Summary

• ing characters, such as Gunther and Janice, played a crucial role in adding depth and humor to the show Friends.
• Relationships between main and recurring characters in Friends created comedic conflict and heartwarming moments throughout the 10 seasons.
• Characters like Marcel, Ugly Naked Guy, and Mike Hannigan added unique dynamics and storylines, enriching the quality of the show.

The ensemble cast of Friends is a huge reason why the show achieved such global popularity, but there are plenty of side characters who are also key to the show's success. Friends ran for 10 seasons, and the show had a fantastic cast of recurring characters, with some comedy legends stepping in for a few episodes. Friends had some brilliant one-episode characters, but some others returned for longer periods of time.

Friends squeezes a lot of comedy out of the dysfunctional relationships between its six main characters. As they rely on each other in the early stages of adulthood in New York City, they push and pull against one another, creating a lot of comedic conflict and plenty of heartwarming moments too. Friends needs a revolving cast of guest stars and recurring characters to keep things interesting though, and these characters can sometimes outshine the main cast and become fan favorites.

10 Marcel

Played by Katie and Monkey

Joey and Chandler are the show's number one bromance, but Marcel and Ross have their moments too.

Marcel was played by two female capuchins in Friends, one named Katie and one named Monkey. Although Friends, Marcel is a scene-stealing presence. Ross is usually the butt of every joke in Friends, especially during the first couple of seasons, but his relationship with Marcel is light and fun. Joey and Chandler are the show's number one bromance, but Marcel and Ross have their moments too.

Ross initially gets Marcel because he needs a little companionship after his divorce (the first one). Marcel turns out to be a surprisingly effective replacement for the daily push and pull of marriage, since Ross bickers with him like a spouse. When Ross bids an emotional farewell to Marcel, he isn't just saying goodbye to an old friend. He's also saying goodbye to the stage of his life which Marcel represents to him. Instead of caring for a monkey to ignore his woes, Ross has to mature and face his feelings.

9 Ugly Naked Guy

Played by Jon Haugen

Ugly Naked Guy is rarely more than a punch line in Friends, but there are a couple of episodes which feature him more prominently.

Ugly Naked Guy is precisely as he sounds, and that's pretty much all that is known about him for a very long time. His apartment is visible from the back window of Monica and Rachel's home, so the main characters will occasionally take a peek to see what the neighborhood nudist is up to. When he gets a Thighmaster, has a female visitor or sits on his cat, someone in Monica and Rachel's apartment will let the whole group know about it.

Ugly Naked Guy is rarely more than a punch line in Friends, but there are a couple of episodes which feature him more prominently. When Phoebe thinks that her dentist curse has killed him, the friends all band together to construct a giant poking device out of chopsticks to give him a friendly nudge. His last episode is the first episode which shows him closer up, as Ross strips off with him to bond, and hopefully get preferential treatment as he sublets his apartment.

8 David

Played by Hank Azaria

David's return in season 9 is a bittersweet send-off, but it shows how Phoebe's life has moved on.

David is Phoebe's first major love interest in Friends. Their relationship begins with her yelling at him to keep quiet during her gig at Central Perk, but he explains that he was only discussing with his friend how beautiful she is. In another life, David could have ended up with Phoebe for the long run, but his work takes him to Minsk, and the pair decide to call it quits despite still having feelings for one another.

David is the archetypal dorky scientist. He always seems flustered, probably because he lacks the social skills to speak eloquently without filler words and stuttering. He also has such a deep ion for his work that it often gets in the way of other parts of his life. Instead of sweeping everything off his desk and throwing Phoebe on top in a burst of romantic ion, he first has to neatly tidy away some equipment. David's return in season 9 is a bittersweet send-off, but it shows how Phoebe's life has moved on.

7 Dr. Richard Burke

Played by Tom Selleck

Richard has some funny lines in Friends, but his relationship with Monica is more tragic than comedic.

Monica recognizes Richard as a family friend, but once they get to talking, they both realize they have romantic feelings for one another. Monica's relationship with Richard is one of the most interesting in Friends. They have a long list of well thought out reasons why they shouldn't be together, including the fact that it could lead to an awkward dynamic between Richard and Monica's parents, but they are also extremely compatible.

Ultimately, Monica and Richard break up because they are at two different stages of life. She sees children in her future, while he already has two grandchildren. Richard has some funny lines in Friends, but his relationship with Monica is more tragic than comedic. He also represents the total antithesis of Chandler, with his self-assuredness and calm maturity. It takes a long time for Chandler to come to with the fact that Monica moved on from dating Richard and Pete the billionaire to dating him.

6 Estelle Leonard

Played by June Gable

Joey's agent Estelle Leonard sometimes appears as if she belongs in a completely different show. Friends revolves around relatable humor, but Estelle is a comically overblown caricature of a New York entertainment industry veteran. She has a wardrobe full of loud power suits, a chaotically cluttered office, and a chain-smoking habit which eventually kills her. This is her whole life.

Estelle's other clients include a pyramid of dogs and a man who eats paper, but Joey is always her favorite. He's loyal to her even when she only offers him roles in gay pornography, and she's loyal to him except for one time when she bouths him around town because she forgets he's her client. Estelle Leonard is as bad an agent as Joey is an actor, and that's why her death is a surprisingly sad moment. Estelle believes in Joey and resonates with him more than many of his closest friends.

June Gable also played one of the nurses who delivers Ross' first baby, Ben.

5 Ursula Buffay

Played by Lisa Kudrow

Ursula hardly ever thinks of Phoebe, even on their birthday.

Giving Lisa Kudrow double duty as her own twin sister was one of the most inspired casting choices in Friends. Naturally, Kudrow excels as Phoebe's selfish and apathetic twin. Ursula first appeared in the sitcom Mad About You, but she crossed over into Friends after Kudrow got the role of Phoebe Buffay. Friends are immediately eye-catching, but they're also some of Phoebe's funniest moments.

Although Phoebe often references her traumatic past, Ursula doesn't seem to show any interest in keeping the family together. Phoebe has to practically beg her for the tiniest bit of information about their past. Ursula hardly ever thinks of Phoebe, even on their birthday. The one time that she does think of her is when she uses her name as an alias in her career in pornography. Phoebe is generally a patient and positive person, but Ursula can send her flying into a rage at any moment.

4 Mike Hannigan

Played by Paul Rudd

Mike plays some sweet air piano for Phoebe on their first date, showing that he's not afraid to make a fool of himself in a busy public place.

Mike eventually does what no other side character could do, becoming the seventh friend by the end of the show. Mike s the group by complete coincidence. When Phoebe and Joey agree to find blind dates for each other, Joey forgets until the last minute. He tells Phoebe that he has a perfect guy called Mike, and then he is forced to go into Central Park and yell "Mike". Luckily, the man who responds turns out to be Phoebe's perfect match.

Mike is the perfect type of weird for Phoebe. He makes her feel completely comfortable with who she is, and he indulges her every eccentric whim, even if that means changing his name to Crap Bag. Mike plays some sweet air piano for Phoebe on their first date, showing that he's not afraid to make a fool of himself in a busy public place. Their wedding in season 10 is one of the show's happiest moments, even though Mike is only introduced in season 9.

3 Gunther

Played by James Michael Tyler

Gunther has two comedic quirks which make him stand out: his unspoken love for Rachel and his permanently blank expression.

Gunther is the character who appears most often in Friends besides the main cast, although he's often just a background player in Central Perk. Gunther has two comedic quirks which make him stand out: his unspoken love for Rachel and his permanently blank expression. He occupies a strange niche in the show. The main characters know him well enough to invite him to some parties, but he's never on the guest list at any important events.

Gunther isn't usually an important character, but he does play a pivotal role in Ross and Rachel's relationship. His jealousy leads him to tell Rachel about Ross' infidelity when he thought they were on their infamous break. His love for Rachel also gives him one of the funniest moments in the Friends season finale, when he cuts in front of Ross to confess his true feelings. This completely ruins an emotional climax which had been building for ten seasons.

2 Janice Litman-Goralnik

Played by Maggie Wheeler

Janice is the most divisive character in Friends, but the obnoxious woman who Chandler can't seem to escape is key to some of the show's funniest moments

Janice is the most divisive character in Friends, but the obnoxious woman who Chandler can't seem to escape is key to some of the show's funniest moments. She's an on-again-off-again love interest for Chandler during the earlier seasons, but Friends after he's gotten together with Monica at the most inopportune moments. When Chandler visits a fertility clinic or looks at a new house in the suburbs, there's Janice.

Janice's finest hour comes when she and Chandler get together once again, shortly before he re he can't stand her. This forces him to concoct a bizarre lie about moving to Yemen, and he must then follow through when he realizes she won't leave the airport until she sees the plane take off. Janice is also notable for having arguably the most iconic Friends quote of all: "Oh. My. God!"

1 Jack Geller

Played by Elliot Gould

He's often accused of favoring Ross over Monica, but he's generally more empathetic than his wife, and he has a lot of wise words for Monica when she needs them most.

Elliot Gould is a comedic genius capable of stealing any show, and he proves it multiple times in Friends. Although Friends ultimately reached such an incredible level of success thanks to the remarkable chemistry of the cast, Gould's dry wit and pitch-perfect delivery often makes him the standout performer whenever he shows up as Monica and Ross' father. Jack and Judy Geller are the perennially stoic and unimpressed parents who don't understand their children and rarely attempt to do so.

Jack Geller is central to some of Friends' best episodes, such as "The One with the Prom Video" and "The One Where Ross Got High". He's often accused of favoring Ross over Monica, but he's generally more empathetic than his wife, and he has a lot of wise words for Monica when she needs them most. He also has plenty of inappropriate words when he gives unsolicited advice on how to conceive, but he's not one to filter his thoughts very much.