33 stars you forgot were on Friends

Just months before she made her debut as Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo played Missy Goldberg in a season 10 episode of Friends. Appearing in "The One Where the Stripper Cries," she was featured as a former college classmate of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Chandler's (Matthew Perry), who secretly made out with Chandler despite the two pals' pact not to fight over women they both liked.

Sean Penn appeared in two episodes of Friends during the show's eighth season. He played Eric, a man who is engaged to Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) sister Ursula but doesn't know that she's been lying to him about her life.

When she was just 10 years old, Dakota Fanning played Mackenzie in the season 10 episode "The One With Princess Consuela." Her character bonded with Joey (Matt LeBlanc) when Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler came by to look at her house in an attempt to move to the suburbs.

Julia Roberts stopped by Friends' second season as Susie Moss. Appearing in "The One After the Superbowl: Part 2," she played a childhood acquaintance of Chandler's who finally gets her revenge on him after years of teasing.

Jeff Goldblum played Leonard Hayes, a serious theater director, in season 9's "The One With the Mugging." After a rocky start, Joey stumbles on some talents and goes to great lengths to impress Leonard in his audition for the play.

Brooke Shields was featured in one episode of Friends, playing a woman named Erika Ford in the season 2 installment "The One After the Superbowl: Part 1". A slightly out-of-touch woman, Erika could not understand that Joey the actor was not Dr. Drake Ramoray the TV doctor in real life. Thanks to a little acting from the gang, their short-lived affair comes to a close.

In a brief Mad About You crossover bit, Helen Hunt played Jamie Buchman, her character from the famed sitcom, in a season 1 episode of Friends. Appearing in "The One With Two Parts: Part 1," she steps into Central Perk and tries to order coffee from Phoebe, mistaking her for her server twin Ursula.

In her very first onscreen role, Rebecca Romijn played Cheryl in Friends' season 4 episode, "The One With the Dirty Girl." Cheryl is the dirty girl in question, a new girlfriend of Ross' who is messy past the point of forgiveness.

In the season 5 episode "The One With the Girl Who Hits Joey," Soleil Moon Frye is said girl who hits Joey. She plays Katie, a spunky woman who playfully punches Joey on the arm without realizing just how much it hurts.

Jane Lynch made a brief appearance in the final season of Friends. She played the realtor Ellen, who helps Chandler and Monica in their search for a home in the suburbs.

In a rare acting gig, Richard Branson played a character named the Vendor in "The One With Ross's Wedding: Part 1." In the season 4 episode, the British businessman played a street vendor who meets Joey and Chandler while they're seeing the sights in London.

Gabrielle Union became the person of Ross and Joey's affections as Kristen Lang. The actress played a recent New York transplant in season 7's "The One With the Cheap Wedding Dress," going on competing dates with both men.

Freddie Prinze Jr. played the nanny Sandy in "The One With the Male Nanny." He cared for Ross and Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) baby Emma in an episode in season 9.

Before his co-workers struggled to keep his name straight on Parks and Recreation, Jim O'Heir played an unnamed character in Friends' final season. In "The One With the Birth Mother," he introduces Chandler and Monica to the woman who eventually gives birth to their babies.

Playing a pregnant woman named Lydia, Leah Remini met the Friends gang at the hospital in the season 1 episode "The One With the Birth." Joey gets to know the expectant mother as Carol is giving birth, and eventually stands by Lydia as she welcomes her own baby.

Charlie Sheen's character Ryan caught a bad case of chicken pox from Phoebe in season 2's "The One With the Chicken Pox." He played a military man who had spent recent months in a submarine, but surfaced for an extended date with Phoebe. Their limited time together is so important that Ryan throws caution to the wind and contracts chicken pox from an ill Phoebe.

Ben Stiller appeared in Friends' third season, playing a very angry man named Tommy in "The One With the Screamer." He goes on a date with Rachel and slowly shows his extremely short temper, even going so far as to yell at the chick and the duck.

When she was just 8 years old, a young Mae Whitman appeared in the season 3 episode, "The One Where Rachel Quits." She played Sarah Tuttle, a little girl who is a member of the Brown Bird troop and is selling cookies in an attempt to win a trip to space camp. Ross ends up filling in for her after the injury he causes prevents her from going door-to-door.

Years before she joined The View, Sherri Shepherd picked up the small role of Rhonda in the season 4 episode "The One With Phoebe's Uterus." She works as a tour guide in Ross' museum, and becomes friends with Joey on his short stint there.

In one of his first onscreen roles, Craig Robinson played an unnamed clerk on Friends, appearing in "The One With Princess Consuela" in season 10. He assists Phoebe when she visits his agency to change her name after marrying Mike. Instead of changing her last name to Hannigan, however, she opts for Princess Consuela Banana Hammock.

A young Tahj Mowry made a brief appearance in "The One After the Superbowl: Part 1" in Friends' second season. He played an unnamed child who is a fan of Phoebe's honest music and tracks her down in the coffee shop after she's barred from playing for the children.

Gary Oldman played actor Richard Crosby in the season 7 episodes "The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding: Part 1" and "The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding: Part 2." Richard is starring alongside Joey in an upcoming war drama, and shows up so drunk to work one day that he almost makes Joey miss Monica and Chandler's wedding.

Alec Baldwin had a hilarious turn as Parker in Friends' eighth season. In "The One With the Tea Leaves" and "The One in Massapequa," he played a man who is dating Phoebe and accompanies the gang on a trip to the Gellers' anniversary party. Much to the despair of the friends, he gets irrationally happy about every little thing.

Selma Blair found her spot in the ninth season of Friends. Appearing as Wendy in "The One With Christmas in Tulsa," she works with Chandler in his company's Oklahoma office, and flirts with him over the holidays.

Greg Kinnear played Dr. Benjamin Hobart in the season 10 episode "The One With Ross' Grant." Ross is up for said grant and must appear before Dr. Hobart, who happens to be an ex of Ross' current girlfriend Charlie (Aisha Tyler).

Jennifer Coolidge graced Friends' final season with her comedic presence in "The One With Ross's Tan." She played Amanda, an old frenemy of Monica and Phoebe's who had spent a few years in England and picked up a fake British accent. Her annoying personality inspires the women to try to freeze her out and reveals details about the early years of their own friendship.

A few years after she played Baby, Jennifer Grey made a brief appearance as Mindy in the season 1 episode "The One With the Evil Orthodontist." The role later went to Jana Marie Hupp, who played Mindy in the episode in which she marries Barry.

In the midst of his marriage to Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt stopped by her show for a cameo appearance. He played a man named Will Colbert in season 8's "The One With the Rumor," joining the friends for Thanksgiving dinner. A former high school classmate of Rachel, Monica, and Ross', he reveals that he and Ross use to lead an "I Hate Rachel Green" club.

Reese Witherspoon played Jill Green, one of Rachel's sisters, in the season 6 episodes "The One With Rachel's Sister" and "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." She spends time in New York and goes on a date with Ross, much to Rachel's distress.

Susan Sarandon played a soap actress by the name of Cecilia Monroe in Friends' seventh season. Appearing in "The One With Joey's New Brain," she hooks up with Joey as the two rehearse scenes together. Cecilia's character Jessica Lockhart is killed off of Days of Our Lives, and Joey's character of Drake Ramoray is getting Jessica's brain.

In the aptly titled "The One With Rachel's Other Sister," Christina Applegate played Amy Green—which landed her an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2003—the second sister of Rachel's to meet the gang. After her season 9 appearance, Amy's lack of direction and self-absorption is further explored in the final season in "The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits."

Winona Ryder played Rachel's sorority sister Melissa Warburton in season 7's "The One With Rachel's Big Kiss." Rachel and Melissa run into each other and Rachel tells the gang that she and Melissa drunkenly made out one night in college. Few believe her confession, but Melissa later confirms it when she thinks Rachel wants to be with her.

In a nod to his turn as Dr. Doug Ross, George Clooney appeared on Friends with his ER costar Noah Wyle as doctors in a hospital. Starring in season 1's "The One With Two Parts: Part 2," they meet Rachel and Monica after Rachel gets injured and needs treatment, and go on a disastrous double date with the two women.