List of recurring characters in Friends
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This is a list of recurring characters on the American sitcom Friends. For characters who recurred only as partners of the six Friends, see List of significant others of Friends.
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[edit] Family members
[edit] Charles Bing
Charles Bing is the father of Chandler Bing. Charles Bing is a transvestite once married to Nora Tyler Bing. He has a show in Vegas under the name Viva Las Gaygas, and performs under the pseudonym Helena Handbasket.
Played by Kathleen Turner
[edit] Nora Tyler Bing
Nora Tyler Bing is the mother of Chandler Bing. An adult novelist, she divorced Charles Bing when she learned of his sexuality. Their divorce triggered Chandler to start using humour as a defense mechanism.
Played by Morgan Fairchild.
[edit] Ben
Ross's son, who lived with Carol and Susan. Born in The One with the Birth at the end of Season 1, he only appeared in thirteen episodes. Played as an infant by Charles Thomas Allen and John Christopher Allen and in later seasons by Cole Sprouse.
[edit] Jack Geller
Jack Geller is the father of Monica and Ross, and husband to Judy Geller.
Jack Geller is most known for his ill-timed, inappropriate comments, such as addressing a British character as a "thieving, would be speaking German if it weren't for us, cheap little man". He also smokes cigarettes, albeit secretly; he claims that cigarettes Ross finds around the house are Judy's.
Played by Elliott Gould
[edit] Judy Geller
Judy is the mother of main characters Monica and Ross, and is married to Jack Geller. She is always critical of Monica, in particular her usual lack of a boyfriend, and favours Ross. Her intense (albeit well-meant) criticism of Monica may in some way be responsible for Monica's obsessive sense of cleanliness and order. Her constant criticism of Monica's failures and pride in Ross's work, as well as her family religion, places her in the Jewish mother stereotype.
Played by Christina Pickles.
[edit] Leonard Greene
Leonard Green is the father of Rachel Green. He is an overbearing perfectionist who demands that anything his children do reap instant, flawless results. He and his wife divorced shortly after Rachel left her fiance Barry at the altar; her mom told Rachel, "you didn't marry your Barry, honey, but I married mine." While he and Rachel have a fairly fractious relationship, he has said to his friends and youngest daughter Jill (but not to her) that she is the only one of his children he is proud of. And like many of the characters on the show, including his wife and daughter, Dr. Green is a traditional Jewish stereotype, the overbearing, oft-critical doctor. Ron Leibman once said of his character: "I may have won a Tony... but everyone asks, 'Aren't you Rachel's Dad?'"
- Dr. Green was first mentioned in the 23rd episode, "The One with the Birth." Chandler said to Rachel, "What is it with you and doctors? Is your dad, like, a doctor?" Rachel replied, "Yeah. Why?" This was not the first episode to mention Dr. Green, but it was the first mention that he was a doctor.
- He was shown in the episode "The One with the Two Parties", where he drops by to wish his daughter a happy birthday.
- In a later episode, "The One with the Stripper," Dr. Leonard Green was also featured. This was when he was informed that his daughter was pregnant.
- The last scene featuring Dr. Green was in "The One Where Joey Speaks French," in which he has a heart attack.
Played by Ron Leibman
[edit] Sandra Greene
Sandra Green is the mother of Rachel Green. In one memorable moment she asked if Monica and Rachel had any marijuana as part of her celebrating her imminent separation from her husband. She also danced with a "wonderfully large woman" at Carol (Ross' first wife) and Susan's lesbian wedding, noting that whilst it was not necessarily something she would pursue, it was "Nice to know I have options". Upon seeing the Ugly Naked Guy, she comments on his actions referring to him as an "unattractive nude man".
Played by Marlo Thomas
[edit] Amy Green
Rachel's Sister. Amy comes to Rachel twice, both times because of boyfriend problems. She repeatedly wrongly calls Emma, Rachel and Ross's daughter, Emmott or Ella. The first time she sees the baby, she declares "You know what would be great? If you guys died!", thinking she would inherit the baby and her trials and tribulations would be made into a movie (similar to Baby Boom with Diane Keaton) She later babysits Ella and pierces her ears. Rachel and Ross flip out and Rachel forces Amy to move out. Before Amy leaves, Rachel and Amy make up by gossiping about their 'fat' sister Jill.
Played by Christina Applegate
[edit] Jill Green
Rachel's other sister. Jill comes to the apartment looking for Rachel (the only daughter their father is proud of) and attempts to start a new life, as Rachel did. Jill ends up breaking the rules (shopping) and she dates Ross to spite Rachel.
Played by Reese Witherspoon
[edit] Frank Buffay (Snr)
Often mentioned, walked out on Phoebe and Ursula, and subsequently Frank Jr's mother, appears only once, when Phoebe's grandmother (Frank's mother) dies.
Played by Bob Balaban
[edit] Frank Buffay Jr.
Frank is the half brother of Phoebe Buffay, named after their father, Frank Buffay. Phoebe discovered Frank on one of her attempts to find her father, who walked out on her when she was a child. It turns out that her father had left more than one family. Frank is perhaps even stranger than his older sister - he has a punctured lung, was arrested for stealing birds eggs, owned a dog called Tumor and believed that 'massage parlor' was a euphemism for a brothel, thereby wrongly assuming his sister was a prostitute.
In the third season of the series, Frank announced to Phoebe that he was dating his home economics teacher, Alice (whom he accidentally continues to call 'Mrs. Knight'), played by Debra Jo Rupp. Although at first apprehensive, Phoebe realises that the two are genuinely in love.
In the episode 'The One With Phoebe's Uterus', Frank returned, now married to Alice, and asked Phoebe if she would act as a surrogate mother to them as they are desperate to have children, but they are not able to do so. Phoebe agrees and in 'The One Hundredth' gave birth to triplets: a boy, Frank Jr. Jr. (Chandler asks if the name should be Frank the Third, and Alice says "Don't get me started"); and two girls, Leslie and Chandler. The baby Chandler was originally thought to be a boy. Frank and Alice said Phoebe could name the other boy baby, and she decided to name it after either Chandler or Joey. After they fought about it, Joey called "Chandler" a "non-name", to which Chandler mocked offense and, to give Chandler back his confidence in his name, Phoebe decided to name "her" baby Chandler. Frank and Alice decided to name her Chandler anyway.
Frank appears in a later season trying to convince Phoebe to take one of the triplets because he needs to sleep.
Played by Giovanni Ribisi
[Giovanni Ribisi also showed up in an early episode in Season 2 (episode 6) as an unnamed guy on the street who had dropped a condom in Phoebe's guitar case and later came back for it because he "needed it for an emergency". Later in Season 2, Giovanni reappears, but this time as Frank Jr. (same season, episode 20) with very similar characteristics to the former character. Because of this, it is possible (but unconfirmed) that it is Frank Jr. who drops the condom.]
[edit] Ursula Pamela Buffay
Ursula originally appeared as a ditzy waitress in the sitcom Mad About You, working at Paul and Jamie's favourite haunt, Riff's. When Lisa Kudrow was cast as Phoebe, one of the main characters in Friends, which was also set in New York, the character crossed over. Ursula's apartment is in SoHo while Phoebe and her friends reside in the Village.
In Mad About You, Ursula was a particularly inept waitress, often forgetting orders entirely. Her character was more fully developed in Friends. Ursula often appeared mean to her sister who is still upset by the things Ursula did to her when they were young, for example, throwing her Judy Jetson thermos under a bus and stealing her first boyfriend. This drove a wedge between the sisters and the estrangement continued into adulthood. Although, following the various deaths/abandonments/imprisonments of their parents, Phoebe ended up homeless by her mid-teens, Ursula apparently did not; how the sisters came to be separated as minors was never revealed.
Naturally, Phoebe became worried when Ursula dated Joey. It was revealed that Ursula had always known the truth about her and Phoebe's parentage; she even claimed to hold a suicide note from their adoptive mother that revealed the identity of their birth mother. When Phoebe asked to see the note, Ursula showed Phoebe a note that she (Ursula) had hastily written up. In Ursula's word, her version "got the gist" of the original suicide note, which she had apparently lost in the interim. Ursula also sold Phoebe's birth certificate to a Swedish runaway; as a result, Phoebe does not know what her middle name is.
On one occasion, during the intro to an episode of the show, Jamie Buchman from Mad About You walks into Central Perk and confuses Phoebe with Ursula. Since both sisters are somewhat airheaded, she never sees the difference and writes off her not knowing who Jamie is as one of Ursula's quirks.
In later years, Ursula worked in the pornography industry, using her sister's first name so she was credited as Phoebe Buffay. Notably she appeared in a film called "Buffay the Vampire Layer" [6:14 – "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry"]. Other titles include "Sex Toy Story 2", "Lawrence of a Labia" (does exist as an adult film), "Inspect her Gadget" (punk/pop band from Oakland, CA), and apparently others. However Ursula has probably since retired from pornography once Phoebe collected Ursula's checks (they were in Phoebe's name).
On the last episode of Mad About You, it was revealed that Ursula will become the Governor of New York in the near future.
Played by Lisa Kudrow
[edit] Phoebe Abbott
Phoebe Abbott is Phoebe and Ursula Buffay's birth mother. Phoebe finds her living in a seaside house in Montauk, New York. Her two biggest passions are pottery and erotica - or "erotery," as Phoebe (Buffay) calls it. She also likes Beatles music, pizza and puppies. When she learns that Phoebe intends to be a surrogate mother for Frank Jr. and Alice, she opposes the idea and lends Phoebe a puppy with the intention of teaching her that giving up something you love (like a puppy) is very difficult and will be even harder if it is a child. The plan backfires when Frank Jr. and Alice fall in love with the puppy, and Phoebe (Buffay), giving soul that she is, joyously gives it to them. "But that was MY puppy!" Phoebe (Abbott)
Played by Teri Garr
[edit] Emma
Ross and Rachel's baby girl. Was born in The One Where Rachel Has a Baby. Emma's favorite song is Baby Got Back.
[edit] Other characters
[edit] Gunther
Gunther, portrayed by James Michael Tyler, was the manager of the Central Perk coffee-house, where the six main characters spent a great deal of their free time. He was (like Joey) a former soap star, as Tyler was in real life. Both Tyler and Gunther played Bryce in All My Children, who was killed off in an avalanche. His crush on Rachel appeared in every season of the 10 year show.
[edit] Susan Bunch
Susan Bunch, portrayed by Jessica Hecht, is the lesbian life partner of Ross Geller's ex-wife Carol Willick. She was the woman who Carol had an affair with when she was married to Ross. She appears to do something in advertising or marketing, having once said that she was helping shoot a mini pad commercial. Susan and Ross are on bad terms, since Ross resents Susan for "stealing" Carol away from him and Susan resents Ross for his romantic history with Carol. Her father appears to be in the military and both her parents seem very supportive and accepting of her and Carol.
[edit] Mr. Heckles
Mr. Heckles, portrayed by Larry Hankin, lived in the apartment below Monica Geller and Rachel Green and often complained about the apparent noise that the two made, though seemingly they were not making any at all, by rapping on the ceiling of his apartment with a broom.
During The One Where Heckles Dies, Mr. Heckles dies while banging on the ceiling, and leaves all his worldly possessions to "the two noisy girls upstairs." During this episode, Chandler Bing, while looking through Mr. Heckles' possessions, draws parallels between his own life and Mr. Heckles'. It also emerges that the slightest noises could be heard (greatly amplified) from Mr. Heckles' apartment, thus making it seem like he wasn't as grumpy as he originally appears.
[edit] Estelle Leonard
Estelle Leonard, portrayed by June Gable, is Joey Tribbiani's withered, chain-smoking agent for his acting career. Although she did get Joey his breakout role as Dr. Drake Ramoray on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives, she was not very good at her job for the most part; most of Joey's screen roles were as extras with minimal - if any - lines. Once she even mistakenly thought Joey had left her and tried to sabotage his career, when, in fact, he was still her client. Amongst Estelle's other clients were an act with a 'pyramid of dogs' and Al Zebooker a man who eats paper. Estelle died during the tenth season. At the time of her death, her only two remaining clients were Joey and Al Zebooker . Because Phoebe was worried about how Joey would take the news (since so much of his personal life was changing at the time) she impersonated Estelle until Joey found out about her death.
[edit] Marcel
Marcel was Ross Geller's pet monkey during the first season of the series. Ross donated him to the San Diego Zoo after Marcel became sexually aggressive. It was later learned that Marcel was stolen from the zoo, and Ross discovered he was the mascot for a beer company's commercials. They last saw Marcel on the set of "Outbreak 2: The Virus Takes Manhattan". Katie, one of the monkeys that played Marcel, in fact played the monkey in Outbreak.
[edit] The Chick and The Duck
The Chick and the Duck were a chick and a duck owned by Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani. In the episode "The One With a Chick. And a Duck.", Joey originally bought the chick from an animal sanctuary as a gift for Chandler after seeing—and misunderstanding—a news report about people who buy chicks and then find they cannot properly care for them. Phoebe encouraged Chandler to return the chick but Chandler, discovering that the chick was in danger of being euthanised, did not have the heart and returned home with the chick and a duck. It turned out that, after hitting a few bumps (such as getting the chick stuck in the VCR) the two were perfectly capable of caring for the birds, and they were well loved. A recurring gag throughout the series has Chandler and Joey treating the chick and the duck as their own children, a continuation of the earlier gag that Joey and Chandler acted like a married couple. At one point, Chandler punishes the duck for trying to eat the chick by sending him out to the hall.
Chandler named the chick "Yasmine", presumably after Yasmine Bleeth, an actress on Baywatch, a television program he and Joey frequently watched, though the chick later turns out to be a male when he becomes a rooster. In "The One With Ross's Thing", Chandler refers to the duck as "Dick", possibly after their discussion earlier in the episode about whether the chick and the duck had a baby.
After about Season 6 the animals disappeared (the duck was mentioned but not seen in Season 7), and in the final episode it emerged that they had died of old age some time ago, but Chandler and the rest of the group had lied to Joey to save his feelings, telling him that they had gone to a farm where they were very happy but could not be visited.
Also in the final episode Joey bought Chandler a new duckling and chick as a housewarming gift (Joey named them "Duck Jr." and "Chick Jr." respectively). In the end Joey kept them himself and, again after a few bumps (this time they got stuck in the foosball table), he even considered getting a goose, but Chandler quickly discouraged him, telling him he was "set with the poultry". However, the birds did not make an appearance on the Friends spinoff Joey.
[edit] Ugly Naked Guy
Ugly Naked Guy was shown twice on screen: once while he was suspected of being dead, and once with his back facing the camera [1] His actual name is not known. He was a strange hermit who received his nickname for being overweight and ugly, as well as being naked while at home. He wasn't always Ugly Naked Guy, though. In The One with the Flashback, Phoebe referred to him as Cute Naked Guy, but commented that he had been putting on a lot of weight recently. In "The One With the Lesbian Wedding" he is described by Rachel's mother as "an unattractive nude man playing a cello."
Ugly Naked Guy lived in an apartment directly opposite Rachel and Monica's apartment. Anyone in the girls' apartment could look directly into Ugly Naked Guy's apartment. Throughout the early years, the gang would look into Ugly Naked Guy's apartment and comment on his goings on, such as him getting a Thighmaster or squashing his cat by accidentally sitting on it (to which Joey remarked "that poor cat never saw that big butt coming"). At one point the Friends saw him sleeping, and decided to fashion a large poking device out of chopsticks to ensure he was not dead ("The One With the Giant Poking Device").
In one episode it was announced that Ugly Naked Guy was moving out and subletting the apartment (Ironically, many of his boxes appeared to be labeled clothes). This sparked a frenzy of bids, along with bribes. Ross Geller ended up acquiring the apartment by eating mini muffins naked with him in an attempt to bond with the nudist, to the shock and amusement of the rest of the gang looking from Rachel and Monica's apartment:
-
- Joey: Hey, hey, check it out! Check it out! Ugly Naked Guy's got a naked friend!
- Rachel: Oh yeah! ...Oh my God! That's our friend! It's Naked Ross!
Ugly Naked Guy was never heard of again, and did not appear in the last episode.
[edit] Eddie Menuek
Eddie played by Adam Goldberg was in 3 episodes titled: The One Where Eddie Moves In, The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies and The One Where Eddie Won't Go.
Eddie moved in with Chandler when Joey moved into his own apartment. Chandler and Eddie met at the supermarket where Eddie helped Chandler pick out a chorizo. Chandler later discovers they have nothing in common; Eddie hates Baywatch, steals mannequins from Macys and dehydrates fruit for fun. Chandler then meets his ex-girlfriend Tilly, who Eddie claims "ripped out his heart and smeared it all over [his] life", who drops off Eddie's old, empty goldfish tank. Eddie however, seeing Tilly and the empty tank, believes that Chandler slept with her and then killed his fish. Eddie replaces the fish with a Goldfish Cracker.
After Chandler has a few confrontations with Eddie, who steals the insoles from his shoes to spite him for the imagined affair, Chandler decides Eddie must go - the final provocative act for this being Eddie watching Chandler sleep every night, which a shocked Chandler discovers upon waking one night. After numerous attempts to make him leave, Chandler and Joey move all of Eddie's stuff out of the apartment and trick him into believing he never lived there.
[edit] Alice Knight
Alice Knight, portrayed by Debra Jo Rupp, is the wife of Phoebe's half brother Frank Jr. She met Frank Jr. in one of her high school Home Ec classes she teaches. Due to commitments to That 70's Show Alice wasn't seen after that show started.
[edit] Jasmine
Jasmine, portrayed by Cynthia Mann, was one of Phoebe's coworkers at the massage parlor. However, she was in the first ever episode of 'Friends' [The Pilot] working as a waitress behind the bar in Central Perk Coffee House. She was also roomates with Gunther. She appeared in The One With the Stoned Guy, The One the Morning After, and The One With Frank Jr.
[edit] Joanna
Joanna, portrayed by Alison LaPlaca, was Rachel's boss at Bloomingdale's. She dated Chandler in a few episodes and while he at first considers her "a big, dull dud" he eventually learns she is into Bondage (BDSM). In The One Where They're Going to Party, she was hit by a cab and died.
[edit] Mr. Treeger
Mr. Treeger, portrayed by Michael G. Hagerty, was the building superintendent at Monica, Rachel, Joey, and Chandler's apartment building. He appears in episodes in which he makes Rachel cry, uses Joey as a dance partner, and even breaks down Monica's door. Although he is mentioned, he does not appear in the final episode to finish his story like many other characters.
| Friends |
|---|
| Characters: Rachel Green • Monica Geller • Phoebe Buffay • Joey Tribbiani • Chandler Bing • Ross Geller Cast: Jennifer Aniston • Courteney Cox • Lisa Kudrow • Matt LeBlanc • Matthew Perry • David Schwimmer Other characters: Recurring characters • Significant others • Gunther • Janice • Guest stars Places: Central Perk • Joey's apartment • Monica's apartment Music: "I'll Be There for You" • "Smelly Cat" • Friends soundtrack • Friends Again See also: Season synopses • DVD releases • Awards and nominations • Episode list • Running gags • Director list • Joey |
![[1]](http://friends.norge.cc/bilder/uglynakedguy.jpg.){kind=link}