Some seriously iconic, late actors appeared on Friends over the years
Its final season may have ended two decades ago, but Friends is still widely-regarded as everyone’s favorite comfort show.
First hitting our screens in 1994, the NBC sitcom followed the lives of six dysfunctional 20-somethings in New York, launching Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry to dizzying new heights of fame.
From exes and dating to careers and babies, the show really did cover everything. Friends‘ (mostly) loveable cast (looking at you, Ross Geller…) captured the globe’s heart, racking up a cult following.
However, a few of the actors of the show have since died. Some pretty huge names made iconic cameos throughout the show’s 10 seasons. We take a look back at their incredible lives and the characters that brought us so much joy.
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry portrayed Chandler Bing, the most quick-witted of the main Friends cast, for the whole decade the show ran.
Perry is thought to have influenced some of Chandler’s most iconic lines, including the improvisation of the final line in the series.
Rachel asks if the Friends cast should go for coffee one last time as Perry sarcastically responds: “Sure, where?”
Since the hit sitcom ended, Perry took on other roles including in The Good Fight, a sequel show to the CBS drama The Good Wife.
Perry was found unresponsive by his assistant in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023.
A coroner ruled he died from ‘acute effects of ketamine,’ with drowning and coronary artery disease contributing factors.
Five people have been charged in connection with the case, including doctor Mark Chavez, Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and ‘broker’ Erik Fleming who have all entered guilty pleas.
Lead defendants, doctor Salvador Plasencia and alleged drug trafficker Jasveen Sangha, dubbed ‘The Ketamine Queen’, maintain their innocence and are due to go on trial in March.
Teri Garr
Teri Garr played Phoebe’s birth mom, Phoebe Abbott, on Friends. Appearing in three episodes overall, she made her debut in season three finale ‘The One at the Beach.’
Garr confirmed she’d been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2002. The autoimmune disease disrupts the transmission of electrical signals from the brain to the rest of the body.
The actress first noticed symptoms when she was filming for 1982’s Tootsie, which earned her an Oscar nod. Garr died from complications of MS on October 29, 2024, at the age of 79.
Lisa Kudrow paid tribute to the star, revealing they also shared a connection offscreen.
She told PEOPLE: “Teri Garr was a comedic acting genius who was and is a huge influence on me and I know I’m not alone in that.”
She added that she felt ‘so lucky and grateful’ to have worked with her. Lisa Kudrow paid tribute to the star, revealing they also shared a connection offscreen.
James Michael Tyler
Tyler played the loveable coffee house manager Gunther, with his instantly-recognizable shock of blonde hair.
Gunther pined over Rachel across the coffee house for ten years, but was never lucky in love. Gunther actually appeared in the show the most after the central six character, featuring in 164 episodes.
Tyler went public with his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2021 shortly after the Friends reunion was released. He was diagnosed in 2018 and died of complications on October 24, 2021, at the age of 59.
Robin Williams
Beloved actor Robbin Williams made a guest appearance alongside Billy Crystal in ‘The One With The Ultimate Fighting Champion.’
Williams died by suicide in 2014 at the age of 63.
Heathcote Williams
Williams’ role marked a major storyline in Friends. He was the drunk wedding guest at Ross and Emily’s wedding who thought Monica was Ross’ mother.
A devastated Monica went looking for Joey for some fun and reassurance, but ended up with Chandler instead, sparking the start of their iconic relationship.
Williams died on July 1, 2017 from emphysema at the age of 75.
Mike Hagerty
Everyone’s favourite building superintendent, Mr Treeger was taken on by Mike Hagerty.
He appeared in five Friends episodes. Hagerty died on 5 May 2022 due to an adverse reaction to an antibiotic used to treat a leg infection.
Audra Lindley
Lindley made audiences fall in love with her character, Frances, Phoebe Buffay’s grandmother. She passed in 1997 of leukemia.
Ron Leibman
Ron Leibman played Rachel Green’s hilariously confrontational father, Dr Leonard Green.
The actor sadly passed away from pneumonia complications in 2019.
Ron Glass
Glass played Russel, Ross’ divorce lawyer during his annulment after he got married to Rachel in Las Vegas.
Glass died in 2016 due to respiratory failure.
Stan Kirsch
Highlander actor Kirsch played the role of Ethan, Monica’s boyfriend, who she later discovers is a high school student lying about his age.
Kirsch died on January 11 2020 at the age of 51. Coroners ruled he died by suicide.
Joel Beeson
Beeson was cast as Todd the Hombre Man who feuded with Joey Tribbiani in a department store in ‘The One With The Breast Milk’.
He died of liver disease on 17 October 2017 at the age of 51 years.
Fred Willard
Willard played the short cameo role Dean Lipson, a zoo manager, in ‘The One After The Superbowl, Part 1’.
He died on May 15, 2020, at age 86, from a ‘sudden heart attack’.
Dick Clark
Dick Clark played himself, hosting Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve from Times Square in ‘The One With The Routine.’
He died on April 18, 2012 after suffering a heart attack following a surgical procedure.
Alice Drummond
Ghostbusters star Alice Drummond played Nana, Ross and Monica’s grandmother in the ‘Nana Dies Twice’ episode.
Drummond died on November 30 2016 at the age of 88 of complications from a fall two months prior.
Beverly Garland
Garland played Monica and Ross’ Aunt Iris, who taught the girls who to play poker. She died on December 5, 2008 after a long illness.
Phil Leeds
Ghost actor Phil Leeds played Mr Adelman, the widower of an elderly woman whose soul gets into Phoebe’s body in ‘The One with the Lesbian Wedding.’
He died on August 16, 1998, from pneumonia at the age of 82.
Taylor Negron
Alessandro, Monica’s fiery boss and owner of Alessandro’s restaurant, was brought to life by Taylor Negron.
The actor died on January 10, 2015 of liver cancer at the age of 57.
Paul Gleason
Gleason played Jack, Phoebe’s boss in ‘The One That Could Have Been’.
He died on May 27 2006 from mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer, at the age of 67.
Alaina Reed Hall
Reed Hall, who was also cast in Sesame Street, played the admissions woman at the hospital on ‘The One with Two Parts’ episodes.
The actress died in 2009 of breast cancer at the age of 63.
Gary Collins
Actor Gary Collins plays himself as the host of the PBS telethon in the episode ‘The One Where Phoebe Hates The PBS’.
He died of natural causes the age of 74 on 13 October 2012.
Richard Roat
Roat played Burt in ‘The One Where Ross Dates a Student’.
He died on August 5 2022 after suffering a heart attack on vacation in California at 89.
Danny Dayton
Dayton played Buddy Doyle, Mr Heckles’ attorney who reads the friends his will, in ‘The One Where Heckles Dies.’
Dayton passed away on February 6 1999 from the lung disease emphysema. He was 75 years old.
Gretchen Wyler
Wyler portrayed Mrs Burkart, a widow who didn’t want to pay Monica and Phoebe for their catering at the funeral in ‘The One With The Dirty Girl.’
She died on May 27, 2007 from complications of breast cancer at the age of 75.
Max Wright
Max played the role of ex-Central Perk manager, Terry. He died on June 26, 2019 after a long battle with cancer.
Charlton Heston
Heston plays himself in ‘The One with Joey’s Dirty Day’, where Joey lands a role opposite him in a movie and is caught using the shower in his dressing room.
He died of pneumonia on April 5 2008 at the age of 84.
Ralph Manza
Godzilla actor Ralph Manza appeared as Ross’ old neighbor in ‘The One With Rachel’s Inadvertent Kiss’.
He died on January 31, 2000 at the age of 78 of a heart attack.
Sandra Gould
Bewitched’s Sandra Gould played a woman who refused to buy girl scout cookies from Ross in ‘The One Where Rachel Quits’.
Gould died of a stroke on July 20, 1999, following bypass surgery, three days before her 83rd birthday.
Peter Dennis
Dennis played Sherman Whitfield, the benefactor who took Chandler’s seat in ‘The One Where No One’s Ready’.
He died on April 18, 2009 at the age of 75.
Andre Rosey Brown
Brown played the delivery man from The Mattress King, the store Janice’s ex-husband owned in ‘The One With The Race Car Bed’.
He died on July 18 2006 at the age of 50 following a short illness.
Shelley Berman
Shelley Berman played Mr. Kaplan Jr., Rachel’s boss at Fortunata Fashions, Rachel’s first job since she quit her job at Central Perk.
He died on September 1, 2017 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 92.
Penny Santon
Santon played Nonna Tribbiani, Joey’s grandmother. She died on May 12, 1999 at the age of 82.
Lilyan Chauvin
Lilyan Chauvin played Nonnie Tribbiani, Joey’s other grandma who can’t speak any English.
She died on June 26, 2008 of breast cancer at 82.
Cyndi Martino
Henrietta, the contestant who plays against Joey on The $100,000 Pyramid with Donny Osmond, was portrayed by Martino.
She died on October 28, 2015 at the age of 52.
Kellie Waymire
Kellie Waymire played Colleen, Phoebe’s friend who helps Chandler and Monica with the adoption process.
She died on November 13, 2003 at the age of 36 from a cardiac arrest caused by an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia.
Buck Kartalian
Planet of the Apes’ Buck Kartalian played Frankie, Joey’s tailor who took advantage of Chandler in season two.
He died of natural causes on May 24, 2016 at the age of 93.
Terry Rhoads
Terry Rhoads played a maitre d’ in one episode of Friends.
He died from amyloidosis – a rare protein condition – on October 11, 2013, aged 61.
Jackie Bright
Bright made two appearances in Friends, once as Mr Weinberg at Barry and Mindy’s wedding episode and again as a janitor on the Ben’s birth episode.
He died on August 28, 2006 at the age of 87.
Fritzi Burr
Burr played Mrs Weinberg on Barry and Mindy’s wedding episode and Mrs Tedlock on the Stoned Guy episode.
She died on January 17, 2003.
Steve Susskind
Monsters, Inc‘s Steve Susskind played the priest who was going to marry Chandler and Monica in replacement of Joey, but Joey showed up at the very last minute.
He died on January 21, 2005 in an automobile accident at the age of 62.
Jack Riley
Jack Riley played an airline passenger in the season one finale where Rachel found out about Ross’s feelings about her.
Jack passed away on August 19, 2016 from pneumonia the age of 80.
Alexis Arquette
Alexis Arquette played a customer in ‘The One With Rachel’s Sister’ and played a waiter in drag in ‘The One With Chandler’s Dad’.
Arquette passed away from a heart attack following a bacterial infection of the heart at the age of 47 on September 11 2016.
Jack Ong
Ong played a scientist at Ross’s museum on the episode where Joey becomes the museum tour guide.
He died on June 13, 2017 at the age of 76 from complications of brain cancer.
Paxton Whitehead
Whitehead played Rachel’s Bloomingdale’s boss, Mr Waltham – and he’s also the uncle of Emily, who later goes on to get with Ross.
White died in June 16, 2023 at 85 after complications from a fall.
Rose Marie
Rose Marie appeared as Sally in an old episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show shown on Joey and Chandler’s new TV set.
Her appearance on the screen scares everyone and causes Monica to say: “I guess Rose Marie belongs to smaller screens.”
She died on December 28, 2017 at 94 years old.