The 10-season sitcom, Friends, also welcomed a parade of big names while their core crew was becoming mega-celebrities. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Christina Applegate all had their moments in the Friends spotlight. However, beyond the glittering cameos, the creators also gave a leg up to rising actors who were not yet in the limelight. This led to their brief roles slipping from the memory of most viewers. Well, except for those fans who still find joy in Friends every day, even two decades later.

A special appearance came in the form of Missy Goldberg, the attractive woman who became the shared crush of Ross and Chandler in Friends. But who was she, really?

The girl who secretly made out with Chandler in Friends

Missy Goldberg was one of Chandler and Ross’ past college crushes, who made appearances in both present-day and flashback sequences in The One Where The Stripper Cries. This role was played by the award-winning actress Ellen Pompeo, a few months before she became the iconic Meredith Grey on the popular medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy. The actress last appeared on the reality Television series, Martha Gets Down and Dirty in 2021. Ross and Chandler, in that episode, made a pact of never pursuing Missy Goldberg to protect their friendship. 

Ross, however, later discovered that Chandler had already broken the pact by sneaking off with Missy for secret science lab make-out sessions. This episode also featured Danny DeVito as the male stripper. However, DeVito was already a well-known figure when he appeared on Friends, thanks to movies like Twins with Arnold Schwarzenegger. While the show had its share of memorable celebrity cameos, a considerable number of these appearances presented a problem. 

Numerous cameos in Friends seemed out of place when considering other episodes, leading to confusion among viewers. And here is why. 

Some celebrity cameos did not quite align with the show’s continuity

Several well-known actors and actresses made guest appearances on Friends, including George Clooney and Isabella Rossellini. However, some of them appeared either before or after the main characters mentioned them or watched their work. A prime example is Bruce Willis, who played the father of Ross’ girlfriend, Elizabeth, in season 6. Given that Ross, Joey, and Chandler were avid Die Hard fans, and even watched the movie together in season 7, it was weird to see them not recognizing the actor and playing along. 

Elle Macpherson, whom Chandler once mentioned as a fantasy, later appeared as Joey’s new roommate, Janine. Sean Penn, who existed in the Friends universe after Chandler’s quip about breaking up with a girl over Cambodia’s capital, showed up in season 8 as Ursula’s fiancé. Even Tom Selleck, Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, and Elle Macpherson became part of this paradox. While these inconsistencies do not alter the series’ main narrative or character arcs, it was funny how the characters pretended not to know these celebrity faces on the show. 

What do you think about the cameo appearance of Ellen Pompeo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!