Danny DeVito, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis: The Best Celebrity Guest Stars In Friends

Friends was one of the most popular TV shows of the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains a beloved classic today. While the show's main cast members were undoubtedly talented, it was the addition of some of the biggest names in entertainment as guest stars that helped make it an even bigger phenomenon. Friends celebrity guest stars include Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Winona Ryder and Danny Devito.

From Hollywood A-listers to musicians and comedians, Friends had no shortage of star power. We're taking a look back at some of the best celebrity guest stars to ever grace the show. 

Danny Devito

Who does Danny Devito play in Friends?

Danny DeVito played the character Roy, who was a stripper at Phoebe's bachelorette party.

Which episode was Danny Devito in on Friends?

Danny DeVito appeared in the TV show Friends in Season 10, Episode 11 titled "The One Where the Stripper Cries." He portrayed the character Roy, who was a stripper hired for Phoebe's bachelorette party. His storyline revolves around his interactions with the girl friends during the party after Phoebe laughs at his aging act. She suggests that he could teach stripping instead.

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Julia Roberts

Who does Julia Roberts play in Friends?

Julia Roberts guest-starred as Susie "Underpants" Moss, Chandler's former classmate seeking revenge for an embarrassing childhood incident.

Which episode was Julia Roberts in on Friends?

Julia Roberts appeared in Season 2, Episode 13 titled "The One After the Superbowl: Part 2." She played the character Susie "Underpants" Moss, a childhood acquaintance of Chandler's seeking revenge for a childhood prank he pulled on her. He pulled up her skirt infront of everyone and they saw her underwear. Her storyline involves her reconnecting with Chandler and planning her revenge. The pair date and look as if they are going to have sex in a restaurant bathroom but Susie gets him to wear her underwear and strip naked in the stall. She kicks out his clothes and leaves him there with nothing else on as revenge! Chandler is forced to break the door of its hinges and walk out with it through the restaurant covering his privates on one side.

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Winona Ryder

Who does Winona Ryder play in Friends?

Winona Ryder portrayed Melissa Warburton, one of Rachel's college friends who shares a romantic moment with Rachel.

Which episode was Winona Ryder in on Friends?

Winona Ryder appeared in Season 7, Episode 19 titled "The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin." She portrayed the character Melissa Warburton, one of Rachel's college friends. Melissa's storyline revolves around her developing romantic feelings for Rachel and their unexpected kiss. Phoebe doesn't believe that Melissa and Rachel made out so when the pair re-meet in Central Perk, Rachel invites Phoebe to join them for dinner. When Rachel brings up the kiss, Melissa initially claims to not remember. Infuriated, Rachel kisses her again outside and Melissa reveals that she has been harbouring feelings towards Rachel ever since the kiss. Phoebe is shocked and amused and later kisses Rachel herself to see what "all the fuss is about".

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Bruce Willis

Who does Bruce Willis play in Friends?

Bruce Willis played Elizabeth's father, Paul Stevens, who dates Rachel despite the significant age difference.

Which episode was Bruce Willis in on Friends?

Bruce Willis appeared in Season 6, Episodes 21 and 22 titled "The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth's Dad" and "The One Where Paul's the Man." He played the character Paul Stevens, the father of Ross's girlfriend Elizabeth. The storyline involves Paul dating Rachel despite the significant age difference, which causes tension between Ross and Paul. After initially hating Ross and his involvement with his daughter, Bruce Willis' character Paul is forced to change his mind to save face. While hiding in his bedroom, Ross sees Paul psyche himself up ahead of his weekend with Rachel by singing "Love Machine" and flexing in the mirror. When Ross confronts him infront of the girls, Paul is embarrassed and finally accepts Ross so he doesn't tell Rachel what he saw.

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Jennifer Coolidge

Who does Jennifer Coolidge play in Friends?

Jennifer Coolidge played Amanda, a friend of Monica and Phoebe's who they try to avoid due to her pretentious ways and fake British accent.

Which episode was Jennifer Coolidge in on Friends?

Amanda, Phoebe and Monica's former roommate, makes an appearance in "The One With Ross' Tan." She visits them from England, although she is originally from Yonkers, New York. Amanda attempts to adopt an English accent, but often fails and sounds rather unpleasant. 

Despite her egocentric nature, when Amanda calls Monica's apartment and speaks to Chandler before handing the phone to Monica, Phoebe and Monica agree to meet up with her at the coffee shop to avoid hurting her feelings. During their meeting, Amanda unintentionally reveals that Phoebe had considered cutting Monica out of her life in 1992 due to Monica's controlling and compulsive behaviour. 

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Freddie Prinze Jr

Who does Freddie Prinze Jr play in Friends?

Freddie Prinze Jr. guest-starred as Sandy, a male nanny hired by Ross and Rachel to take care of Emma.

Which episode was Freddie Prinze Jr in on Friends?

Freddie Prinze Jr. appeared in Season 9, Episode 6 titled "The One with the Male Nanny." He played the character Sandy, a male nanny hired by Ross and Rachel to take care of their daughter Emma. His storyline involves the friends' reactions to Ross and Rachel hiring a male nanny. Ross is uncomfortable having a man as their Nanny claiming that he finds Sandy's sensitive side as weird for a guy. Joey gets on well with Sandy and is seen naively learning a lot through his teaching techniques. Ross ultimately fires Sandy, against Rachel's request, but later opens up to him about why he has these toxic masculine beliefs.

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Hugh Laurie

Who does Hugh Laurie play in Friends?

Hugh Laurie appeared as the character known as "The Gentleman on the Plane," who sits next to Rachel and Ross on their flight to London.

Which episode was Hugh Laurie in on Friends?

Hugh Laurie appeared in Season 4, Episode 23 titled "The One with Ross's Wedding: Part 1." He portrayed "The Gentleman on the Plane," a passenger who sits next to Rachel during her flight to London. Rachel is heading to Ross and Emily's wedding to confront Ross and tell him she loves him. As she is nervous, she tells the other passengers on the plane her plan. Hugh Laurie's character has had enough of this chatter, removes his headphones and says that she is a "horrible person" and that "it's perfectly clear" they were "on a break".

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Robin Williams

Who does Robin Williams play in Friends?

Robin Williams made a guest appearance as Tomas, a customer at Central Perk who is mistaken for a crazy person by Phoebe and Joey.

Which episode was Robin Williams in on Friends? 

At the start of "The One With The Ultimate Fighting Champion," Tomas makes a brief appearance alongside his friend Tim (Billy Crystal) in the coffee shop. The six friends inadvertently overhear their peculiar conversation. When Monica is about to share a story about her relationship with Pete Becker, Tomas and Tim approach the group and ask Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, and Joey to make some space on the sofa since all other seats are occupied. 

After accommodating Tomas and Tim, Monica tries to continue her story, but Tomas interrupts her again by suddenly bursting into tears. Curious about his distress, Tim inquires about the reason, and Tomas confesses his suspicion that his wife is being unfaithful to him. He believes that the man she's involved with is her gynaecologist because he has "access."

The comedic talents of both actors shone through as they ad libbed the peculiar conversation between their characters in the coffee shop, adding an unexpected twist that wasn't originally scripted. Coincidentally, they happened to be in the vicinity of the studio building and were approached with an offer to make cameo guest appearances, which they enthusiastically accepted. Although they weren't officially credited for their roles, their spontaneous contribution added a memorable touch to the episode.

The television show Friends became even more iconic with the inclusion of remarkable celebrity guest stars. From the hilarious antics of Danny DeVito and the magnetic presence of Julia Roberts to the unexpected comedic talent of Bruce Willis, these actors left an indelible mark on the beloved sitcom. 

Their appearances brought excitement, laughter, and memorable moments that fans continue to cherish. The star-studded line-up of guest stars in Friends exemplifies the show's ability to attract top-tier talent and create unforgettable episodes. These iconic actors not only added to the show's entertainment value but also demonstrated the enduring popularity and cultural impact of Friends, making it a timeless classic in the realm of television.

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