As Friends skyrocketed to fame in the 90s, the show began opening its doors to a constellation of stars from that dazzling era. Among the many celebrities who served up a delicious cameo on the sitcom, Winona Ryder also came on as Melissa Warburton. Within its ten seasons, the series boasted fleeting yet impactful visits from megastars like Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, and George Clooney. However, Ryder was among the lucky few who got to play the romantic interest of Rachel Green in the series. 

Well, these facts about her may surprise fans as much as that kiss between her and Aniston did. 

Winona Ryder was referenced in season 3 by Ross 

In the third season, the Central Perk gang was perched in their favorite spot, discussing the celebrities they had a crush on. As part of the ‘celebrity freebie list’ that Monica and Chandler introduced, each character listed their choice of stars that they would want a free pass for. Well, Ross included Winona Ryder on that list. 

Besides the Beetlejuice actress, the dinosaur enthusiast also included Una Thurman, Michelle Pfieffer, and Elizabeth Hurley on his list. It would have been perfect for Ryder to then materialize as his on-screen lover. Yet her character’s entanglement with Rachel made for an interesting watch.

Despite that, something overshadowed her cameo. 

The sad part about Ryder’s Friends cameo

Even though the drama between Rachel and Ryder’s Melissa served up many plot twists, the episode that featured her ended up being the lowest-rated of all of season seven. Well, even the Girl, Interrupted actress confessed to being disappointed by one aspect of it. Additionally, it could not possibly compete with that season’s top-rated episode. 

After all, it was the one in which Monica and Chandler got married! Meanwhile, Melissa’s arc followed the heartbreaking tale of unrequited love. Considering that Rachel not only kissed Melissa but also Phoebe in that episode made its failure all the more shocking.

Maybe this was the reason that Ryder made a surprising decision

How Friends marked the end of this for Ryder

After her appearance on Friends, Winona Ryder completely retreated from the arena of taking up guest roles in television series. Apparently, the 52-year-old’s last ever sitcom cameo was the one she made in Friends. It is possible that she was disappointed by the turnout of the one she did in Friends. 

Today, she is among the headlining cast of one of Netflix’s best-performing shows: Stranger Things. In many ways, her character of Joyce Byers is the glue that holds the hit series together. So, maybe she was right in stepping back from cameos. Evidently, being the main character is where she shines best. 

Which fact among these surprised you the most? Share your answers in the comments.