally, in the penultimate season of the show we get Rachel’s other sister, played by Christina Applegate. Certain character traits are similar to Rachel and Jill. But she’s also the most rude and egotistical of the bunch. She says all of these out of pocket things that hurt the feelings of Rachel and Ross. Or her not understanding that Phoebe's name is Phoebe. She’s so mean, but her being so mean is also what makes her so fun to watch on screen.
3. Alec Baldwin as Parker (Season 8 Episode 17-18): Baldwin’s character on the show is written to be annoying, he does a great job of annoying both the characters in the show and the audience. But it’s the type of annoying that is fun and provides all of these great quotable lines. Where he’s so happy about everything whether it’s plates, lights, doors, hallways. Whatever it may be, he’s overly excited and happy about it and that’s what makes Parker a fun character. Once Phoebe starts to realize just how annoying Parker is, there’s some fun that comes with that and what Phoebe does in the process. I’m used to seeing Alec Baldwin in more dramatic and serious roles. But seeing him do comedy is a lot of fun.
2. Bruce Willis as Paul Stevens (Season 6, Episode 21-23): Bruce Willis’ appearance on the show was because of a bet he lost to Matthew Perry while filming a movie. This is another guest appearance that is filled with quotable and great moments. Of course, he forms this relationship with Rachel that provides this very awkward dynamic between her, Ross, Mr. Stevens, and his daughter. In his second episode, he gets the great “love machine” dance. It’s a moment that puts a smile on my face every time. His rivalry with Ross is great, it’s very understandable as to why Bruce Willis wouldn’t like Ross. I think some of the crying stuff in his third episode wasn’t great. But there’s enough great stuff with him that he has to be on the list.
1. Brad Pitt as Will Colbert (Season 8, Episode 9): This episode is like a top three episode of Friends. I absolutely love this episode and it’s one of the most iconic episodes of the show. In the show, Brad Pitt places Ross’ friend from high school who didn’t like Rachel. Then in the episode, Rachel doesn’t Will. But it’s funny that at the time, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were married. For me, that makes this episode better and funnier to me. Brad Pitt is able to bring all of his swagger and charm to the episode. So while he’s playing a character that isn’t very likable, Pitt is able to make him likable. Once again, he gets all of these great lines and moments that elevate his character and episode for me. Easily, he’s my #1.
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