Characters of Friends
Encyclopedia
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
featured six main cast members throughout its run, with numerous characters recurring throughout the ten seasons. The main cast members were familiar to television viewers before their roles on Friends, but were not considered to be stars. Series creator David Crane wanted all six characters to be equally prominent, and the series was lauded as being "the first true 'ensemble' show". The cast members made efforts to keep the ensemble format and not allow one member to dominate; they entered themselves in the same acting categories for awards, opted for collective instead of individual salary negotiations, and asked to appear together on magazine cover photos in the first season. The cast members became best friends off screen, and one guest star
Guest appearance
In show business , a guest appearance is a participation of an outsider performer , usually called guest artist , in an event , i.e., the participation of a performer which does not belong to the regular crew In performance...
, Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
, reported sometimes feeling left out. The cast remained good friends after the series' run, most notably Cox and Aniston, with Aniston being godmother to Cox and David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
's daughter, Coco. In the official farewell commemorative book Friends 'Til The End
Friends 'til the end (book)
Friends 'til the end: the one with all ten years is the official companion to one of the world's most popular sitcoms, Friends and includes exclusive interviews with the six main cast members, the complete story of all ten seasons and a special section on the last episode...
, each separately acknowledged in his/her interview that the cast had become his/her family.
In their original contracts for season one, each cast member was paid $22,500 per episode. The cast members received different salaries in the second season, beginning from the $20,000 range to $40,000 per episode. Prior to their salary negotiations for the third season, the cast decided to enter collective negotiations, despite Warner Bros. preference for individual deals. The actors were given the salary of the least paid cast member, meaning Aniston and Schwimmer had their salaries reduced. The stars were paid, per episode, $75,000 in the third season, $85,000 in the fourth, $100,000 in the fifth, and $125,000 in the sixth season. The cast members received salaries of $750,000 per episode in the seventh and eight seasons, and $1 million per episode in the ninth and tenth. The cast also received syndication royalties beginning with the fifth season.
Main characters
All six main characters had prior experience in situation comedySituation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, and, in some cases, improvisational comedy as well.
- Rachel Karen GreenRachel GreenRachel Karen Green is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Aniston received an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe for her performances.-Background:...
(Jennifer AnistonJennifer AnistonJennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
)—a fashion enthusiast and Monica's best friend from high school. Rachel and Ross Geller are involved in an on-off relationship throughout the series. Rachel's first job is a waitress at the coffee house Central Perk, but she later becomes an assistant buyer at Bloomingdale'sBloomingdale'sBloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
, and a buyer at Polo Ralph LaurenPolo Ralph LaurenRalph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home and housewares...
in season five. Aniston had already appeared in several unsuccessful sitcom pilotTelevision pilotA "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
s before being cast in Friends; she was also on TV series MolloyMolloy (TV series)Molloy is an American TV series that aired on Fox from July 25 to August 29, 1990. It starred Mayim Bialik as a carefree New York-native preteen girl, whose life is turned upside down when her divorced father moves her to Los Angeles upon remarrying. The series was created by George Beckerman, and...
and Ferris BuellerFerris Bueller (TV series)Ferris Bueller is an American sitcom based on the 1986 John Hughes's film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It debuted on August 23, 1990, on NBC and was cancelled within its first season, a few months after its debut....
—the latter being based on the movie Ferris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
. After starring in the critically derided film LeprechaunLeprechaun (film)Leprechaun is a 1993 horror film directed by Mark Jones, starring Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston in her first film role. The film was shot in Saugus, California...
, she was prepared to give up acting when she auditioned for Friends.
- Monica Elizabeth Geller-Bing (Courteney CoxCourteney CoxCourteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
)—the mother hen of the group, known for her obsessive-compulsive and competitive nature. Monica is often jokingly teased for having been an extremely overweight child by the others, especially her brother Ross. Monica is a chef who changes jobs often throughout the show, and marries longtime friend Chandler Bing in season seven. Cox had the highest profile career of the main actors when she was initially cast, having appeared in Ace Ventura: Pet DetectiveAce Ventura: Pet DetectiveAce Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. It co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino....
and Family TiesFamily TiesFamily Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
, and having originally been discovered in a Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
video.
- Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan (Lisa KudrowLisa KudrowLisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends, for which she received many accolades including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards...
)—an eccentric masseuseMassageMassage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
and musician. Phoebe became homeless at the age of 14, and is known for being ditzy yet street-smart. Kudrow previously played waitress Ursula Buffay on Mad About YouMad About YouMad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
, and reprised the dual role of twin sister Ursula as a recurring character during several episodes of Friends. Prior to her acting career, Kudrow was an office manager and researcher for her father, a headache specialist; she also worked as a News Anchor/Reporter for KVII-TVKVII-TV-External links:** — live pictures of downtown Amarillo and surroundings from KVII's Sky Cam...
in Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, TexasAmarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
. Kudrow began her comedic career as a member of The GroundlingsThe GroundlingsThe Groundlings are an improvisational comedy troupe based in Los Angeles, California. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin to produce sketches and improvised scenes...
, joining the ranks of those such as Will FerrellWill FerrellJohn William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
and Janeane GarofaloJaneane GarofaloJaneane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
. Briefly, Kudrow joined with Conan O'BrienConan O'BrienConan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
and director Tim Hillman in the short-lived improvImprovisational theatreImprovisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
troupe Unexpected CompanyUnexpected CompanyUnexpected Company is an improvisational comedy group founded in Hollywood, California in 1986 by Tim Hillman, and recreated in Rhode Island in 2003 by Hillman and Justin James Lang.-California version:...
. She was also the only regular female member of the Transformers Comedy Troupe. Her improvisational work allowed her to invent a variety of impressionImpressionismImpressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
"characters"—some of which were used in Friends.
- Joseph "Joey" Francis TribbianiJoey TribbianiJoseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends and the title character in the spin-off, Joey , portrayed by Matt LeBlanc....
(Matt LeBlancMatt LeBlancMatthew Steven "Matt" LeBlanc is an American actor, best known for his role as Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcoms Friends and its spin-off Joey....
)—a struggling actor and food lover who becomes famous for his role on Days of our LivesDays of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
as Dr. Drake Ramoray. Joey is a womanizer with many girlfriends throughout the series, and develops a crush on his friend Rachel in season eight. Before his role on Friends, LeBlanc appeared as a regular on the short-lived TV 101TV 101TV 101 is an American drama series that aired on CBS from 1988 until 1989. The series starred Sam Robards, Brynn Thayer, Leon Russom and Andrew Cassese. Other notable cast members include Stacey Dash, Teri Polo, Alex Désert and Matt LeBlanc...
, a minor character in the sitcom Married... with ChildrenMarried... with ChildrenMarried... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
, and as a main character in its spin-offs, Top of the Heap and Vinnie & Bobby.
- Chandler Muriel BingChandler BingChandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Matthew Perry.-Background:Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of Scottish ancestry. Chandler was Ross...
(Matthew PerryMatthew PerryMatthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
)—an executive in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration for a large multi-national corporation. Chandler quits his job and becomes a junior copywriter at an advertising agency during season nine. Chandler is known for his sarcastic sense of humor, and marries longtime friend Monica. Like Aniston, Perry had already appeared in several unsuccessful sitcom pilots before being cast. He had also starred in the TV series Second ChanceSecond Chance (TV series)Second Chance was a short-lived American television sitcom, which aired on Fox from September 26 to November 28, 1987. The series was then revamped under the new title Boys Will Be Boys, and ran in the new format from January to May 14, 1988. It was created by David W...
and SydneySydney (TV series)Sydney is an American situation comedy series that aired on CBS in 1990. It was created and written by Michael J. Wilson and Douglas Wyman and starred Valerie Bertinelli, Matthew Perry and Craig Bierko.-Synopsis:...
.
- Ross Eustace Geller, Ph.D.Ph.D.A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(David SchwimmerDavid SchwimmerDavid Lawrence Schwimmer is an American actor and director of television and film. He was born in New York City, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was two. He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. In 1988, he graduated from Northwestern...
)—a paleontologistPaleontologyPaleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
working at a museum of Prehistoric History, and later a professorProfessorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of paleontology at New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. Ross has three failed marriages during the series (including one that already ended before the pilot, and one with Rachel), and is involved in an on-off relationship with Rachel. Before being cast in Friends, Schwimmer played minor characters in The Wonder YearsThe Wonder YearsThe Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
and NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
; his first regular series role was in the sitcom MontyMonty (TV series)Monty is a short lived American sitcom that aired on the FOX network in 1994. The series starred Henry Winkler as a loud, obnoxious conservative TV commentator , Monty had also written a best-selling book tilted I'm Right. I'm Right. I'm Right. Shut Up...
. Schwimmer is the only cast member native to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in real life.
Recurring characters, notable characters, and celebrity-played characters
Each of the following characters of Friends was:- played by a celebrityCelebrityA celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, - particularly significant to the story of the series, and/or
- recurring (appearing in two or more episodes).
Introduced in season one
Jack and Judy Geller (Elliott GouldElliott Gould
Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s, and has remained prolific ever since. Some of his most notable films include M*A*S*H and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination...
and Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles is an English actress, best known for her long-running role of Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the hospital drama St. Elsewhere, for which she was nominated for four Emmys.-Life and career:...
)—Ross and Monica's parents. In early appearances, Jack frequently makes inappropriate comments, which he punctuates by exclaiming "I'm just saying...!" Judy often makes condescending remarks about Monica's lack of a love life and sometimes forgets her daughter even exists, while simultaneously favoring Ross.
- Pickles was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her appearance in "The One Where Nana Dies Twice". The Seattle TimesThe Seattle TimesThe Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
ranked Jack and Judy jointly as the second best guest character of the series in 2004.
Barry Farber (Mitchell Whitfield
Mitchell Whitfield
Mitchell Whitfield is an American actor.He guest-starred in several episodes of Friends as Dr. Barry Farber, Rachel's orthodontist ex-fiancé whom Rachel left at the altar on their wedding day. He also appeared in Dharma & Greg; Murder, She Wrote; Diagnosis Murder and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
)—Rachel's jilted fiancé. Barry, an orthodontist, decides to go on his and Rachel's honeymoon with her maid of honor Mindy, and soon begins a relationship with her. Their relationship hits a rough patch in "The One with the Evil Orthodontist" when he and Rachel consider getting back together. He decides to stay with Mindy and the two are married in "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding". They are getting divorced by the time of "The One That Could Have Been, Part 1". Barry's last name is given as "Finkle" in the pilot and "Farber" in every other appearance, except in "The One with the Flashback" where he is referred to as "Barry Barber". He has also been called "Barry White". Possibly named as an homage to long-time NY talk show host, Barry Farber.
Carol Willick (Anita Barone
Anita Barone
Anita Louise Barone is an American actress. She is best known for co-starring roles in sitcoms The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Daddio and The War at Home.-Life and career:Barone was born in St. Louis, Missouri...
for character's debut episode, Jane Sibbett
Jane Sibbett
Jane Moore Sibbett is an American actress and producer. Her most notable roles include Heddy on the Fox television series Herman's Head, and as Ross Geller's ex-wife, Carol Willick, on the American TV sitcom Friends....
thereafter) and Susan Bunch (Jessica Hecht
Jessica Hecht
Jessica Hecht is an American actress, known for numerous Broadway appearances and TV roles.-Background:Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the daughter of Lenore, a psychotherapist, and Richard Hecht, a physicist. Jessica moved with her parents and her sister to Bloomfield, CT, at the age of...
)—Ross' lesbian ex-wife, who came out before the pilot, and her partner. Carol tells Ross that she is pregnant with his child in "The One with the Sonogram at the End" and is having it with her partner Susan. Susan does not attempt to hide her contempt of Ross and vice versa, but they briefly put aside their differences in "The One with the Birth" when Carol gives birth to a boy, Ben. Carol and Susan get married in "The One with the Lesbian Wedding
The One with the Lesbian Wedding
"The One With the Lesbian Wedding" is the eleventh episode of season two of the television situation comedy Friends. It attracted mild controversy and censorship as a result of its portrayal of same-sex marriage, although significantly less than expected...
" and make irregular appearances until "The One That Could Have Been, Part 2" (Susan) and "The One with the Truth About London" (Carol).
- Carol and Susan were based on Marta Kauffman and David Crane's best friends in New York: "We didn't create them for any particular political reason or because of lesbian chic. It was just an opportunity to tell a really interesting story." The characters were called a positive example of a gay couple on television by GLAAD. Jessica Hecht originally auditioned to play Monica.
Gunther (James Michael Tyler
James Michael Tyler
James Michael Tyler is a US actor best known for his role as Gunther on the NBC sitcom Friends.-Biography:James Michael Tyler was born the youngest of six children on 28 May 1962 in Winona, Mississippi, US to a retired Air Force captain and a homemaker...
)—the manager of the Central Perk coffee house, who first appears as a background character in "The One with the Thumb". The character develops an unrequited crush on Rachel in the third season, which he keeps to himself until "The Last One". His jealousy of Ross is made clear numerous times, most notably in "The One the Morning After", when he reveals to Rachel that Ross cheated on her when they were "on a break". Gunther appears in nearly every episode, but only occasionally calls attention to himself and almost never has a large role in the plot of an episode. In the Season 8 Episode "The One With The Stain", Gunther is shown to be fluent in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
(although with a hint of an American accent), calling Ross an ezel
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
as he converses with him. (Ross is trying to learn Dutch in order to secure an apartment from a dying Dutch woman.) He also claimed to have played Bryce on All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
and was "killed in an avalanche."
- James Michael Tyler was cast as Gunther because he was the only extra who could competently work the coffee machine on the Central Perk set. Tyler appears as Gunther in a co-host voice-over in the Friends trivia game for PS2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PC and XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and in the board game Friends: Scene It?. The Seattle Times ranked Gunther as the eighth best guest character of the series in 2004. When asked in 2009 by Heatworld.comHeat (magazine)Heat is a British entertainment magazine published by German company Bauer Media Group. it is one of the biggest selling magazines in the UK, with a regular circulation over half a million. Its mix of celebrity news, gossip and fashion is primarily aimed at women, although not as directly as in...
what Gunther would be doing "now", Tyler joked, "He'd probably have a very traditional marriage, with lots of white-haired babies running around with hair brighter than the sun."
- Marcel (live animal actorAnimals on televisionThere are many appearances and depictions of animals on television, ranging from the use of working animals as actors to anthropomorphism. Real animals are seen on television and in film for numerous reasons and in varying capacities...
)—a Capuchin monkeyCapuchin monkeyThe capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...
that Ross initially keeps as a pet, and who provides comic reliefComic reliefComic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
for his geeky master. One time Rachel loses him in the city, and calls Animal Control—only to learn from Ross that Marcel is an illegal exotic animal that cannot be kept in the city. In order to keep the Animal control officerAnimal control officerHistorically, Dog whippers were charged with keeping dogs out of churches in 16th- to 19th- century Europe; they also sometimes filled a general animal-control role in villages, confining strays...
—a former classmate of Rachel's and Monica's—from confiscating Marcel, Rachel threatens to tell the woman's boss about how she shot Phoebe "in the ass with a dart" that had been meant for Marcel. Later, as Marcel sexually matures and begins to hump everything, Ross has to give him away to a zoo—"where he can have access to regular monkey-lovin'." Ultimately, Ross finds out that Marcel then got stolen from the zoo and taken into a life of show businessShow businessShow business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
, and—after starring in a liquor commercial—is starring in a movie in New York, where they are reunited one last time.
- Drs. Michael Mitchell (George ClooneyGeorge ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
) and Jeffrey Rosen (Noah WyleNoah WyleNoah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
)—two doctors that Rachel and Monica meet at a hospital, then go on a date with, pretending to be each other for insurance purposes—eventually causing things to go wild.
- Jill GoodacreJill GoodacreJill Goodacre Connick is an American actress and former model. She was one of Victoria's Secret main models in the 1980s and early 1990s...
Connick (herself)—gets trapped with Chandler in an ATM vestibule in "The One with the Blackout". Chandler uses his cell phone to tell Joey and the others, engages in awkward conversion with her, and finally lets her play a "spin the phone pen over your head" game with him.
Janice Litman Goralnick (Maggie Wheeler
Maggie Wheeler
Maggie Wheeler is an American actress, best known for her role as Janice on the TV show Friends.-Personal life:Wheeler was born Margaret Emily Jakobson in Manhattan...
)—Chandler's on-again off-again girlfriend for the first four seasons. Janice is one of the few characters besides the six main friends who appears in all of the Friends seasons. Chandler has trouble dumping her in "The One with the East German Laundry Detergent" but gets back together with her for New Year's and for Valentine's. In "The One Where Mr. Heckles Dies", Chandler is disappointed to discover that she is married and pregnant. In "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding", Chandler arranges a meeting with a mystery woman over the Internet, who turns out to be Janice. Their relationship lasts into the third season, when Janice decides to leave her husband to be with Chandler. Later, Joey sees Janice kissing her husband, who runs a mattress business. Chandler dumps her in "The One with the Giant Poking Device". When Janice returns to his life, Chandler pretends to be moving to Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. She has a brief fling with Ross, and makes a cameo on a "discovered" mix tape that Chandler plays for Monica, not knowing Janice's voice is on it. When Chandler and Monica become engaged, she tries to interfer with their wedding plans—leaving only when Monica says Chandler still loves her. In "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby", she is placed in the same labor room as Rachel at the hospital. She later gives birth to a son, Aaron, who she jokes will be Emma's future husband. As Monica and Chandler make plans to have children, she offers Chandler advice and support at a fertility clinic. In "The One Where Estelle Dies", she comes close to buying a house next door to the one Monica and Chandler want to buy. To get rid of her, Chandler pretends he still loves her.
- In "The One Where Estelle Dies", Chandler gives her full name as Janice Litman Goralnick (née Hosenstein). She spoke with a nasal New York accent and emphasized each word of her catchphrase "Ohhh — myyy — God!" Janice's distinctive laugh was borne out of a slip-up Wheeler made during the rehearsal of "The One with the East German Laundry Detergent"; after Chandler and Janice's "More latté?"/"No, I'm still working on mine" lines, Wheeler laughed. The Seattle Times ranked Janice as the best guest character of the series in 2004.
Mr. Heckles (Larry Hankin
Larry Hankin
Larry Hankin is an American actor, performer, director and producer.Hankin studied acting at Syracuse University. He is known for his roles in TV shows Friends and Seinfeld; as well as for his major role in the movie Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood...
)—Monica and Rachel's downstairs neighbor, an elderly man who constantly complains about the noise. He first appears in "The One with the Blackout", claiming to own a lost cat that Rachel has found. He appears again in "The One with Two Parts, Part 1" and "The One Where the Monkey Gets Away" before dying in "The One Where Mr. Heckles Dies". As a last spiteful act, he leaves all of his junk to "the noisy girls upstairs". He makes a final cameo appearance in "The One with the Flashback", set in 1993, where he complains that Phoebe's noise is disturbing his oboe practice, and inadvertently causes Joey to be Chandler's roommate.
Paolo (Cosimo Fusco
Cosimo Fusco
Cosimo Massimo Fusco is an Italian actor.Born in Matera, Italy on 23 September 1962, Fusco was educated in Los Angeles, Rome and Paris. He is probably best known for his role as Paolo in the American sitcom Friends. He had roles in several Italian, German and American series and movies...
)—An Italian neighbor in Monica's building, who Rachel falls for in "The One with the Blackout". They start dating, making Ross jealous. She dumps him after he gropes Phoebe but has a last one-night stand with him in "The One with Ross's New Girlfriend".
Terry (Max Wright
Max Wright
George Edward Maxwell "Max" Wright is an American actor, best known for his role as Willie Tanner in the sitcom ALF.-Biography:Wright was born George Edward Maxwell Wright in Detroit, Michigan....
)—The manager at Central Perk, who does not hide the fact that he thinks Rachel is a terrible waitress—and Phoebe is "so bad" as a musician. He denies her an advance on her wages in "The One Where Underdog Gets Away" and hires a professional musician, Stephanie (Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
of The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
), to replace Phoebe in "The One with the Baby on the Bus".
"Fun Bobby" (Robert) (Vincent Ventresca
Vincent Ventresca
Vincent Paul Gerard Ventresca is an American actor, best known for playing Darien Fawkes on SCI FI's The Invisible Man .-Early years:...
)—A boyfriend of Monica's. In his first appearance in "The One with the Monkey", his "fun" is sapped at Monica's New Year's party after his grandfather died. In "The One with Russ", the gang discovers that alcohol puts the "fun" into Fun Bobby. Monica tries to wean him off drinking but regrets it when he becomes extremely boring. It is revealed in the episode "The One with Phoebe's Husband" that the underwear on the telephone pole was Monica's when she was having sex with Fun Bobby on the terrace.
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
)—A physicist whom Phoebe falls in love with in "The One with the Monkey". After a fight with his research partner Max (Wayne Pére), David decides to go on a research trip to Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
with him, breaking Phoebe's heart. He returns to New York for a brief visit and shares an evening with Phoebe. He returns permanently in "The One with the Male Nanny" and he and Phoebe resume their relationship in "The One with the Donor". In "The One in Barbados—Part 1
Friends (season 9)
The ninth season of Friends, an American situation comedy created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, premiered on NBC on September 26, 2002. Friends was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
", David proposes to Phoebe. She turns him down and gets back together with Mike, and David leaves.
- In 2003, Azaria was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance.
Nora Tyler Bing (Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
)—Chandler's mother, an erotic novelist. She first appears in "The One with Mrs. Bing", where she meets the gang while on a book tour in New York. After dinner, she kisses Ross. She makes a cameo appearance in the flashback scenes of "The One with All the Thanksgivings
The One with All the Thanksgivings
"The One with All the Thanksgivings" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of the American television sitcom Friends, which first aired on NBC on November 19, 1998. The plot sees the main characters recalling Thanksgivings from when they were younger.The episode was directed by Kevin S....
" and later appears in "The One with Chandler and Monica's Wedding
The One with Chandler And Monica's Wedding
"The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding" is a double length episode of the television sitcom Friends. It first aired on May 17, 2001 as the finale of season seven...
" (with Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone, The War of the Roses, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Prizzi's Honor...
as Chandler's dad) and "The One After 'I Do'". The Seattle Times ranked Nora and her ex-husband jointly as the fifth best guest characters in 2004.
Ursula Pamela Buffay (Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends, for which she received many accolades including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards...
)—Phoebe's identical twin. Kudrow originated the role of Ursula in the sitcom Mad About You
Mad About You
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
, playing her as an inept waitress at Riff's who frequently forgets orders. She first appears in Friends in "The One with Two Parts": Chandler and Joey are eating at Riff's and mistake Ursula for Phoebe. Joey becomes attracted to Ursula and they start dating. Ursula tells Phoebe that she is bored with Joey, so Phoebe pretends to be her sister to let Joey down gently. In the same episode, Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
and Leila Kenzle
Leila Kenzle
Leila Kenzle is an American actress best known for her role as Fran Devanow on Mad About You.Kenzle was born in Patchogue, Long Island, New York, the daughter of Lee, an antiques dealer, and Kurt Kenzle, who worked in electrical supply sales. Before moving to Los Angeles to become an actress she...
cameo as their Mad About You
Mad About You
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
characters Jamie Buchman and Fran Devanow, in a scene where they mistake Phoebe for Ursula in Central Perk. Ursula next appears briefly in "The One with the Jam", where she is being stalked by a man (David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
) who mistakes Phoebe for her. In "The One with the Jellyfish" Phoebe tells Ursula that she has met their birth mother, but Ursula already knows about her. In "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry", Phoebe starts getting unwanted attention from men, and discovers that Ursula is starring in pornographic films using Phoebe's name. Phoebe gets revenge by claiming Ursula's fees and embarrassing her many male fans. Flashbacks in "The One Where They All Turn Thirty" reveal that Ursula sold Phoebe's birth certificate to a Swedish runaway, and that both sisters are 31, not 30. In "The One with the Halloween Party", Ursula introduces Phoebe to Eric (Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
), her fiancé. Phoebe is horrified that Ursula has told Eric that she is a teacher, a member of the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
, a non-smoker, and attends a church group (all lies). The series finale of Mad About You, set 22 years into the future, reveals that after a successful porn career, Ursula becomes Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
.
Mindy (Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Elise Grey is an American actress. Her first major roles came in the 1984 war film Red Dawn and the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1987 she starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In the early 1990s, Grey...
in "The One with the Evil Orthodontist", Jana Marie Hupp
Jana Marie Hupp
Jana Marie Hupp is an American actress.Born in Spokane, Washington, she studied at the Northwest School of the Arts d the Western Washington University and worked on stage in theatre productions in Seattle. She later relocated to Los Angeles and in 1985 made her feature debut in Vision Quest...
in "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding")—Rachel's maid of honor at her aborted wedding to Barry. Mindy and Rachel were best friends while growing up and their friendship is tested after Rachel discovers Mindy and Barry are seeing each other. She asks Rachel to be her maid of honor and dress in a garish pink dress. Mindy marries Barry in "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding", becoming Mindy Hunter-Farber. They are getting divorced by "The One That Could Have Been, Part 1".
- Lydia (Leah ReminiLeah ReminiLeah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
)—a single mother-to-be whose childbirth Joey assists before going to see Carol give birth to Ben. Remini had originally auditioned for the role of Monica.
Ben (Various actors, 1995–1999; Cole Sprouse, 2000–2002)—Ross and Carol's son, born during "The One with the Birth". Ben is played as an infant by Michael Gunderson, by brothers Charles Thomas Allen and John Christoper Allen from Season 3 to 5, and by Cole Sprouse from Season 6 to 8. Kay McFadden of The Seattle Times ranked Ben as her least favorite guest character of the series in 2004.
Julie (Lauren Tom
Lauren Tom
Lauren Tom is an American actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her roles as Lena St Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the TV series Friends, and for providing the voices for both mother and daughter characters on two animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voices Amy Wong and her...
)—An old graduate school colleague of Ross', whom he meets again while on a trip to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in "The One Where Rachel Finds Out". They start dating but break up in "The One with the List" when Ross reveals he loves Rachel. She makes a final cameo in the tag scene of "The One with Russ", where she falls in love with a Ross lookalike.
Introduced in season two
Mr. Treeger (Michael G. HagertyMichael G. Hagerty
Michael Gerard Hagerty , also known by his stage name Mike Hagerty, is an American actor. He is known for playing comedic blue-collar workers, including his recurring roles as a building superintendent, Mr.Treeger on Friends and the manager of a muffler shop on HBO's Lucky Louie.Hagerty is...
)—The superintendent of Monica's building. Treeger first appears in "The One Where Heckles Dies", where he shows Heckles's lawyer where Monica and Rachel live. He next appears in "The One with Phoebe's Dad", where Monica thinks he is playing hardball by not mending her broken radiator. In "The One with the Ballroom Dancing", he threatens to have Monica and Rachel evicted unless Joey helps him practice ballroom dancing to impress a woman. In "The One with the Free Porn", he cleans the shower drain of Chandler and Joey's newly-won apartment, and warns them never to turn off their TV after they start receiving free porn. In his final appearance in "The One Where Rachel Tells...", he has a fireman break down the door to Monica's apartment after Joey tells him he smelled gas.
- Caroline Duffy (Lea ThompsonLea ThompsonLea Katherine Thompson is an American actress and director. She is best known for her 1990s NBC situation comedy Caroline in the City and her portrayal of Lorraine Baines McFly, Marty McFly's mother, in the Back to the Future trilogy...
)—reprising her role from Caroline in the CityCaroline in the CityCaroline in the City is an American situation comedy that ran from September 21, 1995 to April 26, 1999 on the NBC television network. It starred Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy. The series premiered in the two-hour Thursday night block led by Friends.-Premise:Caroline Duffy is a...
, she talks with Joey and Chandler—seeing them with Ben and consequently thinking them to be lovers—in "The One with the Baby on the Bus".
Estelle Leonard (June Gable
June Gable
June Gable is an American Character actress, best known for her role as Estelle Leonard of The Estelle Leonard Talent Agency in the American sitcom Friends.-Life and career:...
)—Joey's talent agent. Gable made her first appearance as Estelle in "The One with the Butt", but the scene was cut for timing reasons although it is included in the DVD version of season 1 (she is still mentioned after Joey's play in the original episode that aired). She makes her first proper appearance in "The One with Russ", when, after Joey tells he is fed up of poor roles, she gets him a recurring part in Days of Our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
. She is shown to be supportive of Joey's career in "The One with the Screamer" but willfully sabotages after she thinks Joey had left her. She dies in the last season; Joey gives a speech at her memorial service, where it is revealed that her only other client is Al Zebooker, a man who eats paper.
- When Gable auditioned for the role, she played Estelle quite plainly and was encouraged to "go away and do something with her". She returned to the audition room wearing a "fat suit" and eating a sandwich from a delicatessen, which she stubbed out a cigarette on. The performance was used in the deleted scene of "The One with the Butt". Her age is never given but Gable believed that she was in her 80s. In 2004, The Seattle Times ranked Estelle as the sixth best guest character of the series. Gable also plays the nurse who delivers Ben in "The One with the Birth".
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
)—An ophthalmologist and best friend of Jack Geller. Richard is introduced in "The One Where Ross and Rachel … You Know" when Monica caters an event at his apartment. He and Monica soon start seeing each other, infuriating Monica's parents when they find out. He and Monica break up in "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding" when he tells her he does not want more children, his own having already reached adulthood. Despite the two still being in love, they cannot reconcile this difference, and are both devastated for months. He makes a brief voice cameo in "The One Where No One's Ready
The One Where No One's Ready
"The One Where No One's Ready" is the second episode of the third season of the American television situation comedy Friends, which aired on NBC on September 26, 1996...
", and later they briefly attempt to rekindle their romance as "friends". In "The One with the Proposal", he proposes to Monica after she leaves Chandler, who's planning to propose but pretends to be against marriage because he "wants it to be a surprise". After Chandler comes to his apartment searching for Monica and tells Richard of his own proposal plan, Richard tells Chandler, "You go get her, Chandler. And take my advice: If you do get her, don't let her go." His apartment is put up for sale in Season 9, in "The One with Ross's Inappropriate Song", but Richard is not seen.
- All of Selleck's entrances in Season 2 had to be refilmed after the audience left because "it was like The Beatles with the screaming and the applause". For his appearance in "The One with the Proposal", Selleck was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. In 2004, The Seattle Times ranked Richard as the third best guest character of the series.
Sandra Green (Marlo Thomas
Marlo Thomas
Margaret Julia “Marlo” Thomas is an American actress, producer, and social activist known for her starring role on the TV series That Girl . She also serves as National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
)—Rachel's mother. In "The One with the Lesbian Wedding" she announces to Rachel that she never loved Rachel's father ("You didn't marry your Barry, but I married mine.") and is divorcing him. She later accompanies everyone to Carol and Susan's wedding. In "The One with Two Parties" she arrives at Rachel's birthday party and is unaware for the whole night that her ex-husband is also there. In "The One with the Baby Shower" she decides to move in with Ross and Rachel to help with the baby's first months but Ross changes her mind.
- For her appearance in "The One with the Lesbian Wedding", Thomas was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Eddie Menuek (Adam Goldberg
Adam Goldberg
Adam Charles Goldberg is an American actor, director, producer, and musician.-Early life:Goldberg was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Donna and Earl Goldberg, a former lifeguard. His father is Jewish and his mother is a "lapsed" Roman Catholic of Irish, French, and German descent...
)—After Joey, having landed the recurring role Dr. Drake Ramoray on Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, moves into his own apartment, Chandler gets a new roommate. Eddie and Chandler have nothing in common; Eddie hates Baywatch, foosball, and sports in general, and likes to steal mannequins from Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
and dehydrate fruit. In "The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies", he suspects Chandler of both having sex with his ex-girlfriend Tilly and killing his goldfish, so spites him by stealing his insoles. Later he forgets these events, but Chandler wants him out after learning that Eddie watches him sleep. Eddie agrees to leave but later denies the conversation took place; so Chandler allows Joey to move back in; they move his stuff out into the hall and pretend they have never met him. Eddie falls for their bluff and leaves.
- Adam Goldberg later appeared in the second season of Joey as a different character.
Frances Buffay (Audra Lindley
Audra Lindley
Audra Marie Lindley was an American actress, most famous for her role as landlady Helen Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers.-Career:...
)—Phoebe's grandmother. Her only appearance is in "The One with Phoebe's Dad",, where she reveals to Phoebe that the person in the pictures she keeps around the house is not Phoebe's father, which motivates Phoebe to try and track down her real father. Though the character appears in only one episode, she is mentioned in a few more, including in season 5's "The One with Joey's Bag", where it is revealed that she has recently passed away and Phoebe plans her funeral. Phoebe inherits her grandmother's yellow taxi and apartment. She keeps the taxi until the very end of the series.
Frank Buffay, Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
)—Phoebe's half brother by their father. In "The One with the Bullies" Phoebe meets him after finding the courage to knock on her father's suburban door, but discovers he walked out several years ago. Frank later visits the city where he hits on Jasmine, one of Phoebe's coworkers, and mistakes her massage parlor for a whorehouse. He eventually falls in love with and becomes engaged to Alice Knight (Debra Jo Rupp
Debra Jo Rupp
Debra Jo Rupp is an American film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role as Kitty Forman on the long-running Fox sitcom, That '70s Show...
), his old home economics teacher who is 26 years his senior. In "The One with Phoebe's Uterus", they ask Phoebe to be a surrogate mother to their child, which turns out to be triplets in "The One Hundredth." Frank makes a final appearance in "The One Where Ross is Fine", when he and the triplets meet Phoebe at Central Perk.
- Previously, Ribisi appeared in "The One with the Baby on the Bus" as a stranger who leaves a condom rather than money in Phoebe's guitar case when she is singing in the street, and then comes back to retrieve it. It was never addressed if this was intended to be the same character as Frank, who had not yet been introduced by name.
- In 2004, The Seattle Times ranked Frank as the fourth best guest character of the series. Alice was only scheduled to appear in the one episode but was brought back for a recurring role after the surrogacy storyline—which was created when Lisa Kudrow became pregnant in real life.
Leonard Green (Ron Leibman
Ron Leibman
-Career:Leibman was a member of the Compass Players in the late 1950s. He has appeared in many films such as Phar Lap; Where's Poppa?; The Hot Rock; Slaughterhouse-Five; The Super Cops; Up the Academy; Norma Rae; Romantic Comedy; Zorro, The Gay Blade; Garden State; and Rhinestone...
)—Rachel's father, a vascular surgeon who takes an instant dislike to her boyfriend Ross. Later, when Ross and Rachel conceive a child (Emma), he becomes furious that they're not engaged He has a heart attack in "The One Where Joey Speaks French" and is recovering in hospital when Ross turns up.
Susie "Underpants" Moss (Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
)—Chandler (Matthew Perry) meets his old childhood friend Susie, who's working on the production of a movie, and with whom Chandler has a colored history: when they were in elementary school, Chandler pulled up Susie's skirt when she was on stage, revealing her underwear to the entire school. They arrange a date, Chandler unsuspecting that it is a plot to get revenge. After convincing him to wear her panties, Susie leaves him wearing nothing but the panties in a bathroom stall in the restaurant where they were having dinner.
Jean Claude Van Damme (himself)—Rachel and Monica compete for his attention. This creates tension between them, as they both argue over who should get to date him. They both dump him when he tries to convince them to have a threesome with Drew Barrymore.
Erika (Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
)—Joey has to contend with a stalker who thinks that Joey is actually Dr. Drake Ramoray, the character he plays on Days of our Lives. Despite this, Joey goes on a date with her. She dumps him when she suspects "Drake" is cheating on her with another woman (actually another character in the soap opera). He tries to explain that "It's a TV show!" and "I'm not Drake!", but she doesn't understand, so Ross tells her Joey's "Hans Ramoray", Drake's "evil twin"—and Joey tells her to go to Salem to find the "real" Drake Ramoray.
Zoo Administrator (Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
)—of the zoo Ross sent Marcel to after Marcel started humping everything. He informs Ross that Marcel has died. The Zoo Janitor (Dan Castelanetta), however, later informs Ross that Marcel was in fact kidnapped and forced into show business, and is currently filming a movie in New York.
Rob Donnan (Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
)—Rob asks Phoebe to sing for the children at a library, but their parents are horrified by her morbid lyrics. However, the kids like the songs and come to the café to listen to her.
Ryan (Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
)—Ryan arrives in New York on leave from the Navy to see Phoebe, who has chicken pox. Even though he hasn't yet had chicken pox, he can't stand to be apart and they both spend the rest of the time sick and trying to not scratch at the sores.
Introduced in season three
- Mark Robinson (Steven EckholdtSteven EckholdtSteven Eckholdt is an American actor of German descent.Eckholdt began his screen career in the mid 1980s. Primarily known for television roles, his main screen appearances include L.A. Law, Melrose Place, It's Like, You Know..., Providence, The West Wing and The L Word...
)—Rachel's deskmate at Bloomingdale'sBloomingdale'sBloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
, who first appears in "The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister" (airdate January 9, 1997; Season 3, No. 11). Ross is jealous of Mark as he suspects that he and Rachel are having an affair. It is Mark's presence at Rachel's apartment after she fought with Ross which leads Ross to sleep with Chloe ultimately ending Ross and Rachel's relationship. Later, Mark asks Rachel on a date and she accepts, however she rejects his advances when she realizes she only accepted the offer to get back at Ross. That is the last time Mark is seen until "The One with Princess Consuela", where he informs Rachel of a job in Paris. Ross fails to recognize him but becomes jealous all over again once reminded.
- Sophie (Laura DeanLaura DeanLaura Dean is a dancer, choreographer and composer.Dean is the recipient of many awards including the 2008 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. She has also received a "Bessie" New York Dance Award for her work with composer Steve Reich...
)—Mark's replacement. Sophie is frequently victimized by her boss Joanna. In the episode "The One Where They're Going to Party" (airdate December 11, 1997; Season 4, No. 9), she is estatic about Joanna's death.
- Chloe (Angela FeatherstoneAngela FeatherstoneAngela Eileen Featherstone is a Canadian actress. She is best known for playing Chloe, in Friends.Angela Featherstone was a model in the 1980's. She has been an actress since 1992 in films and television. While acting Featherstone created sitcoms she sold to Sony, DreamWorks and NBC television...
)—"The girl from the copy place" who Ross sleeps with in when Ross and Rachel are supposedly "on a break.". She is mentioned twice in "The One with the Jam". Ross quickly tries to usher her out of his apartment in "The One with the Morning After".
- Pete Becker (Jon FavreauJon FavreauJonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
)—A computer software genius and multi-millionaire. Pete tips Monica $20,000 at the Moondance diner in "The One with the Hypnosis Tape", which she assumes is a joke. He asks her out on a date and takes her to RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. They start seeing each other but initially break up Monica isn't attracted to him. They reconcile after Monica kisses him when he offers her a job in his restaurant (which she turns down), and realizes that she is attracted to him after all. Monica thinks he is going to propose in "The One with Ross's Thing" (airdate May 1, 1997; Season 3, No. 23); instead, he tells her he wants to become the Ultimate Fighting Champion. He gets badly beaten, and Monica ends it with him after he refuses to quit.
- The character of Pete was conceived as "a Bill GatesBill GatesWilliam Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
billionaire genius scientist-type" whom Monica was not attracted to. The producers and casting director had difficulty finding an actor to play Pete as they wanted, "someone who was appealing enough that we liked him, so we could root for him, but on the other hand, wasn't so drop-dead male model gorgeous that we would go, 'What's your problem?' to Monica when she didn't fall for him."
- Kate Miller (Dina MeyerDina MeyerDina Meyer is an American film and television actress, best known for her roles as Dizzy Flores in Starship Troopers and Detective Allison Kerry in the Saw films. She portrayed Mrs. Hong as a recurring guest star on ABC's Scoundrels.-Personal life:Meyer was born in Queens, New York...
)—Joey's co-star in a play. Joey falls for her but she fails to see any attraction in him and is already dating the director. The play turns out to be dismal, and after the director dumps her she gets together with Joey in "The One with the Screamer". Joey is distraught when she leaves for a soap opera role in Los Angeles. In the episode "The One in Barbados (1)", Joey and Rachel, in hope of getting into the Pharmaceutical convention, use fake IDsIdentity document forgeryIdentity document forgery is the process by which identity documents issued by governing bodies are copied and/or modified by persons not authorized to create such documents or engage in such modifications, for the purpose of deceiving those who would view the documents about the identity or status...
in which one of the names is "Kate Miller".
- Joanna (Alison LaPlacaAlison LaPlacaAlison LaPlaca is an American actress best known for the role of acid-tongued yuppie Linda Phillips in the Fox sitcoms Duet and its spin-off Open House, both of which aired in the late 1980s....
)—Rachel's boss, who dates Chandler in "The One with the Dollhouse" (airdate April 10, 1997; Season 3, No. 20) and "The One with the Cuffs" (airdate October 9, 1997; Season 4, No. 3). She is hostile to her assistant, Sophie, but good-natured towards Rachel. She offers Rachel a promotion in "The One Where They're Going to Party!" but is knocked down and killed by a cab before she can effect it.
- Douglas "Doug" (Sam McMurraySam McMurraySam McMurray is an American television, film and voice actor.-Early life:McMurray was born in New York City, the son of Jane and Richard McMurray, both actors...
)—Chandler's new boss in "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion". Doug enjoys calling Chandler "Bing!" and slapping his male colleagues on the butt. Monica and Chandler try to compete with Doug and his wife in "The One with Chandler's Work Laugh" (January 21, 1999; Season 5, No. 12). In "The One with Ross's Step Forward" (airdate December 13; 2001; Season 8, No. 11), he invites Monica and Chandler to dinner to celebrate his divorce. To get out of it, Chandler pretends that he and Monica have split up but it backfires when Doug tries to cheer him up by taking him to strip clubs, throwing cans at birds and throwing his wedding ring into the gutter.
- Tomas (Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
) and Tim (Billy CrystalBilly CrystalWilliam Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
)—Appearing at the beginning of "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion", they perform an otherwise pointless cameo/skit performance while sitting on the group's sofa at Central Perk. They are not mentioned in the credits. Tomas begins by asking the friends to move over to make room for the pair which they do. Then Tomas complains to Tim about how he thinks his wife is cheating on him with her gynaecologist. The friends stop trying to have their own conversation and eavesdrop. Eventually Tim reveals how he's sleeping with Williams' wife causing him to leave in a loud fury.
- Bonnie (Christine TaylorChristine TaylorChristine Taylor-Stiller is an American actress.- Early life :Taylor was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Joan, a homemaker, and Skip Taylor, an owner of a security company. She grew up in neighboring Wescosville, Pennsylvania...
)—Phoebe's friend who she sets up with Ross in "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion". Rachel met Bonnie two years before and still thinks she is bald. She is not, so to spite her, Rachel convinces her to shave her hair off again in "The One at the Beach" (airdate May 15, 1997; Season 3, No. 25). She makes a brief appearance at the beginning of "The One with the Jellyfish", when Ross decides to dump her and get back together with Rachel.
_benefit_cropped.jpg)
- Phoebe Abbott (Teri GarrTeri Garr-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
)—Phoebe's birth mother. Phoebe tracks her down in "The One at the Beach", believing her to be a friend of Lily's. She reveals her parentage at the end of the episode and makes amends with Phoebe in "The One with the Jellyfish". Later, when Phoebe wants to be a surrogate mother for Frank and Alice's child, she lends Phoebe her dog to demonstrate how difficult it is to give up children after carrying them.
- The Chick and the Duck (live animal actorsAnimals on televisionThere are many appearances and depictions of animals on television, ranging from the use of working animals as actors to anthropomorphism. Real animals are seen on television and in film for numerous reasons and in varying capacities...
)—In "The One With a Chick and a Duck.", Joey adopts a chickChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
from an animal sanctuary, misunderstanding a news report about people who buy chicks and then find they cannot properly care for them. Encouraged by Phoebe to return the chick, but discovering that the animals would be euthanizedAnimal euthanasiaAnimal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
, Chandler, who went to give the chick back, returns home with the chick and a duckDuckDuck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
. Chandler and Joey treat the chick and the duck as their own children—at one point, Chandler punishes the duck by sending him out to the hall ("You stay out here and think about what you did!").
- Chandler briefly names the chick "Yasmine", after BaywatchBaywatchBaywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
actress Yasmine BleethYasmine BleethYasmine Amanda Bleeth is an American actress. Her television roles include Caroline Holden in the long-running series Baywatch.-Early life and career:...
(the chick later, however, turns out to be a rooster, not a hen); and in "The One With Ross's Thing", Chandler refers to the possible offspring of the duck and the chick as "Dick" (Joey refers to it as Chuck). By Season 6 the animals disappeared; the duck was mentioned but not seen in Season 7. In the final episode, Joey bought Chandler a new duckling and chick as a housewarming gift, which Joey names "Duck Jr." and "Chick Jr.", and it is revealed that the birds died a while ago, and Chandler, not wanting Joey to be upset about it, told him that they had gone to live on a farm, where visitors were not allowed. The birds do not appear on the Friends spinoff Joey.
- Tommy (Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
)—one of Rachel's dates, who Ross overhears yelling loudly whenever angered. Tommy never does it in front of anybody else, causing Ross' friends not to believe him, until Tommy is caught yelling at the Chick and the Duck by everyone.
Introduced in season four
Kathy (Paget BrewsterPaget Brewster
Paget Valerie Brewster is an American actress. She is currently known for playing Special Agent Emily Prentiss on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. In June 2010, it was said that her role on Criminal Minds would be reduced in the sixth season. In March 2011, Brewster's character left the series...
)—Joey's girlfriend, introduced in "The One with Joey's New Girlfriend" (airdate October 30, 1997; Season 4, No. 5), with whom he has nothing in common apart from both being actors. A mutual attraction develops between Kathy and Chandler, which manifests as a kiss in "The One Where Chandler Crosses the Line" (November 13, 1997; Season 4, No. 7); after Joey finds out, Kathy decides to leave New York for Chicago, and declares her love to Chandler. Initially outraged at Chandler's betrayal, Joey has a change of heart after Kathy's speech, and she and Chandler get together. She sleeps with a co-star in "The One with Rachel's Crush" (airdate January 29, 1998; Season 4, No. 13) and Chandler dumps her.
- When Paget Brewster arrived for her audition, she believed she was the "runty alternate" and did not have a chance of getting the part. Matthew Perry later told her that the producers knew she was right for the role when she called herself a "runt". She spent her first two weeks working on the show believing that she would be fired and the part recast with a better looking actress. Brewster did not want Kathy to be written out by cheating on Chandler. The female stars agreed with her and tried to persuade the producers to have Kathy tour in a play instead.
- Charlton HestonCharlton HestonCharlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
(himself)—is in a movie with Joey. Joey reeks from spending a day fishing without showering after, so he uses Heston's shower—only to be caught by Heston. Joey tries to explain that he "stinks"—which Heston infers to refer to his acting, not his smell—and Heston gives Joey an actor's pep talk before telling him that "no matter how badly you think you stink, you must never break into my dressing room and use my shower!"
- Cheryl (Rebecca Romjin)—a woman Ross dates, only to find that she deliberately keeps her apartment unkempt.
Stuart "Stu" (Fred Stoller
Fred Stoller
Frederick "Fred" Stoller is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist, best known for his frequent guest starring as Gerard on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond...
)—A waiter at Allesandro's, where Monica gets a job in "The One Where They're Going to Party!". In "The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie" (airdate December 19, 1997; Season 4, No. 10), Stu leads a kitchen staff rebellion against Monica, locking her in a cold storage room and writing insults on her chef's hat. Monica hires Joey as a stooge so she can show her authority in front of the staff by firing him, and the rebellion soon ends. In "The One with the Stripper", Stu gives Monica the phone number of someone she assumes is a stripper for Chandler's belated bachelor party, though she turns out to be a prostitute.
Tate Donovan
Tate Buckley Donovan is an American actor. He is known for his role in the FX drama Damages, as Tom Shayes, and for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the American teen drama television series The O.C....
)—A recently-divorced customer who regularly uses Rachel as a personal shopper at Bloomingdale's. They start dating but break up in "The One with All the Wedding Dresses" (airdate April 16, 1998; Season 4, No. 20) when he thinks the relationship is moving too fast. Joshua appeared at the same time that Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan were dating each other in real life.
Chip Matthews (Dan Gauthier
Dan Gauthier
Daniel Lester "Dan" Gauthier is an American actor.-Early life:Gauthier was inspired to act early on by his mother, who was a local theater actress in their Central Oregon home. By the time he turned 18, Gauthier moved to California to attend San Diego State University. He was recruited by SDSU's...
)—Chip was previously mentioned in "The One with the Prom Video
The One with the Prom Video
"The One with the Prom Video" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American television situation comedy Friends, which first aired on NBC on February 1, 1996. The episode focuses on the main characters watching Monica and Rachel getting ready for their high school prom in the...
" (airdate February 1, 1996; Season 2, No. 14), as Rachel's senior prom date. In this episode he was played by an unknown, uncredited actor and his face was not seen on screen. He fully appeared in the episode "The One with the Cat" (airdate October 2, 1997; Season 4, No. 2). Chip was the most popular guy in Ross, Rachel and Monica's high school, and briefly dated Rachel, until he abandoned her at their senior prom to have sex with Amy Welch. Monica and Chip meet again and Chip asked her out. Whilst Monica was delighted that her high school crush was taking her out, Rachel reacted somewhat coldly to Chip upon meeting him again, but allowed Monica to date him, as in high school she had always been saddened that Chip would never date her due to her obesity. When he asks for Monica, Rachel says, "So Chip, how's Amy Welch?", to which he replies, "Amy Welch? Wow, I haven't seen her since..." Monica's dream is soon shattered when she realizes that Chip is an immature loser who's done nothing to better himself since high school and still lives with his parents. She finds happiness in the fact that she was able to dump him afterward.
Mr. Waltham (Paxton Whitehead
Paxton Whitehead
Paxton Whitehead is a British actor who made his professional debut in 1956. Whitehead is best known to American movie audiences as Professor Phillip Barbay in the 1986 comedy film Back to School.-Early years:...
)—Rachel's boss in season 4, who appears in "The One with Rachel's Crush" and "The One with Joey's Dirty Day".
Emily Waltham (Helen Baxendale
Helen Baxendale
Helen Victoria Baxendale is an English actress of stage and television, possibly best-known for her roles in Cold Feet, Friends and Cardiac Arrest.-Early life:...
)—Mr. Waltham's niece, who arrives for a two-week visit to New York in "The One with Joey's Dirty Day". She has a whirlwind romance with Ross and they decide to get married. The friends fly to London for their wedding in "The One with Ross's Wedding" (airdate May 7, 1998; Season 4, No. 23 & 24), and Ross accidentally says Rachel's name at the altar, humiliating Emily in front of her friends and family. She aims to reconcile with him at the airport in "The One After Ross Says 'Rachel'" (airdate September 24, 1998; Season 5, No. 1) but sees Rachel with him and storms out again. Ross tries to convince her to move to New York. She agrees but makes him promise to get rid of "everything Rachel has ever touched", and she demands that he never see Rachel again. When she learns that he's having dinner with the old gang—including Rachel—she tells him she can't trust him and she decides to end the marriage. She makes a final voice cameo in "The One with the Ride Along", when she leaves a message on Ross's answering machine the night before her new wedding, telling him she is having second thoughts about it and is worried that they made a mistake splitting up. Rachel accidentally deletes the message, but tells Ross about it and convinces him not to respond to it. Emily's surname is that of the city where both creators of the show attended college.
- Patsy KensitPatsy KensitPatricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder...
was originally approached to play the role but turned it down. Emily and Ross' marriage was intended to last much longer in the series, but Helen Baxendale became pregnant prior to Season 5 and was unable to travel for the show; hence, her limited appearances after Season 4. Helen Baxendale was asked to reprise the role in Season 10, but turned it down to star in the West End play After Miss JulieAfter Miss JulieAfter Miss Julie is a play which relocates August Strindberg's naturalist tragedy, Miss Julie , to an English country house in July 1945...
, and because she did not want the same level of tabloid attention she received in 1998.
Stephen and Andrea Waltham (Tom Conti
Tom Conti
Thomas "Tom" Conti is a Scottish actor, theatre director and novelist.-Early life:Born Thomas Conti in Paisley, Renfrewshire, he was brought up Roman Catholic, but he considers himself anti-religious...
and Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
)—Emily's father and shrewish stepmother, introduced in "The One with Ross's Wedding, Part 2". Their marriage is icy and they openly treat one another with disdain. They are equally hostile towards Jack and Judy Geller when the Gellers refuse to pay for their house to be remodelled after the wedding reception. In "The One After Ross Says 'Rachel'", Stephen tells Ross that Emily is humiliated after the wedding, and Andrea tells Ross she thinks he is "delicious".
Dr. Tim Burke (Michael Vartan
Michael Vartan
Michael S. Vartan is a French-American film and television actor. He is probably best known for the role of Michael Vaughn on the American television action drama Alias...
)—Monica who had an ice chip in her eye while taking out the turkey from the freezer, meets cute Dr. Tim, son of Dr. Richard Burke (Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
). He is invited to share the Thanksgiving dinner in "The One With Chandler In A Box".
Introduced in season five
Daniel "Danny" (George NewbernGeorge Newbern
George Young Newbern is an American television and film actor best known for his roles as Bryan MacKenzie in Father of the Bride and its sequel Father of the Bride Part II as well as Danny in Friends...
)—A man who has been on an around-the-world trip and returns in "The One with the Yeti". Rachel and Monica encounter the bearded man in the basement of their building and think he is a Yeti
Yeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
. Rachel is attracted to him but plays hard-to-get by pretending not to be interested in a housewarming party he is throwing. They eventually get together, but Rachel dumps him when she discovers he has a "special bond" with his sister.
- Katie (Soleil Moon FryeSoleil Moon FryeSoleil Moon Frye is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Frye is best known for her childhood role as the title character in sitcom Punky Brewster, and as Roxie King in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.-Early life:...
)—dates Joey in "The One with the Girl Who Hits Joey". As the episode name suggests, she' a woman whose play-punches are all-too hard.
Dr. Ledbetter (Michael Ensign
Michael Ensign
- Early life :Ensign was born in Safford, Arizona and was raised in both the United States and England. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and spent the first ten years of his professional career working in the theatre in Britain.- Career :...
)—Ross's boss at the museum. After he eats Ross's leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich in "The One with Ross's Sandwich", Ross angrily shouts at him, and he puts Ross on sabbatical. He reappears in the tag scene of "The One Where Everybody Finds Out".
Gary (Michael Rapaport
Michael Rapaport
Michael David Rapaport is an American, actor, director and a comedian. He has acted in more than forty films since the early 1990s...
)—A cop who accidentally leaves his badge in Central Perk. Phoebe finds it and starts impersonating a police officer. He tracks her down and asks her out to dinner, and they start dating. He takes Ross, Joey and Chandler on a ride-along, and asks Phoebe to move in with him. She leaves him after he shoots a bird.
Mr. Zelner (Steve Ireland)—An executive at Polo Ralph Lauren, who interviews Rachel in "The One with Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss". After Rachel is promoted in Season 7, he becomes a recurring character. In "The One with Princess Consuela", he fires Rachel after overhearing her interview with a Gucci representative. Ross tries to get her her job back by bribing Zelner: Zelner has a son called Ross who likes dinosaurs. Ross says his name is "Ron", shocked to hear that Zelner's son is called Ross.
Kim (Joanna Gleason
Joanna Gleason
Joanna Gleason is a Canadian actress and singer. She is a Tony Award-winning musical theatre actress and has also had a number of notable film and TV roles.-Early life:...
)—A co-worker of Rachel's at Polo Ralph Lauren. In "The One Where Rachel Smokes", Rachel thinks she is missing out on important decisions, as they are always made when Kim goes on a smoking break. She tries to take up smoking so she can stay in the loop but is unsuccessful when Kim threatens to fire her if she keeps damaging her health. Later, Kim thinks Rachel kissed Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
in order to take her job, when it was really Phoebe who kissed "Kenny the copy guy". After unsuccessfully trying to deny the affair, Rachel pretends Ralph dumped her. Kim believes her when she sees what she thinks is a cold look from Ralph (appearing as himself) in the elevator.
Introduced in season six
Janine LaCroix (Elle MacphersonElle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
)—After Chandler moves in with Monica, Joey places an ad for a new roommate in "The One Where Phoebe Runs". Attractive Australian dancer Janine applies and Joey immediately gives her the room without knowing anything else about her. She adds a feminine touch to the apartment by hanging pictures of babies, flowers, and babies dressed as flowers, which unnerves Joey—who senses that he's "becoming a woman". They get together during the recording of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest is a television program that airs every New Year's Eve on ABC. It has been hosted by Dick Clark since its first airing on Sunday, December 31, 1972. Ryan Seacrest has been the program's co-host since the December 31, 2005 telecast...
, but break up after she reveals she does not like Monica and Chandler. She moves out soon after.
- The Judge (Conchata FerrellConchata FerrellConchata Galen Ferrell is an American actress. She is best known for playing Berta the housekeeper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, for which she received two Emmy Award nominations in 2005 and 2007.-Personal life:...
)—Ross and Rachel—who got married in Las Vegas while drunk—go to her to get an annullment, only to find that they have to get a divorce instead.
Jill Green (Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
)—One of Rachel's two sisters, who arrives at Monica and Chandler's in "The One with Rachel's Sister", thinking Rachel still lives there. Their father has cut off Jill's supply of money and sent her to stay with Rachel, "the only daughter he's ever been proud of." She is spoiled, a lot like her other sister Amy, but is a lot kinder towards Rachel and her friends. Rachel tries to train Jill in the ways of the world but Jill just buys expensive things. She dates Ross to spite Rachel but leaves in the subsequent episode. A reference is made to Jill in Season 10 when Amy reveals she has gotten fat.
Elizabeth Stevens (Alexandra Holden
Alexandra Holden
-Life and career:Holden was born in Northfield, Minnesota, the daughter of Kristi and Barry Holden. She played film roles in Drop Dead Gorgeous as Mary Johanson and in Sugar & Spice as Fern Rogers. She also starred in the low budget slasher film Wishcraft.Holden has also had roles in TV and music...
)—One of Ross's students, whom he starts dating in "The One Where Ross Dates a Student", mistakenly believing it is not against university rules. In "The One with Joey's Fridge", Elizabeth heads to the beach with several guys for spring break
Spring break
Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
;—jealous and worried, Ross follows her down there, appearing dancing with her on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. He breaks up with her in "The One with the Proposal, Part 1" when it becomes clear to him that she is too young for a serious relationship with him.
Paul Stevens (Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
)—Elizabeth's father, who takes an instant dislike to Ross and threatens to have him fired from the university unless he ends his relationship with his daughter. After she joins him for dinner to talk up Ross's good side, he and Rachel start dating. They go away to Paul's country cabin in "The One Where Paul's the Man", where Ross and Elizabeth have also gone. While hiding under the bed, Ross hears Paul talking to himself in the mirror and singing "Love Machine";—after Paul catches Ross trying to leave the cabin and threatens to have him fired, Ross implies he overheard the mirror shenanigans and will tell Rachel unless he leaves him and Elizabeth alone. Paul agrees, but still shows a grudge towards Ross in "The One with the Ring". Rachel breaks up with him after he spends the whole day crying on her shoulder over his troubled youth.
- Bruce Willis donated his appearance fee to five charities after losing a bet with his The Whole Nine YardsThe Whole Nine Yards (film)The Whole Nine Yards is a 2000 American adventure crime comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, starring Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Michael Clarke Duncan and Natasha Henstridge. The title derives from a popular expression possibly dating from World War II naval aviation which means...
co-star Matthew Perry. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role.
Introduced in season seven
.jpg)
Eddie Cahill
Edmund Patrick "Eddie" Cahill is an American actor best known for portraying "Miracle on Ice" goalie Jim Craig in the movie Miracle, and for playing the fictional roles of Tag Jones on Friends and Detective Don Flack on CSI: NY.-Early life:Cahill was born in New York City, New York. He is the...
)—Introduced in "The One with Rachel's Assistant", Tag is Rachel's inexperienced but attractive new assistant at Polo Ralph Lauren, whom she hires after being promoted. They try to keep their relationship a secret from Zelner; otherwise, Tag's employment would be a conflict of interest. In "The One Where They All Turn Thirty", Rachel realizes that Tag is too young and immature for her to be dating, and breaks up with him. He reappears in "The One with the Red Sweater" in season eight, when Phoebe thinks he is the father of Rachel's unborn baby. He tells Rachel that he has matured a lot since their break-up and wants to get back together with her, but is scared away when he finds out she is pregnant, although not by him.
Erin (Kristin Davis
Kristin Davis
Kristin Landen Davis is an American actress.She first rose to prominence and achieved fame for playing the role of Charlotte York Goldenblatt on HBO's Sex and the City. She has achieved success appearing in roles in film and television.-Early life and education:Davis was born in Boulder, Colorado...
)—Appearing in "The One with Ross's Library Book", Erin is a girl Joey sleeps with, intending to one-night-stand her, but Rachel and Phoebe don't have the heart to tell her he's not into a "serious relationship", so Joey is forced to date her again and again, until she decides to dump him, asking the girls to tell him she's not into a serious relationship.
Jessica Lockhart (Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
)—Appearing in "The One with Joey's New Brain" Jessica Lockhart is a fictional character on Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, played by the fictional actor Cecilia Munroe and portrayed by Susan Sarandon. She's only seen once, when she dies and Drake Ramoray, played by Joey, gets her brain, so he can awaken from his coma, a procedure Ross takes issue with on medical grounds. She was famous for throwing drinks at people and slapping them. Her daughter, named Dina, was seeing a man named Frederick, of whom she did not approve. She was thrown off a horse and onto an electric fence, an accident set up by Frederick and Dina. After handing over the role of Jessica Lockhart to Joey, Cecilia Munroe sleeps with Joey causing minor hysteria for Rachel and Monica, who both are big fans of Days. She then takes a role in Mexico, resulting in her and Joey breaking up and her disappearance from the show.
Cassie Gellar (Denise Richards
Denise Richards
Denise Lee Richards is an American actress and former fashion model of Croatian and Welsh descent. She has appeared in films including Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough...
)—Introduced in "The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin", Cassie is a cousin of Ross and Monica who comes up to stay with Monica and Chandler, but as the little girl has grown into a supermodel, with mesmerizing
Animal magnetism
Animal magnetism , in modern usage, refers to a person's sexual attractiveness or raw charisma. As postulated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th century, the term referred to a supposed magnetic fluid or ethereal medium believed to reside in the bodies of animate beings...
hair, since they last saw her, Chandler can't stop staring at her beauty which requires her to stay at Ross's apartment instead. Ross can't help staring at her as well, and while watching a movie convinces himself that she "wants it" too. He makes a move, and Cassie's negative reaction leaves him speechless for what seems to him like an eternity. Finally, he says, "I — haven't had sex in a very long time," which leaves Cassie disgusted. Later on, Cassie moves on to Phoebe's apartment, but Phoebe has the same reaction as Chandler and Ross, and thinks she should asks her out as Cassie is not her cousin.
Melissa Warburton (Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
)—Appearing in "The One with Rachel's Big Kiss", Melissa Warburton was one of Rachel Green's sorority sisters in college. During their senior year Melissa and Rachel went to the Sigma Chi luau and, after drinking too much sangria, went back to the house and ended up making out. Melissa fell in love with Rachel and never forgot that night, but Rachel never saw it as anything more than a wild college experience. Rachel runs into Melissa in Central Perk and they go out to dinner. When Rachel confronts Melissa about the kiss, she pretends to have no memory of it ever happening because she doesn't think Rachel will return her love. At the end of dinner, Rachel kisses her again to prove to Phoebe that she can do something crazy. Melissa takes this to mean that Rachel loves her back. She says that "nobody can kiss that good and not mean it", but Rachel says that she is just a good kisser. Melissa is extremely embarrassed and tries to act as if she was kidding saying, "I'm not in love with you. I don't hear coconuts banging together. I don't picture your face when I make love to my boyfriend..." Melissa leaves, but not before asking for another kiss goodbye.
Charles Bing (Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone, The War of the Roses, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Prizzi's Honor...
)—Regularly referred to in previous seasons, Charles is Chandler's drag-queen father and Nora's ex-husband. Determined to invite him to their wedding in "The One with Chandler's Dad", Monica drags Chandler to Charles' burlesque show in Las Vegas, where he performs under the name "Helena Handbasket". Chandler invites him to the wedding, and he and Nora walk Chandler down the aisle in "The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding, Part 1". He does not appear at the reception in "The One After 'I Do'", though a deleted scene reveals he is upstairs crying after his dress is ruined because Joey hugged him and got fake blood on it.
Introduced in season eight
Bonnie Somerville
Bonnie Somerville is an American actress and singer. As an actress, she has had roles in a number of movies and television series, most notably NYPD Blue, Grosse Pointe, Friends, The O.C. and Cashmere Mafia....
)—Mona introduces herself to Ross in "The One After 'I Do'" as a co-worker at Monica's restaurant. They later get reacquainted in "The One with Rachel's Date" (airdate October 25, 2001; Season 8, No. 5) and begin dating. Their relationship is troubled from the start due to Ross being the father of Rachel's baby; in "The One with the Stripper", Leonard Green calls her a "tramp" after Ross does not propose to Rachel, and Ross regularly forgets dates with her when Rachel has problems with the baby. They eventually break up in "The One with the Birthing Video" (airdate February 7, 2002; Season 8, No. 7) after Ross does not tell her that Rachel is moving in with him until the baby is born. In "The One with the Tea Leaves" (airdate March 7, 2002; Season 8, No. 17), Ross sneaks into her apartment to recover his "faded salmon color" shirt, which he left there, but has to hide when she arrives home with a date and is discovered when she and her date start making out and he tries to slip out; while Mona is angry with Ross at first, she softens visibly after he apologizes and implies she wouldn't mind getting back together with him, but Ross really only wanted his salmon shirt back, and leaves for good once she hands it over to him.
- Dina Tribbiani (Marla SokoloffMarla SokoloffMarla Lynne Sokoloff is an American actress and musician, known for playing the part of Lucy Hatcher on the TV show The Practice, and Gia Mahan on the ABC sitcom, Full House.- Personal life :...
)—Joey's sister, who tells Rachel, then Joey, that she's pregnant—having come to Rachel because Rachel herself is unmarried and pregnant at the time.
Dr. Long (Amanda Carlin)—Rachel's obstetrician, who appears in five episodes of Season 8. She delivers the baby in "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby" after Rachel's extremely long labor.
Eric (Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
)—Ursula Buffay's boyfriend, whom she brings to Monica's Halloween party in "The One with the Halloween Party" (airdate November 1, 2001; Season 8, No. 6). Phoebe is attracted to him but learns that Ursula has lied about herself in order to marry him. He dumps her between "The One with the Halloween Party" and "The One with the Stain" and tries to get together with Phoebe, but cannot stand to look at her as she reminds him of her sister. Penn got the role after he made several visits to the Friends set with his children, who were fans of the show.
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
)—Formerly fat friend of Monica from Ross's class in high school with a grudge against Rachel. Monica invites him over for Thanksgiving dinner in "The One With The Rumor". Will has lost 150 pounds and now looks great which makes Phoebe flirt with him. Here they find out that Will hates Rachel and co-founded "I hate Rachel Green club" with Ross in high school and also spread some rumors about her back then. Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston in real life at the time, and his given name is in fact "William".
Parker (Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
)—An infuriatingly optimistic
Optimism
The Oxford English Dictionary defines optimism as having "hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favourable or hopeful view." The word is originally derived from the Latin optimum, meaning "best." Being optimistic, in the typical sense...
man Phoebe meets at the dry cleaner in "The One with the Tea Leaves". He joins the gang at Jack and Judy's anniversary party in "The One in Massapequa" (airdate March 28, 2002; Season 8, No. 18), where he drives everyone crazy by being excited by anything and everything he sees. Phoebe overhears her friends making fun of Parker and, angered, scolds them. However, she soon tires of his unnatural eagerness, and after she takes him back to her apartment, she realizes her friends were right, and ends it with Parker when he would not calm down.
- "Evil Bitch" (Debi MazarDebi MazarDeborah "Debi" Mazar is an American actress, perhaps best known for her Jersey Girl-type roles; as sharp-tongued women in independent films; and for her recurring role as press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage.-Early life:...
)—one of the other pregnant women who Rachel shares a semi-private room with while waiting to have her baby delivered. She yells at her husband, then at Ross when Ross criticizes her husband. (The next "co-pregger" to share the room with is Janice, who is also taken to the delivery room before Rachel.)
Emma Geller-Green (Cali Sheldon & Noelle Sheldon)—Rachel and Ross' baby girl. 'Emma' was the name Monica had originally chosen for her future daughter since she was 14, but she gives the name to Rachel. Originally Emma was to be called Isabella, however Rachel ends up in tears deciding that this was not her name. With only one name left, Delilah, Rachel says, "Oh great! At least she sounds like a biblical whore."
Introduced in season nine
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
)—In "The One with the Pediatrician" (airdate October 10, 2002; Season 9, No. 3), Joey forgets he promised Phoebe a double date. After pretending someone called "Mike" will be joining them, he desperately yells "Mike" in Central Perk. Mike Hannigan replies and is roped into the date. The date does not go well but they go on a second one in "The One with the Sharks" (airdate October 17, 2002; Season 9, No. 4), which is equally bad. In "The One with the Boob Job" (airdate February 20, 2003; Season 9, No. 16), he and Phoebe decide to move in together. Phoebe suggests that one day they could get married but he tells her that, after his messy divorce, he never wants to get married again, and they break up. Unable to be apart from each other, they reconcile in "The One with the Memorial Service" (airdate March 13, 2003; Season 9, No. 17). In "The One in Barbados, Part 1", he proposes to her at the same time as David. She turns both of them down but tells David that Mike is the man she wants to be with. In "The One After Joey and Rachel Kiss" (airdate September 25, 2003; Season 10, No. 1), Mike is dumped by Precious, the girl he has been seeing since breaking up with Phoebe. In "The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits" (airdate October 30, 2003; Season 10, No. 5), he proposes to her, and they are married by Joey in "The One with Phoebe's Wedding" (airdate September 12, 2004; Season 10, No. 12). In "The One with Princess Consuela", he changes his name to Crap Bag after Phoebe changes hers to Princess Consuela Bananahammock. He makes a brief appearance in "The Last One", bringing over a "Welcome to the World, Baby Bing" banner to Monica and Chandler's.
Theodore and Bitsy Hannigan (Gregory Itzin
Gregory Itzin
Gregory Martin Itzin is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as disgraced U.S. President Charles Logan in the television series 24.-Early life:...
and Cristine Rose
Cristine Rose
Cristine Sue Rose is an American actress. She has also been credited as Christine Rose. She's best known for her role as Angela Petrelli on the hit NBC science fiction drama Heroes.-Early life:...
)—Mike's rich, haughty parents. He introduces Phoebe to them in "The One with Ross's Inappropriate Song", where they make it clear that they do not approve of Phoebe, however Mike defies them and declares his love for Phoebe in front of his parents and their two "sinfully boring" friends. They attend the wedding in "The One with Phoebe's Wedding".
Amy Green (Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate is an American actress. She is best known for playing Kelly Bundy on the Fox sitcom Married... with Children. Since then, she has established a film and television career, winning a Primetime Emmy and earning Tony and Golden Globe nominations...
)—Rachel's other sister, who first appears in "The One with Rachel's Other Sister" (airdate November 21, 2002; Season 9, No. 8). She arrives at Monica and Chandler's for Thanksgiving dinner, where she is annoyed that she would not get custody of Emma if Rachel and Ross died. She appears again in "The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits" (airdate October 30, 2003; Season 10, No. 5), where she tells Rachel that she plans to marry her ex-boyfriend's father, who is rich. When Rachel tries to teach her responsibility by letting her babysit Emma, Amy gets Emma's ears pierced.
- Applegate won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her appearance in "The One with Rachel's Other Sister" and was nominated again for her appearance in "The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits".
Gavin Mitchell (Dermot Mulroney
Dermot Mulroney
-Early life:Mulroney was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Ellen, a housewife and amateur actress originally from Manchester, Iowa, and Michael Mulroney, a law professor at Villanova University School of Law, originally from Elkader, Iowa. He has a sister, Moira, and three brothers, Conor,...
)—Rachel's temporary replacement at Polo Ralph Lauren. Zelner makes it known to Rachel that he likes Gavin, so Rachel ends her maternity leave early to compete with him in "The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work" (airdate January 9, 2003; Season 9, No. 11). Their working relationship has improved by "The One with Phoebe's Rats", and they kiss at her birthday party. In "The One Where Monica Sings" (airdate January 30, 2003; Season 9, No. 13), Rachel tells Gavin that, although she likes him, a relationship would be difficult because of her history with Ross.
Steve (Phill Lewis
Phill Lewis
Phill Lewis is an American film and television actor,director and comedian, often seen in comedic roles. He is best known for his role as Mr. Moseby on Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck. He also played T.C...
)—Chandler's boss at his internship. Appears in "The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work", "The One with the Mugging" and "The One with the Lottery", when he offers Chandler the job of junior copywriter.
Charlie Wheeler (Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler
Aisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...
)—an attractive paleontology professor whom Ross falls for in "The One with the Soap Opera Party" (airdate April 24, 2003; Season 9, No. 20). He plans to ask her out, but is too late when she gets together with Joey instead. Initially angry, he helps Joey come up with intelligent places to take her on dates in "The One with the Fertility Test". At Ross's conference in "The One in Barbados", Charlie tells Joey that they have nothing in common and breaks up with him. She and Ross then get together. In "The One with Ross's Grant" (airdate November 6, 2003; Season 10, No. 6), she breaks up with Ross and gets back together with her old flame, Dr. Benjamin Hobart (Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
).
- The character of Charlie was created to specifically counter criticism the Friends production staff had received for featuring too few characters played by ethnic minority actors. Aisha Tyler was only the second major supporting character to be played by a black actor, following Gabrielle UnionGabrielle UnionGabrielle Monique Union is an American actress and former model. Among her notable roles is as the cheerleader opposite Kirsten Dunst in the film Bring it On. Union starred opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the blockbuster film Bad Boys II and played a medical doctor in the CBS drama...
's appearance in "The One with the Cheap Wedding Dress" (airdate March 15, 2001; Season 7, No. 17). The role was not specifically written for a black actor. Tyler told the St Petersburg Times, "I hope [people's] frustration over [the lack of diversity] is tempered by the fact that when they wrote this role, they didn't wimp out. They wrote her so smart and sexy and elevated, she wasn't just the black girl on Friends."
Molly (Melissa George
Melissa George
Melissa Suzanne George is an Australian film and television actress who has worked in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Melissa is perhaps best known for her role as Angel Parrish on the Australian soap opera Home and Away...
)—Emma's hot nanny who Ross gets to hire since Rachel doesn't see it in her. When Joey sees her, his lady killer instinct kicks in. Ross tries to make Joey stay away from her when he flirts with her, which makes Joey want her more. Ross wants Chandler to watch Joey and make sure he doesn't go after Molly. When Ross is lecturing Joey there's a knock on the door and it's Molly's girlfriend. They make out. Molly makes one more cameo appearance.
Sandy (Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Freddie James Prinze, Jr. is an American actor. He rose to fame during the late 1990s and early 2000s, after starring in several Hollywood films aimed at teenage audiences, I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer , as well as She's All That , Summer...
)—another of Emma's nannies. After unsuccessfully interviewing several female nannies, both Ross and Rachel are surprised to see that Sandy is male. During the interview he wins Rachel over and she hires him despite Ross not being keen. Sandy proves himself to be highly competent, even educating Joey with his techniques, however he is let go after Ross can't get used to the idea of having a male nanny.
- Zach (John StamosJohn StamosJohn Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
)—When Monica finds out that Chandler can't get her pregnant, she interviews perspective sperm donors, starting (and ending) with Zach.
Introduced in season ten
Erica (Anna FarisAnna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
)—Introduced in "The One with the Birth Mother" (airdate January 8, 2004; Season 10, No. 9), Erica is a young girl from Ohio who decides to let Monica and Chandler adopt her baby. She visits New York in "The One Where Joey Speaks French" and sees the tourist sites with Monica and Chandler. She goes into labor at the end of "The One with Rachel's Going Away Party" in season 10 and gives birth to twins in "The Last One."
Erica and Jack —The adopted son and daughter of Monica and Chandler. They are born in "The Last One." It is revealed that Monica and Chandler didn't know they would be twins until they were born. Chandler suggests giving one of them up but Monica refuses, saying, "We can't split them up. They're our children and they're coming with us." Erica is named after her birth mother and Jack is named after Monica and Ross's dad Jack Geller.
Missy Goldberg (Ellen Pompeo
Ellen Pompeo
Ellen Kathleen Pompeo is an American actress, known for playing the title role of Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.-Early life:...
)—Introduced in "The One Where the Stripper Cries" (airdate February 5, 2004; Season 10, No. 11), Missy is a woman from Ross' and Chandler's college, at which they both made a pact to not ask her out so it would not damage their friendship. At a reunion, Chandler gives Ross permission to break the pact, now that he is married, where it is revealed that Chandler and Missy made out numerous times during college after school hours in the school's science labs, which Ross calls "his turf".
Benjamin Hobart (Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
)—Introduced in "The One with Ross' Grant" as a Nobel Prize winner paleontologist and ex-boyfriend of Ross' girlfriend Charlie Wheeler. He confesses to Ross he's still in love with her and then unsuccessfully tries to persuade Ross to break up with her by asking ridiculous questions at the grant interview. He and Charlie eventually get back together, after Ross makes him confess his actions in front of her.
Amanda Buffamontisi (Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress best known for playing "Stifler's mom," the older woman in the film American Pie ; Hilary Duff's stepmother in A Cinderella Story ; Paulette, the manicurist in Legally Blonde and its sequel; the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated feature Robots ; for her...
)—Introduced in "The One with Ross' Tan" (airdate October 9, 2004; Season 10, No. 3) as an annoying lady who used to live in the building before moving to England. She picks up a fake British accent and claims to have slept with Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
.
Roy (Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
)—Introduced in "The One Where the Stripper Cries" as a stripper who is hired for Phoebe's bachelorette party at the last minute after she expresses disappointment that the party isn't 'dirtier'. When he arrives, the girls are surprised to see that he is at least 50 years old. When he sees that Phoebe isn't enjoying his performance he gets upset and cries because he knows he is too old to strip now, but stripping is all he knows. In her guilt, Phoebe comforts him and tells him that he should teach stripping instead. He then performs one last time for the party.
- Mackenzie (Dakota FanningDakota FanningHannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
)—the daughter of the current residents of the house Monica and Chandler buy. She winds up helping Joey deal with his anxiety about Chandler's and Monica's moving out of the city.