‘Friends’ Turns 20 Today! Here Are 20 Celebrities You Forgot Were on the Show
It might be hard to believe, but it’s been 20 years since “Friends” debuted on NBC. That’s right, it’s been two full decade since—spoiler alert!—a Long Island princess by the name of Rachel Green walked out on her wedding and into pop culture history.
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The sitcom about a group of friends living in New York first aired in 1994 and immediately became a phenomenon, defining a decade and turning six relatively unknown actors—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer—into bonafide, bankable stars.
Even if you’re still a die-hard “Friends” fan, you’ll probably admit that by today’s standards, the show—whose writing still packs a mostly-humorous punch—wasn’t always the most realistic portrayal of urban-based twentysomethings (ahem, Monica’s insanely huge loft apartment) or New York in general (who gets the same seat at a popular coffee joint every time?) but it still managed to capture the world’s attention thanks to the cast’s undeniable chemistry.
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Contributing to that chemistry? A revolving parade of high-profile guest stars, a successful casting device which was later adopted by other NBC shows like “Frasier” “Will & Grace,” and “30 Rock.”
While most of the cameos we can rattle off in a heartbeat—Reese Witherspoon, Christina Applegate, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, and Winona Ryder—others aren’t quite as memorable.
In honor of “Friends” being turning 20 years old, we’ve rounded up 20 celebrities you forgot appeared on the show during its impactful decade-long run.
