Can you name the most memorable guest stars on "Friends"?

By: Abi Luftig
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can you name the most memorable guest stars on "Friends"?
Image: NBC

About This Quiz

In 1994, a show about six friends living in New York hit the air and made stars of its then-unknown actors. "Friends" became an instant success and a part of the world's consciousness. Of course, stars flocked to the show to play witty and memorable cameos. How well can you remember who visited the gang at Central Perk?
When Rachel returns from maternity leave, she fears her job is threatened by her temporary replacement, Gavin Mitchell, who later becomes a love interest for her. Which star of "My Best Friend’s Wedding" and "Young Guns" played Gavin?
Kiefer Sutherland
Rupert Everett
Lou Diamond Phillips
Dermot Mulroney
Gavin Mitchell assumes Rachel’s duties at Ralph Lauren while she is on maternity leave and does such a good job that she comes back early, for fear he will usurp her position. Later, he attends her birthday party, where Ross sees them kissing. Gavin and Rachel decline to take their relationship further because things are so complicated between Rachel and Ross. While not relevant to his cameo as Gavin, it’s interesting to note that Mulroney is actually an accomplished cellist, playing his own parts in "Mozart in the Jungle."
Which star of "Rat Race" and "Saturday Night Live" appeared twice, once as a stoned restaurateur whom Monica is trying to impress and eight seasons later, as Rachel’s awful blind date?
Rowan Atkinson
Jon Lovitz
SNL alum, stand-up legend, and a familiar face on both small and big screens, Jon Lovitz showed up twice on "Friends." In Season 1, he made sure audiences would forever find the word “tartlet” funny when he played an aspiring restaurateur who wanted to hire Monica as his head chef, only to arrive at the tasting completely baked. In Season 9, Phoebe set Rachel up on a blind date with the worst guy she could find, in order to prove that she belonged with Ross. Turns out the worst guy she could find was Steve, who ends up crying on the date.
Seth Green
Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Which star of "Blue Velvet" and "Death Becomes Her" appeared as herself and is bemused by Ross’s attempts to flirt with her?
Laura Dern
Goldie Hawn
Meryl Streep
Isabella Rosellini
Ross and Rachel are hanging out in Central Perk when Isabella Rossellini walks in to get a coffee. Ross laments that he just took the actress off his list of celebrities he’s allowed to sleep with, but Rachel says she can be an alternate so that she can laugh as he humiliates himself. Isabella Rossellini is Hollywood royalty; her mother was Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and her father was Italian director Roberto Rossellini. She holds dual citizenship in Italy and the US and makes it a point to always live near her fraternal twin sister, Isotta.

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Which "Seinfeld" alum played a suicidal office manager whom Phoebe meets while working as a telemarketer?
Jerry Seinfeld
Michael Richards
Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander, best known as George Costanza on Seinfeld, appeared in a memorable cameo as Earl, the suicidal office manager who is Phoebe’s first call as a telemarketer whom she tries to help. Alexander is also an accomplished stage legend, winning a Tony Award in 1989.
Larry David
Which star of both the Harry Potter films and the Dark Knight trilogy played a famous costar in Joey’s World War I movie?
Gary Oldman
Beloved and transformative actor Gary Oldman broke our hearts as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films, earned our loyalty as James Gordon in The Dark Knight Trilogy, and played one of the strangest looking villains in cinema history as Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in "The Fifth Element." He also appeared as Richard Crosby, a serious and famous actor who teaches Joey to enunciate by spitting (and then shows up on set drunk) in their WWI movie, in a role that earned him an Emmy nomination. Oldman had previously worked with Matt LeBlanc (Joey) in 1998’s underappreciated "Lost in Space" film.
Alan Rickman
Christian Bale
Bruce Willis
Which star of "As Good As It Gets," "Little Miss Sunshine," and "You’ve Got Mail" popped up as Dr. Benjamin Hobartto to ruin Ross’s professional and romantic prospects?
Tom Hanks
Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear appears as Dr. Benjamin “Benji” Hobart, an ex of Ross’s girlfriend, Charlie, who is interviewing Ross for a funding grant. Benji offers the grant to Ross on the condition that he break up with Charlie. Kinnear’s father was a diplomat, so his youth was spent in places like Beirut and Athens. He returned stateside to attend college.
Steve Carell
Jack Nicholson

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Which child actress played Sarah Tuttle, a Girl Scout who suffers a broken leg because of Ross?
Mae Whitman
One of the few child actresses to have made the successful transition to on-screen adulthood, Mae Whitman was slightly recognizable from her roles in "Independence Day" and "Bye Bye Love" when she played Girl Scout Sarah Tuttle. Whitman has gone on to appear on "Arrested Development," "Parenthood," and "Avatar: The Last Airbender."
Dakota Fanning
Abigail Breslin
Emily Osment
Which '80s actress played Mindy, Rachel’s former best friend, who runs off with her ex-fiance?
Molly Ringwald
Jennifer Grey
Grey, known for her roles in "Dirty Dancing" and "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off," appeared as Mindy, who eventually marries and divorces Barry, the man Rachel left at the altar in the first episode. Acting is in her blood, as she is the daughter of legendary actor Joel Grey.
Sigourney Weaver
Phoebe Cates
Which actor from "Swingers," "The Replacements," and "Iron Man" played Pete Becker, Monica’s super-rich boyfriend with dreams of becoming an MMA champion?
Robert Downey, Jr.
Vince Vaughn
Keanu Reeves
Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau put on his actor hat to play the slightly delusional MMA wannabe with a shocking lack of fighting ability. Favreau wears several hats in Hollywood, mainly those of writer, producer, and director. Among many others, he wrote "Couple’s Retreat," produced "Swingers," and directed "Elf."

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Which rock star had a cameo as a singer who steals Phoebe’s gig at Central Perk?
Joan Jett
Pat Benatar
Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde has led an interesting life. She has been the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Pretenders since 1978. She worked for Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood at their fledgling fashion store, SEX, in London in the '70s. She attended Kent State and was friends with one of the victims of the shooting. And, last but not least, she appeared on "Friends" and sang a duet of Smelly Cat with Phoebe.
Debbie Harry
Which star of "Moonlighting" and "Armageddon" won an Emmy for his guest appearance as Paul Stevens, the father of the student Ross is dating?
Billy Bob Thornton
Ben Affleck
Will Patton
Bruce Willis
When Ross began dating a college student in Season 6, he had to deal with meeting that student’s disapproving father, Paul, played by the understatedly funny Bruce Willis. Things became even more complicated when Paul started dating Rachel. Willis won an Emmy for his three-episode portrayal of Paul.
Which actress, known for her roles in "Zoolander," "The Brady Bunch," movie and "The Wedding Singer" appeared as Bonnie, Ross’s blonde and ultimately bald girlfriend?
Drew Barrymore
Milla Jovovich
Christine Taylor
Besides playing Marcia in the '90s "Brady Bunch" movies, Holly in "The Wedding Singer," and Matilda in "Zoolander," Christine Taylor is also well known for her appearances as Sally Sitwell on "Arrested Development" and her mean girl portrayal of Lizzie in "The Craft." Since all of these roles feature, or at least mention, Taylor’s long, blonde hair, it makes Bald Bonnie even more amusing to watch.
Jennifer Coolidge

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Rachel runs into her former sorority sister from college, whom she drunkenly kissed while at school. This sister was played by which star of "Little Women"?
Claire Danes
Samantha Mathis
Winona Ryder
'90s film darling Winona Ryder appeared in classic films such as "Beetlejuice," "Heathers," and "Reality Bites" and is currently appearing as Joyce Byers on Netflix’s "Stranger Things." For her spot on "Friends," she played former classmate Melissa Warburton, who claims not to remember drunkenly kissing Rachel in college. Phoebe laughs at the idea of Rachel being so avantgarde, especially when Melissa denies it, so to prove a point, Rachel kisses Melissa again. Melissa then confesses to remembering every detail, but lying because she is in love with Rachel.
Susan Sarandon
Which star of "Magnum, P.I." and "Blue Bloods" had a recurring role as Dr. Richard Burke, Monica’s much older boyfriend?
John Hillerman
Larry Manetti
Tom Selleck
Richard was a complicated relationship for Monica. The difference in their ages posed a difficulty, as did the fact that Richard was good friends with Monica’s dad and she had known him as a child. Eventually, they broke up because Monica wanted a child and Richard did not want to go through raising a baby again. Tom Selleck (and his mustache) have been on screen since 1965, but many people might not know that from 1967 to 1973, he served in the 160th Infantry Regiment of the California Army National Guard, rising to the rank of Sergeant.
Len Cariou
Which one of the "Anchorman" bros played Phoebe’s boyfriend (and eventually husband) Mike Hannigan?
Will Ferrell
Dave Koechner
Paul Rudd
The loveable and charismatic Paul Rudd appeared as Mike Hannigan, a stranger Joey found in Central Perk when he forgot to find a blind date for Phoebe. This was not Rudd’s first encounter with a cast member of "Friends," however. In 1998, he co-starred with Jennifer Aniston in the rom-com-drama "The Object of My Affection."
Steve Carell

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Which star of "St. Elsewhere" and "Guiding Light" played Judy, Ross and Monica’s overly critical mom?
Cynthia Sikes
Ellen Bry
Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles is best known for playing Nurse Helen Rosenthal on the long-running medical show, "St. Elsewhere," for which she earned five Emmy nominations. She also earned an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Judy Geller on "Friends." Fans might be surprised to learn that Pickles is British, having grown up in Halifax, West Yorkshire. She came to the States in the 1960s and began a successful Broadway career. She became a US citizen in 1989.
Jennifer Savidge
Which "MadTV" and "Family Guy" star played the “Bitter Woman On Stage,” star of the one-woman show “Why Don’t You Like Me?”
Mila Kunis
Mo Collins
Nicole Sullivan
Alex Borstein
Alex Borstein, better known as Mrs. Swan and Lois Griffin, had a cameo as “Bitter Woman on Stage,” whose one-woman show “Why Don’t You Like Me?” Chandler is tricked into attending. Borstein has also lent her voice to "Cars 3," "The Angry Birds Movie," and "Robot Chicken."
Which star of Archer appeared as Dr. Charlie Wheeler, a love interest for Joey and Ross, as well as a colleague of Ross?
Judy Greer
Aisha Tyler
The talented Aisha Tyler appeared in nine episodes as Dr. Charlie Wheeler, a professor who briefly dates Joey, but dumps him for Ross, but then dumps Ross to reunite with her ex-boyfriend, Benji. In addition to playing Charlie on "Friends" and Lana on "Archer," Tyler has played Andrea on "Ghost Whisperer" and Tara on "Criminal Minds." She also hosts CW’s "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
Amber Nash
Jessica Walters

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Which deep-voiced star of "Romancing the Stone," "Body Heat," and "Peggy Sue Got Married" played Chandler’s dad, Charles?
Holland Taylor
Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner took full advantage of her trademark deep voice to play Chandler’s father, Charles Bing, who later became a Vegas performer called Helena Handbasket. Turner was an A-List star in the '80s, but her career slowly diminished as rheumatoid arthritis and her choice of alcoholic self-medication took their toll. In the 2000s, new RA treatments became available and Turner has begun to reclaim her glory on the small screen, the big screen, and the stage.
Catherine Hicks
Nicolas Cage
Which "Two and a Half Men" star appeared as Phoebe’s Navy beau who gets shore leave just as Phoebs gets the chicken pox?
Jon Cryer
Charlie Sheen
The "Hot Shots" and "Major League" star, now more famous for his media meltdowns than his acting, appeared in the Season 2 episode “The One with the Chicken Pox.” His character, Ryan, inevitably gets chicken pox from Phoebe, but they manage to enjoy his two weeks of shore leave together.
Ashton Kutcher
Angus T. Jones
Which leading lady from "Steel Magnolias" appeared as Susie Moss, aka "Susie Underpants," a childhood classmate of Chandler who manages to get revenge decades later?
Sally Field
Daryl Hannah
Julia Roberts
"Mystic Pizza" and "Erin Brockovich" star Julia Roberts appeared on "Friends" as a former classmate of Chandler’s, who was still angry at him for lifting her skirt up and showing the entire school her underwear in elementary school. At the time, Roberts was dating Matthew Perry, who played Chandler.
Olympia Dukakis

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Which star of "House" appeared briefly as a passenger on a flight to London who disagrees with Rachel’s plan to disrupt Ross’ wedding to Emily?
Robert Sean Leonard
Peter Jacobson
Jesse Spencer
Hugh Laurie
British fans of the show were in for several delightful cameos of homegrown talent when the gang (sans a pregnant Phoebe) flew to London for Ross and Emily’s wedding. One such cameo was the delightful Hugh Laurie, who was seated next to Rachel on her later flight, and tells her that she is a terrible person who doesn’t really love Ross if she wants to ruin his wedding day. Laurie was already known and loved by British audiences for his comedic roles in "A Bit of Laurie & Fry," "Blackadder," and "Jeeves and Wooster."
Which star of "M*A*S*H" and the Ocean’s Trilogy appeared often as Jack, Ross and Monica’s well-meaning but often inappropriate dad?
Donald Sutherland
Tom Skerritt
Robert Duvall
Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould is probably best known as Trapper John in the film version of "M*A*S*H," as well as Marlowe in "The Long Goodbye," and Reuben in the Ocean’s heist trilogy. Gould has been married three times, but has only had two wives. He was married to Barbara Streisand and they divorced. He then married, divorced, remarried, and redivorced Jennifer Bogart.
Which star of "The Simpsons" made a rare on-screen appearance as a zookeeper who alerts Ross to the true whereabouts of his monkey, Marcel?
Dan Castellaneta
Ross goes to the zoo to visit his old pet monkey, Marcel, only to be told that Marcel has been transferred to another zoo far away. However, a Zookeeper acting as an informant, lets Ross know that Marcel is now in show business. Audiences may not have recognized Castellaneta’s face, but it’s easy to recognize his voice. Audiences have been listening to Castellaneta voice Homer, Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Clown, Sideshow Mel, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby and Hans Moleman on "The Simpsons" for decades. He has picked up three Emmys and four nominations for his efforts.
Yeardley Smith
Hank Azaria
Harry Shearer

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Which star of "Fight Club" played the formerly fat Will Colbert, who still carries a hatred for his former high school classmate, Rachel?
Edward Norton
Meat Loaf
Brad Pitt
In possibly the most tongue-in-cheek cameo the show ever displayed, Brad Pitt appeared as Will, a former classmate of Rachel and Monica, who attends Thanksgiving at Monica’s invitation. It is quickly revealed that Pitt’s character continues to harbor a lifelong hatred for Rachel, played by Pitt’s then-wife, Jennifer Aniston. Aniston and Pitt went on to divorce four years later.
Jared Leto
Which star of "Bull Durham" and "The Witches of Eastwick" played Jessica Lockhart, one of Joey’s costars on Days?
Cher
Michelle Pfeiffer
Susan Sarandon
Joey finds out that his comatose character, Dr. Drake Ramoray, is going to recieve a brain transplant from Sarandon’s Jessica Lockhart and discusses the script with Lockhart, unaware that she hasn’t been informed of her termination. Matt LeBlanc said that he was very intimidated in his scenes with an actress of Sarandon’s caliber and fame. Considering the cameo earned her one of her six Emmy nominations, he may have been right to have been intimidated.
Veronica Cartwright
Which '70s teen idol had a cameo as himself/the host of the game show “Pyramid” where he marvels at how bad a contestant Joey is?
Michael Jackson
Leif Garrett
Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond, teen heartthrob and '70s golden boy, rose to the top of the charts with hits like “Puppy Love” and “Go Away Little Girl." He has been simultaneously praised and ridiculed for his squeaky clean image and lack of controversy. Raised in the Mormon faith, Osmond’s career meant he did not go on a mission, as young Mormon men traditionally do. He has expressed regret about that, saying "It would have been nice to be able to have served a regular full-time mission, but when I was of that age, my career was such that everyone, including my parents and the leaders of the church, thought that I could do a lot of good in the world by continuing being in the public eye, by living an exemplary life and sharing my beliefs in every way that I could."
Robin Gibbs

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Which star of "Taxi" made a memorable cameo as the worst male stripper of all time, ruining Phoebe’s bachelorette party?
Judd Hirsch
Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito first became famous as grumpy dispatcher Louie De Palma on "Taxi." On his way to becoming Frank Reynolds on "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia," DeVito made career stops in Gotham, Reno, New Jersey, and a trip back to New York in one of the funniest “Friends” cameos of all time. He is hired as a last-minute stripper for Phoebe’s bachelorette party, but is clearly depressed, overweight, and over the hill when he arrives. With encouragement from the ladies of Central Perk, he begins to dance, but winds up needing an ambulance ride to the hospital.
Jeff Conaway
Andy Kaufman
Which star of “Suddenly Susan” played Erika Ford, an obsessed stalker who dates Joey, but thinks she’s dating his "Days of Our Lives" character?
Kathy Griffin
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields has spent her life in front of a camera, starting her modeling career at 11 months old. She took time off in the 1980s to attend Princeton University, earning a BA in Romance Languages. Her cameo on "Friends" convinced NBC to cast her as the titular character in "Suddenly Susan."
Barbara Barrie
Sherri Shepherd
Which fashion icon appears briefly as himself in a silent elevator cameo?
Ralph Lauren
For most of the show’s run, Rachel works at Ralph Lauren. In one episode, she allows Phoebe to use her copier code to print massage fliers and finds it amazing when Phoebe says she slept with Ralph Lauren (it turns out she slept with Kenny, the copy guy). This rumor causes trouble for Rachel, who then shares an elevator with her boss and the “silver haired fox."
Tommy Hilfiger
Marc Jacobs
Tom Ford

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Which star of "Falcon Crest" and "Flamingo Road" showed up occasionally as Nora Tyler Bing, Chandler’s flirtatious mom?
Cristina Raines
Barbara Rush
Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild continued her tradition of playing glamorous characters when she glided onto the set of "Friends" to play Chandler’s mother, an erotic novelist who kisses Ross. Fairchild was born Patsy Ann McClenny, but chose her stage name from a David Warner film.
Jane Wyman
Which star of "She’s All That" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" played Sandy, the manny (male nanny) who took care of Emma for Ross and Rachel?
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prinze Jr. played the titular character in Season 9’s “The One With The Male Nanny." He played Sandy, a nanny very comfortable with his masculinity, who eventually is fired by Ross, who is far less comfortable with his own. Prinze has moved on from his teen flick days in the late '90s and has since played Cole on "24" and voices Kanan Jarrus in Disney's "Star Wars Rebels."
Paul Walker
Matthew Lillard
Ryan Phillippe
Which Victoria’s Secret model played herself in a cameo where she was trapped in an ATM vestibule with Chandler during a blackout?
Stephanie Seymour
Tyra Banks
Jill Goodacre
When the city gets shut down due to a blackout, Chandler finds himself trapped in an ATM vestibule with model Jill Goodacre and proceeds to be very Chandler about things. While she is referred to as “Jill Goodacre” during the episode, she is listed in the credits as “Jill Connick.” She had recently married Harry Connick Jr. and wanted to celebrate by being credited with her new legal name. Harry and Jill are still married and have three daughters.
Elle MacPherson

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Which star of "Independence Day" and "Jurassic Park" played artsy director Leonard Hayes, who is impressed by Joey’s urgent style of acting?
Jeff Goldblum
In “The One with the Mugging,” Joey gets the chance of a lifetime when he lands an audition with Jeff Goldblum’s A-List director, Leonard Hayes. Joey doesn’t have time to go to the bathroom before the audition, and the sense of urgency his bladder feels leads to impressive acting. Goldblum has over 100 roles under his belt as an actor, but only one credit as a director, for a 1996 TV short called "Little Surprises."
Bill Pullman
Sam Neill
Samuel L. Jackson
Which magician appeared as a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman who tries to get Joey to buy an entire set?
David Blaine
Penn Jillette
Penn Jillette, aka the half of Penn and Teller who talks, tries to sell Joey an entire set of encyclopedias. However, Joey can only afford the “V” installment. Jillette also did the majority of voice-over work aired on Comedy Central in the 1990s.
David Copperfield
Raymond Teller
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