Though she is best known for her roles in The White Lotus, American Pie, and Legally Blonde, Jennifer Coolidge guest-starred on Friends in a truly unforgettable role. Debuting in 1994, Friends chronicles the lives of six long-time friends who experience the trials and tribulations of adulthood together. Famous for its witty sense of humor and sly lampooning of classic sitcom tropes, Friends was one of the most iconic sitcoms of the '90s while also setting the tone for the comedy of the early 2000s. Even in the modern streaming era, Friends continues to keep viewers rolling with laughter nearly two decades after the show went off the air.
Like most sitcoms, Friends often featured memorable guest stars, and Jennifer Coolidge was just one of many notable names to make a one-off appearance across the show's decade on the air. Noted for her ditzy onscreen persona, Coolidge has managed to reinvent herself year after year and is one of the most beloved comedic performers of her generation. Though she was already an adored character actress for her turns in American Pie and Legally Blonde, Coolidge reached a whole new audience when she ed the cast of The White Lotus and even won an Emmy. Though Jennifer Coolidge briefly appeared on Friends, she made her mark on the show's legacy.
Jennifer Coolidge Played Amanda Buffamonteezi In Friends
Making her lone appearance in the sitcom's final season, Jennifer Coolidge played the role of Amanda Buffamonteezi in Friends season 10, episode 3, "The One With Ross's Tan". Like a specter from their past, Amanda was Monica and Phoebe's former friend from the early-'90s whom they had tried to completely distance themselves from because of her ego and love of stirring the pot. Amanda had moved to England at some point and picked up a supposed British accent which made her all the more annoying. Though Monica and Phoebe ignored her calls, Chandler accidentally answered the phone, and the women were obligated to meet with her.
Amanda immediately began causing problems again, and she revealed that Phoebe had actually tried to "cut out" Monica in the past because she initially found her exasperating. That revelation caused a temporary rift between the longtime friends, but they came back together over their mutual dislike of Amanda, and an ission from Phoebe that she was glad she hadn't ended her friendship with Monica. Besides being one of Friends' funniest episodes, the surprise arrival of Jennifer Coolidge's Amanda Buffamonteezi actually strengthened the bond between Monica and Phoebe, which left them in a good place by the show's finale.
Jennifer Coolidge Also Played Joey's Manager Bobbie Morganstern In Joey
Though Jennifer Coolidge guest-starred on Friends for just one episode, she made a big enough impression to receive a promotion in the ill-fated Friends spinoff Joey. Appearing in all 46 episodes of the series, Coolidge played Joey's manager Bobbie Morganstern, a brash and sexually forward agent who often made others the butt of jokes for her own amusement. Morganstern was also somewhat ditzy, and had a big crush on Joey's nephew Michael Tribbianni, a fact that she didn't try to hide.
While the role of Bobbie Morganstern was very much in type for Coolidge at the time, there was some variety between her two characters in the larger Friends universe. Though they were both somewhat ditzy and mean, there was a likable quality to Bobbie that was totally lacking in Amanda. Her earlier Friends character existed merely to strengthen the relationship between Phoebe and Monica, but Bobbie had much more agency. Regardless, both roles were pure Jennifer Coolidge, and she stole the show in nearly every scene she was in.