‘Friends’: The 10 Most Memorable Characters That Only Appeared in One Episode

Delivering a memorable performance on one of the longest-running sitcoms of all time is no easy feat. Add in the factor of having just one episode to leave a mark, and the odds were completely stacked against these characters.

But despite the difficulty, a handful of performances are remembered fondly, more than two decades later. From celebrity cameos to brilliant one-liners, these 10 Friends characters only appeared in one episode but were still more memorable than Joey’s spinoff series.

Tommy (Season 3, Episode 22, “The One With the Screamer”)

There’s nothing funnier than watching somebody getting far too riled up over mild inconveniences. Well, there is one thing that is funnier – when that somebody is Ben Stiller.

Tommy is Rachel’s first date since she broke up with Ross, and the episode’s gaff is that only Ross sees Tommy’s fits of screaming, so when he tries to warn the others, they assume he’s just jealous that Rachel has found herself a new date. Ross then becomes obsessed with catching Tommy in the act of screaming, so much so that he blows off his own date.

Will Colbert (Season 8, Episode 9, “The One With The Rumor”)

Adding to the list of great cameos to grace the series, Brad Pitt nailed his role as Will Colbert, one of Ross’ high school friends who has a deep-seated hatred toward Rachel.

This Friends cameo was another of Pitt’s trademark chaotic performances, but perhaps the most hilarious part of this on-screen appearance was the fact that Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston at the time. It’s easy to imagine the laughs they were having behind the scenes while discussing Will’s “I Hate Rachel Green Club”.

“Officer” Roy “Goodbody” (Season 10, Episode 11, “The One Where The Stripper Cries”)

Danny DeVito is memorable in pretty much every role he plays. But Danny DeVito as a stripper? That’s completely unforgettable. The veteran actor’s risqué alter-ego “Officer” Roy “Goodbody” is hired at the last minute to strip at Phoebe’s bachelorette party, but his routine is met by an audience of cringes, rather than the hot flushes he was undoubtedly hoping for.

The reception to his routine causes Roy to get emotional, leading Phoebe, Rachel, and Monica to feel sorry for him. Fortunately for viewers of the show, they convince the stripper to finish his routine – and what a sight that was.

The Guy On The Plane – (Season 4, Episode 24, “The One With Ross’ Wedding, Part 2”)

In this iconic scene, Rachel is sitting on the plane, explaining to another passenger that she’s traveling to London to tell Ross she still loves him. The character steals the spotlight, interrupting Rachel to tell her that she’s a horrible person for jeopardizing Ross’ marriage.

For a character who doesn’t even have a name, the guy sitting next to Rachel on the flight to London has no right to be as memorable as he was. The man who played the role was uncredited on the show, but it was actually a cameo from one of the show’s producers, Greg Malins.

Isabella Rossellini (Season 3, Episode 5, “The One With Frank Jr.”)

Italian actress Isabella Rossellini makes a guest appearance in a season three episode… as herself. An overarching theme of the episode is writing “celebrity pass” lists, which allows the holder to (consensually) sleep with five celebrities of their choosing if they meet them in public, despite being in a relationship.

Ross initially chooses Rossellini but removes her from his list because she doesn’t live in America, meaning there was less chance of meeting her. Ironically, later in the episode, Rossellini makes one of the best surprise appearances of the series, walking into Central Perk to the groups’ amusement.

Althea (Season 1, Episode 8, “The One Where Nana Dies Twice”)

This is another non-celebrity, yet equally memorable appearance. Althea is Ross and Monica’s Nana, and, as hinted by the title of the episode, she’s the Nana who dies twice.

While the majority of the episode is about Althea’s death, she only appears on-screen for a couple of minutes, but she delivers a brilliant plot twist and one of the few jump-scares of the entire series, making a sudden movement, and hence, shocking Ross, Monica, and the audience who all thought she was dead.

Carl and Arthur (Season 2, Episode 21, “The One With The Bullies”)

At one point during the series, every Friends viewer has questioned how the group always manages to sit in the exact same spot at Central Perk, in almost every episode.

The writers of the show answered that exact question in Season 2, Episode 21, “The One With The Bullies,” when Ross and Chandler are accused of stealing Carl and Arthur’s seats in the café. They are both too scared to return to Central Perk for the remainder of the episode, instead making failed attempts to brew their own cafe-style coffee.

Russ (Season 2, Episode 10, “The One With Russ”)

Ross’ bad boy doppelganger, Russ, was so memorable he has a whole episode named after him. Russ is one of Rachel’s first boyfriends following Ross and Rachel’s breakup.

Not only is it hilarious to see David Schwimmer playing an almost identical version of his character, but of course, everyone can see the remarkable similarity between the two – except Ross, Russ, and Rachel. Naturally, Ross thinks Russ is a big jerk, and the pair start bickering in Central Perk. This is when Rachel begins to notice the similarities and hurries away in shock.

Amanda Buffamonteezi (Season 10, Episode 23, “The One With Ross’ Tan”)

To feature on the same episode as Ross’ infamous fake tan and still be remembered is no small feat. But Jennifer Coolidge found a way to achieve that with her portrayal of Monica and Phoebe’s old roommate, Amanda Buffamonteezi.

Despite living in New York her whole life, Amanda has picked up a British accent and is a generally unlikable character, so Phoebe and Monica plan to ghost her phone calls and cut her out of their lives. But when they cave in and finally meet up with Amanda, she lets slip that Phoebe once planned to cut Monica out of her life, causing a rift in the friends’ relationship.

Ryan (Season 2, Episode 23, “The One With The Chicken Pox”)

Charlie Sheen’s character, Ryan, is a Navy Officer who Phoebe used to date and happens to be in town for a couple of weeks. But during those two weeks, Phoebe catches chicken pox from Ross’ son, Ben.

It’s hard to forget the vision of Charlie Sheen covered in chicken pox, with oven mitts taped to his hands as he and Phoebe desperately try to relieve the itch using each other’s bodies. Fans might also remember that Ryan’s uniform sparks Rachel’s sexual fantasy to see Ross in a similar uniform, which leads to Ross’ own Star Wars fantasy.