You Won’t Believe Which Comedy Legend Appeared in Two Friends Episodes Eight Years Apart

It’s undeniable that the six main characters of Friends are a huge part of what made the show a hit sitcom. As well as the expert writing and warm setting, Ross, Joey, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica and Ross were captivating characters, each with their own quirks that audiences could relate to. Viewers get to learn about their backgrounds and the day-to-day shenanigans that make their lives in New York all the more exciting. Parts of their stories include minor characters, some of which were recurring, and others only popped up on one occasion and are often famous faces.

Danny DeVito gave an unforgettable performance as a stripper for Phoebe’s bachelorette party, although it was unforgettable for perhaps the wrong reasons. Then there was Robin Williams and Billy Crystal showing up in a cold open that brought some unexpected, comical drama. Winona Ryder was a blast from Rachel’s past that revisited some old memories from their younger days, and Hugh Laurie was an unpleasant plane passenger who wasn’t interested in Rachel’s conversation. Each big name contributed something to their episodes and gave viewers a welcome surprise. Jon Lovitz was one such actor who appeared in the series twice. What was quite unique about his two stints on the show was the fact that they were both so far apart. Eight years, in fact. His character was involved in two varying plot lines, and it wasn’t blatantly highlighted that he’d been on the show before. Lovitz was a comedic asset on each episode. His characterization never dropped, and viewers were treated to yet another guest star who ensured he would get his viewers laughing.

Jon Lovitz First Appeared in “The One With the Stoned Guy”

Episode 15 of Season 1’s title, “The One With the Stoned Guy,” refers directly to Lovitz’s character, Steve. In the episode, Chandler is offered a promotion at his company, which makes him realize he wants to change his line of work, so he quits, but he just doesn’t know what to do. Phoebe tells him that one of her massage clients is opening a new restaurant, and there is a job vacancy. It’s not suitable for Chandler, but it catches Monica’s interest, and she arranges for Steve to visit her apartment to sample her food. Monica had hired a professional waitress, Wendy, to assist, which upset Rachel, who worked as a waitress at the time. When Wendy backed out at the last minute, Monica managed to persuade Rachel into replacing her. Upon arrival, Phoebe pointed out that Steve was stoned. Monica’s evening wasn’t going how she’d hoped.

Steve clearly wasn’t in a fit state to judge Monica’s cooking, nor much else, for that matter. His mind was definitely elsewhere, and he hoovered up the food that she offered him without considering her skill. He then went into the kitchen and started pulling random items out. He tried eating taco shells before declaring that they had to make macaroni and cheese. The final straw for Monica came when he took a bag of gummy bears from her cupboard and then proceeded to ‘discretely’ eat them. Monica tried to take them back off him, which resulted in the gummy bears going everywhere. Steve resorted to throwing cereal over the table, too, in order for the gummy bears to save themselves. As hectic as it turned out to be for Monica, it made for great viewing. Lovitz was very funny and genuinely looked disengaged with Monica’s efforts. Working alongside Courtney Cox was a great combination because she appeared visibly distressed and disappointed with how Steve turned up. To round off the scenario and the episode, Phoebe got her own back on behalf of Monica by giving Steve a painful massage. That’s why audiences love her.

Steve Showed Up Again On a Blind Date With Rachel

In “The One With the Blind Dates,” Joey and Phoebe hatch a plan to make Ross and Rachel realize they are perfect for each other. Joey sets Ross up with a history teacher, whom he comes to realize would be perfect for Ross, so he cancels it. He concluded that he wouldn’t arrange another date for Ross, instead letting him turn up at a restaurant and making it seem like he’d been stood up. Phoebe sets Rachel up on a horrible date, and when she arrives, she (and the viewers) find out that it’s Steve. The date kicks off with Steve paying Rachel a compliment on her looks, followed up by saying he’s “funny looking.” The awkwardness doesn’t ease off when he goes on to say he’s “not funny either.” Rachel tried to save the conversation by bringing up the topic of his restaurant. She said Phoebe had told her that he owned his own restaurant. Rachel’s remaining enthusiasm is soon curbed when Steve tells her he lost the restaurant to drugs, which was a clever link back to his shoddy appearance at Monica’s apartment. When Steve left the table for a moment, Rachel phoned Phoebe to complain to her. It then came to light that the reason he went outside four times was because he was again getting stoned. If only Rachel had remembered him from before. The date ends when they walk out of the restaurant together, and Steve starts crying and then asks Rachel if she’d like to make love to him. Unsurprisingly, she really did not want to. When Ross and Rachel saw each other at the coffee house, they began to work out what had happened. Phoebe and Joey watched them through the window, thinking that their grand plan to get them together had worked. Ross and Rachel weren’t very pleased and chased after their two friends. Steve is a bizarre character, but Lovitz managed to make his weirdness funny. Jennifer Aniston perfected Rachel’s reactions, which gave the impression of skin-crawling discomfort. Rachel’s date could’ve been with any character that made the situation unpleasant. However, bringing Steve back was a brilliant tie to the earlier episode. At first, it seemed like the creators had brought Lovitz back as another character, which had happened with Giovanni Ribisi. Once Steve mentions his unsuccessful restaurant, then everything falls into place. Phoebe had kept in touch with her massage client and knew that he’d be the ideal man for an awful date.

Lisa Kudrow and Jon Lovitz Knew Each Other Way Before Friends

Behind the scenes, Kudrow and Lovitz actually already knew each other before they starred on Friends together. Growing up, he was Kudrow’s brother’s best friend and became a big help in giving her new acting career a place to start. Written in The Los Angeles Times for a 50th-anniversary piece on the Groundlings, Kudrow explained that the summer she graduated from college was when Lovitz got onto Saturday Night Live. She told him she wanted to have a go at acting, so he directed her towards the Groundlings, where, he said, he had learned the most. Kudrow felt she needed to be part of comedy acting, unable to imagine herself elsewhere. When phoning to take classes, she was asked about the last time she performed, which was junior high. Therefore, Kudrow was sent to a teacher named Cynthia Szigeti, who told her she would be able to audition for their classes after a while. According to Variety, Lovitz’s first day at the Groundlings was a terribly nerve-wracking one. He sobbed on the subway there because of how much he wanted to be a comedian, but he was scared. Randy Bennett made some suggestions of how he could improve an improvisation, and Lovitz felt like he was home.

Having already been well-established in the world of acting before getting a part on Friends, Lovitz continued on to a great career in both TV and movies. He’s made appearances on shows like Two and a Half Men and New Girl. In film, he’s had roles in Hotel Transylvania and its sequel, as well as comedies like Mother’s Day. Lovitz was twice nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety Program for his work on Saturday Night Live. Although it might not be his biggest role, Lovitz had a memorable impact on the two episodes of Friends he appeared in. His expertise in comedy was evident, shown by his ability to hit the same level of humor both times. Being able to pick up a character eight years later, when he only portrayed him for one episode in the first instance, was impressive and confirmed he deserved to be brought back a second time.