Friends’ 10 Best Side Characters, Ranked

Friends relies on the brilliant chemistry between its six main actors, but some recurring characters are capable of stealing the spotlight.
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.
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.
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 Janice usually appears in 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 remembers 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!”

3 Gunther
Played by James Michael Tyler
Gunther has two comedic quirks that 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 that 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.

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 joins 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 responded 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.
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. Phoebe’s scenes with Ursula in 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 used 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.