The Shocking Stars Who Appeared on Friends Before They Were Famous

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer rose to massive fame during Friends, which aired on NBC for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. From the start, the sitcom drew the attention of celebrities — and landed some huge guest stars. In the first season, both George Clooney and Noah Wyle featured in an episode as doctors. The then-popular ER actors both shared a romantic interest in Jennifer Aniston’s character Rachel Green, kicking off the shows impressive guest star line-up. In one of the show’s most memorable episodes, featuring Brad Pitt as Will Colbert, a high school friend of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox), who starts a “We Hate Rachel” club. This episode became an early marker of the show’s ability to reel in A-list talent. In another hilarious episode featuring Reese Witherspoon and Christina Applegate as Jennifer Aniston’s sister, it allowed for some compelling storylines to develop. In another notable episode, Julia Roberts featured as Suzie Menkin, a love interest for Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry). Bruce Willis appeared on the show as Paul Stevens, the father of Ross’s girlfriend Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden), playing the role of a possessive and loving father. This impressive line-up only continued as the show progressed through the years, securing guest stars such as Michael Rapaport, Gary Oldman and Alec Baldwin. The incredibly talented Paul Rudd who appeared as Mike Hannigan, the husband of Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), became one of the show's beloved characters. Many actors have appeared in episodes across all ten seasons of the show, helping build its reputation as one of the most sought-after guest starring roles on television. Overall, the show managed to stay ahead of the curve when securing impressive guest stars and integrating them into compelling and coherent storylines.