You might notice some familar faces on your next "Friends" rewatch. For this list, we’ll be looking at the greatest actors who appeared on the beloved sitcom before they really hit it big.
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00:00 "What did we just finish talking about, Ben?"
00:02 "What did we just finish talking about, Ben?"
00:05 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks
00:09 for the top 20 pre-famed celebrity appearances on 'Friends.'
00:13 "Oh man, this hurts!"
00:14 "Really? That bad?"
00:15 "Uh-huh! I think it's time to kick you in the nuts and see which is worse!"
00:19 For this list, we're looking at the greatest actors
00:21 who appeared on the beloved sitcom before they really hit it big.
00:24 They might have been recognizable at the time,
00:27 but the majority of their most popular roles came in the years after appearing on the hit NBC show.
00:32 Who's your favorite guest star? Let us know in the comments!
00:35 Number 20. Jason Winston George
00:39 As a recurring and main cast member on 'Grey's Anatomy' and then its spinoff 'Station 19,'
00:44 Jason Winston George has made a name for himself playing firefighter and PRT physician Dr. Ben Warren.
00:49 "I have seen patients bleed out in less time than it's going to take for us to get him free.
00:54 It's a choice between his hand and his life. I choose life."
00:58 Besides his natural charisma and acting abilities,
01:00 we would also be remiss if we didn't point out how good the man looks in his fireman's uniform.
01:05 But as some of you might remember,
01:07 his role as Dr. Warren isn't the first time we've seen him in such gear.
01:11 Allow us to take you back to 2001 and the seventh season of 'Friends,'
01:15 when a frustrated Phoebe throws away her fire alarm only to have it returned by a fireman.
01:20 And look who it is!
01:22 "You found your fire alarm in the trash chute."
01:23 "Mm-hmm, that's not mine."
01:25 "Yes, it is."
01:26 "How do you know?"
01:27 "The next time you want to dump a fire alarm in the trash chute,
01:29 don't wrap it in a blanket that says 'Property of Phoebe Buffay,' not 'Monica.'"
01:32 Number 19. T.J. Thine
01:35 When it comes to his acting career, T.J. Thine's appearance on 'Friends' wasn't just pre-fame,
01:40 it was pre-everything. His turn as the young-looking Dr. Oberman who Ross brings for Phoebe
01:45 was the first role of Thine's career.
01:48 "Ross, maybe I should have specified that I'd be needing a grown-up doctor."
01:53 "Oh no, really, I'm fully qualified to do that."
01:55 "Stoogie!"
01:56 It was the 100th episode of 'Friends,' which has to mean good luck, right?
02:00 We think so, because seven years later, he would appear in the TV role that would make him most
02:05 known. We are, of course, talking about a different kind of doctor, entomologist/the
02:10 bug and slime guy Dr. Jack Hodgins on the long-running Fox series 'Bones.'
02:14 "I'm afraid that if I close my eyes, what a- what a hope and a mom gonna be
02:22 back in that car, and buried."
02:24 Number 18. Michael Vartan
02:27 Some might have recognized Vartan from his small, if painful-looking turn in 1995's 'To
02:32 Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Noomar.' But for most of us, he was a new, albeit very
02:37 attractive face when he showed up as Dr. Richard Burke's son on 'Friends' in 1997.
02:42 "I was gonna have Thanksgiving at my girlfriend's."
02:44 "Oh."
02:45 "But we broke up."
02:45 "Oh?"
02:47 "She- she- she wasn't ready for a serious commitment."
02:52 But while his relationship with Monica never got off the ground,
02:56 his career sure did in the years that followed. In 1999, he kissed Drew Barrymore in 'Never Been
03:01 Kissed.' And in 2001, he began his five-season run in the CIA as Michael Vaughn in 'Alias,'
03:07 opposite soon-to-be big-time star Jennifer Garner.
03:10 "Why are you shaking your head?"
03:11 "Because you said another."
03:12 "So?"
03:14 "So if you really had one already, you most likely wouldn't tell me until I was authenticated."
03:19 "Unless I had an instinct about you."
03:21 Number 17. Emily Proctor.
03:23 The beautiful and talented Emily Proctor saw her star status soar in the aughts with her
03:28 high-profile roles on two hit television shows. She played Associate White House Counsel Ainsley
03:33 Hayes on multiple episodes of the critically acclaimed 'The West Wing.' From there, she moved
03:39 from politics to crime, starring in over 200 episodes of 'CSI Miami.'
03:44 "The southwest facing wall."
03:45 "And you contend that those red marks on that there bullet are blood?"
03:50 "I'm not contending anything. DNA indicates a match. This is the bullet that killed Jennifer
03:54 Valdez."
03:55 While the 2000s were Proctor's famed sweet spot, it was a half a decade earlier in 1995
04:00 that she showed up on 'Friends' as Joey's co-worker during his time as a cologne spritzer.
04:05 "Sooner or later, they all... stop blasting.
04:09 Listen, uh, what do you say I buy you that cup of coffee now?"
04:14 "Sure."
04:16 Number 16. Olivia Williams.
04:19 How many of you remember when Camilla Parker Bowles guest starred on 'Friends'?
04:23 Okay, before you all go and have a Royal Watcher freak out, we should probably be more specific.
04:28 Camilla Parker Bowles never appeared in 'Friends,' but the actress who played her on 'The Crown' did.
04:33 "I think you should meet him."
04:34 "What for?"
04:35 "For a spin check-up with his little stethoscope."
04:40 "Oh God, you make me laugh."
04:44 Before Olivia Williams was a royal on a hit Netflix series,
04:47 she was a bridesmaid on a hit NBC series, though the two shows could not be more different.
04:52 During Ross' wedding to Emily, you'll be able to spot Williams as Felicity,
04:56 Emily's bridesmaid. You know, the one who hooked up with Joey.
04:59 "Talk New York to me again."
05:00 "Forget about it."
05:03 "How you doin'?"
05:06 Number 15. Cole Sprouse.
05:08 Ross' son Ben was played by multiple actors during the run of the series,
05:12 but for seasons six through eight, it was none other than one of the Sweet Life twins himself,
05:17 Cole Sprouse.
05:18 "Damn it."
05:19 "Oh, damn it."
05:20 "No, don't say that. Don't say that."
05:22 "Damn it."
05:23 "No, don't go back to repeating."
05:24 "Damn it."
05:24 "Oh, crap."
05:26 "Oh, cramp."
05:27 Speaking of 'The Sweet Life of Zack and Cody,' that show premiered in 2005,
05:31 three years after his last appearance on 'Friends.' Interestingly,
05:35 this was his first role without his twin brother Dylan.
05:38 While a certain generation will always think of him as a Sweet Life kid, these days,
05:42 Sprouse might be most recognized for his portrayal of Forsyth Jughead Jones III,
05:47 one of the stars and the narrator of the Riverdale series on The CW.
05:51 "I'm a weirdo. I don't fit in, and I don't wanna fit in.
05:56 Have you ever seen me without this stupid hat on? That's weird."
06:00 Number 14. Jon Favreau.
06:02 There's no doubt a group of independent cinema lovers saw Jon Favreau show up as Monica Souter
06:07 on 'Friends' and thought, "Hey, that's the guy from 'Swingers'!" However, for the wider audience,
06:12 Favreau was a somewhat unknown commodity during his role as tech millionaire and UFC wannabe
06:16 Pete Becker.
06:17 "The day will come when children will argue over who will win a fight, me or Superman.
06:23 Now, I'm not saying I can beat Superman, but, you know, kids are stupid."
06:27 In the years that followed his six-episode run on 'Friends,' Favreau has done some acting,
06:32 but has possibly gained more recognition for his work behind the camera as opposed to in front of
06:36 it, although he's directed many other successful movies. We'd be remiss not to give a shout-out
06:41 to 2008's 'Iron Man,' the film that began the ridiculously successful MCU franchise.
06:47 "Truth is...
06:47 I am Iron Man."
06:56 Number 13. Jane Lynch.
06:58 Comedic actor Jane Lynch had been working in film and television for over two decades before she
07:03 landed the role that would make her a household name. Many of us had loved her in multiple
07:07 Christopher Guest comedies, but it was the role of Sue Sylvester on 'Glee' that popped
07:12 Lynch's stardom up multiple levels.
07:14 "You give me this school, and in one year it'll be the top school in the state, I guarantee it.
07:20 I'm a champion, gentlemen. Let me be your champion."
07:24 Still, that didn't happen until 2009, and it was 2004 when she popped up in an episode on
07:30 the final season of 'Friends.' Lynch played Ellen, a real estate agent selling the home
07:34 next door to the one Chandler and Monica buy in the suburbs. If you're still not remembering,
07:39 let us remind you of its prospective buyer.
07:42 "Oh, the woman upstairs is very nice. She and her husband have two kids.
07:45 He's on Wall Street, and she's on-"
07:47 "Oh. My. God!"
07:50 Number 12. Mae Whitman.
07:53 Remember when David Schwimmer broke Mae Whitman's leg? It happened in season three when Ross broke
07:57 Sarah Tuttle's leg. By accident, of course. Tuttle, played by Whitman, was thus unable to
08:02 sell her Brown Bird cookies. So Ross, out of guilt, took up the task.
08:07 "How many more boxes would you have to sell in order to win?"
08:09 "The girl who won last year sold 475. So far, I've sold 75."
08:17 Whitman wasn't even 10 years old at the time, and was about eight years away from the roles
08:22 that we all know her for today. In 2004, she debuted in her memorable role as Ann Veal,
08:28 the object of George Michael's affections on Arrested Development. Then in 2010,
08:33 she showed up on the small screen as part of the main cast of Parenthood on NBC.
08:38 "I mean, it's a date, not a bar mitzvah. I just think you should really go with your
08:42 strong suit, you know?" "What is my strong suit?"
08:45 "Your boots, obviously."
08:46 Number 11. Anna Faris.
08:49 Her role in the scary movie franchise made Anna Faris a recognizable face. But it was in 2008
08:55 that she saw her name alone above the title in the surprise hit The House Bunny.
08:59 "How did you know that I got back?" "Let's just say a little bird told me."
09:04 "I gotta meet this frickin' bird!"
09:08 Five years after that, she began her seven-season run on CBS' Mom. And speaking of moms,
09:14 it was Faris who made Monica a mother in the final season of Friends. As Erica, Faris played
09:19 a pregnant woman giving up her twin babies for adoption, who would, in the end, select Monica
09:24 and Chandler as parents. "Anyway, I'm gonna go get some rest.
09:26 I'm really glad I picked you guys. You're gonna make great parents. Even Chandler."
09:35 Number 10. Dan Bukitinsky. He may be an Emmy-winning actor and successful writer and
09:40 producer, but Dan Bukitinsky's career began slowly, with bit parts in films and TV shows
09:46 peppered throughout the 90s and early 2000s. "So, are we expecting the rest of our party shortly?"
09:51 However, it didn't take long after his 2002 appearance in this season 9 episode of Friends
09:56 for his career to truly hit its stride. Bukitinsky played a waiter who becomes increasingly impatient
10:01 with the antics of Phoebe and Joey as they attempt to hold onto a large table while waiting for the
10:06 rest of the gang to arrive. "It's just that we do have some large parties waiting." "Oh,
10:11 one really does have a stick up one's ass, doesn't one?" Bukitinsky would soon find himself
10:15 starring on shows such as Scandal and 24 Legacy. "What are you working on?" "Signal lights. I want
10:22 that ambulance to hit green all the way through." Number 9. Scott Adsit. Long before he was making
10:27 us laugh as Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock and lending his unique vocal talents to big-budget animated
10:33 flicks like Big Hero 6, perennial funnyman Scott Adsit was just another LA actor looking for his
10:38 first big break. "Yes, Hornberger!" It was at the onset of his career that he landed the role of
10:44 the director in the season 7 Friends episode "The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin." "Okay, well,
10:50 I've heard everything I need to hear. We just need to, uh, Leslie?" The part required him to
10:58 inspect a nude Joey during an audition to make sure he wasn't circumcised. A small, not to
11:04 mention peculiar, role, it was nevertheless a big stepping stone for Adsit. "So there you go.
11:10 That's me. 100% natural." Number 8. Emily Osment. It's pretty incredible to think that Osment turned
11:18 30 in 2022 and yet has a Friends credit on her resume. "Trick or treat!" The young actress scored
11:24 a small part in the season 8 episode "The One with the Halloween Party" when she was just 9 years old.
11:29 Osment played Lelani Mayolanovich, a trick-or-treater that Rachel presents with a check
11:34 made out to cash after she runs out of candy. "Hey, can I write you a check?" "Okay." "Okay,
11:39 what's your name?" "Lelani Mayolanovich." Nowadays, the world knows Osment as the former Hannah
11:47 Montana cast member and star of sitcoms such as Young and Hungry and Young Sheldon. "You know,
11:51 Sophia used to make jokes like that. Now the only joke she makes is, 'Knock, knock, who's there?
11:56 Shut up or broke!'" Number 7. Craig Robinson. A largely forgettable role, Craig Robinson's time
12:02 on Friends was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of moment. "How can I help you?" "Um,
12:06 I need to change my name, please. See, I need to change it because I'm hiding from the law.
12:11 You're fun." The future Hot Tub Time Machine star appeared on screen for less than two minutes,
12:19 but still managed to score a couple of laughs thanks to his signature deadpan style of acting,
12:23 a style that was perfectly suited to his role as Daryl Philbin on The Office. "In the gang world,
12:29 we use something called fluffy fingers." "What is that?" "That's when somebody really gets in
12:35 your face. You know, you just start tickling them." Robinson plays an office clerk who Phoebe visits
12:41 when she's considering changing her name. A small role, sure, but what actor wouldn't want
12:46 a Friends cameo on their resume? "It could be anything you want." "Well, not anything." "Yeah,
12:52 anything." "Oh, this could take a while." "Get out of my life." "Okay."
12:59 Number 6. Leah Remini Leah Remini's connection to Friends is stronger
13:05 than you think. The future King of Queens star actually auditioned for the role of Monica Geller,
13:10 a role we all know went to Courtney Cox. "I want a baby." "Hmm, not tonight, honey. I got an early
13:16 date tomorrow." Even though she didn't get it, the producers must have liked something about
13:21 her audition, because they decided to bring her back for the Season 1 episode "The One with the
13:25 Birth." "Okay, all right, right this way. All the other pregnant women seem to be going in here."
13:30 She played Lydia, a pregnant woman who Joey befriends at the hospital while waiting for
13:36 Ross' son Ben to be born. "Hey, Nick Finn, am I interested in your views on fatherhood? Oh, no."
13:42 Unlike others on this list, Remini actually made it into multiple scenes,
13:46 with her and Joey sharing a number of funny, not to mention touching moments.
13:50 [Music]
13:55 Number 5. Rebecca Romijn It might be hard to imagine,
13:59 but there was a time when Rebecca Romijn was known more for her modeling than her acting.
14:04 That all changed when she made her on-screen debut in the Season 4 Friends episode "The One
14:08 with the Dirty Girl." "Here, Mitzi. Here, Mitzi." "Uh, Mitzi is..." "My hamster."
14:17 Romijn played Cheryl, the titular dirty girl who Ross briefly dates until he discovers that
14:22 her apartment is a little too messy for his taste. Of course, "messy" is a bit of an understatement.
14:28 "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Cheryl. I must have freaked out." "Oh, thank God it's not Mitzi.
14:34 It's just a rat." The apartment looks more like a garbage dump, complete with live animals rummaging
14:42 through the trash. Nowadays, the world now knows Romijn best for her numerous film and TV roles,
14:47 including Mystique in the X-Men franchise. "You know, people like you are the reason I was afraid
14:52 to go to school as a child." Number 4. Jim Rash Who would have guessed the character listed in
15:01 the credits as "nervous passenger" from the Friends series finale would go on to achieve so much?
15:06 "That doesn't sound good." Jim Rash had a brief but memorable cameo in this episode of the long
15:10 running sitcom. He played a passenger on Rachel's flight to Paris who freaks out when he overhears
15:15 her talking to Phoebe on the phone about something being wrong with the plane. "I have to get off
15:19 this plane, okay? Her friend has a feeling something's wrong with the left phalange."
15:24 Of course, Rash is now best known as an actor who has had hilarious roles in numerous films and TV
15:32 shows, most notable of which was when he played Dean Craig Pelton on Community. "I'm sorry,
15:37 the board went over my head on this one. And I don't remember being invited to your wedding,
15:41 so I guess we're even on the hurting each other front." Number 3. Melora Hardin While she appeared
15:47 in countless film and TV roles before making an appearance in the first season of Friends,
15:52 Melora Hardin wouldn't achieve widespread fame until landing the role of Jan Levinson on The
15:56 Office. "When I get frustrated or irritated or angry, I come up here and I just smell all my
16:03 candles and it just poof goes away." Of course, of all the actors on this list, Hardin's cameo
16:09 might just be the funniest. She played Celia, a woman Ross takes on a date and later back to his
16:14 apartment. And that's where things start to get interesting. First, Marcel, Ross' pet monkey,
16:20 attacks her. "I can't stand this." You know, standard date stuff. Then, she tries to get
16:28 Ross to talk dirty to her with a hilariously awkward result. Poor Ross just can't catch a
16:33 break. "Who? What?" "Volvo." "Volvo." Number 2. Paget Brewster Before she was catching serial
16:42 killers on Criminal Minds or popping up in episodes of Community and Modern Family,
16:47 Paget Brewster was a young, aspiring actress with zero credits to her name. "Play.
16:51 Sweeney Todd! Exactly." That all changed when she landed the role of Kathy in season four of Friends.
16:58 "Hi, I'm Kathy." "Kathy, with a K or a C?" "With a K." "Hey!" You'll probably remember her as the
17:04 woman who kisses Chandler while dating Joey. The ensuing fight between the two best friends remains
17:10 one of the show's best story arcs, with Joey ultimately allowing Chandler to date her after
17:15 making him sit in a box on Thanksgiving. "The meaning of the box is threefold. One,
17:20 it gives me the time to think about what I did. Two, it proves how much I care about my
17:28 friendship with Joey. And three, it hurts." Of course, Brewster's character ends up cheating
17:36 on Chandler as well. He probably should have seen that coming. "Nick's pants?" "Yeah."
17:41 "Yeah. Well, I think our second fight is going to be a big one."
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18:03 Number 1. Ellen Pompeo. When Ellen Pompeo made her one and only Friends appearance,
18:11 few could have known that she was just one year away from becoming a household name.
18:15 "Hey guys." "Hey." "Hey, Missy." "Hey, Missy." "You know, our band is playing on Friday."
18:21 "Yeah, yeah, you should come check us out." We are referring, of course, to the fact that in 2005,
18:26 she landed the now iconic role of Dr. Meredith Gray on Gray's Anatomy. But before she could
18:31 become a TV doctor, she had to endure Ross' advances at a college alumni dinner. "Chandler
18:36 and I used to make out. A lot." "You did?" "Yeah, we'd go to the science lab after hours."
18:47 "And on my turf?" The role was small and didn't exactly give Pompeo much to work with,
18:53 but it obviously impressed somebody because a year later, she was starring in a major network show.
18:59 It just goes to show that you never know where a role may take you.
19:02 "I could quit, but here's the thing. I love the playing field."
19:10 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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