If you watched '90s sitcoms back when they were airing on television, it would be impossible to recall all the one-time guest stars who came and went. We didn't realize back then that some of these guest stars would go on to become famous Hollywood stars. But now, thanks to the internet, we’ll never forget the times our favorite actors appeared as small guest characters in some of the biggest sitcoms of the '90s.
On shows from Friends to Roseanne, some of these guest actors would go on to become bigger stars than the series regulars (Seinfeld requires a list of its own). Do you recall these big stars appearing on '90s sitcoms?
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One of the biggest comedians to date, Dave Chappelle appeared with his Half Baked co-star Jim Breuer as a guest on Tim's show Tool Time in an episode of Home Improvement.
- Age: 51
- Birthplace: Washington, D.C., USA
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Before becoming a major film star, Hilary Swank played Sasha Serotsky, a fellow student at Ben's high school, in Growing Pains for two episodes.
- Age: 50
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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Before landing the role of Peter Parker in the Spider-Man trilogy, Tobey Maguire appeared in an episode of Roseanne as Becky's pal Jeff.
- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, USA
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Renowned film actress Michelle Williams appeared in an episode of Home Improvement as Brad's girlfriend Jessica before moving on to her leading role on Dawson's Creek, and roles in such films as Manchester by the Sea, Blue Valentine, and Shutter Island.
- Age: 44
- Birthplace: USA, Kalispell, Montana
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Before starring in The Big Bang Theory, one of the biggest shows on television, or even her breakout role in 8 Simple Rules, Kaley Cuoco played young Ellen Morgan (Ellen DeGeneres's character) on Ellen.
- Age: 38
- Birthplace: Camarillo, California, USA
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Aaron Paul will be forever known as Jesse on Breaking Bad, but before that, he had bit parts in sitcoms and commercials, and even ended up as a contestant on The Price is Right.
On 3rd Rock from the Sun, he played an announcer at a high school junior prom.
- Age: 45
- Birthplace: Emmett, Idaho, USA
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Before appearing in such films as X-Men and Superman Returns, James Marsden landed a couple of bit parts on '90s sitcoms including Saved by the Bell and Blossom, and as Margaret's boyfriend Eddie on The Nanny.
- Age: 51
- Birthplace: Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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Before taking on iconic television roles like Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Lily Aldrin from How I Met Your Mother, Alyson Hannigan appeared in an episode of Roseanne as Becky's friend Jan.
- Age: 50
- Birthplace: Washington, D.C., USA
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Fans know him now from his starring roles on the TV shows Gilmore Girls, Hereos, and This Is Us, but Milo Ventimiglia made his first-ever television appearance as "Party Guest No. 1" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
- Age: 47
- Birthplace: Anaheim, California, USA
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Now one of the biggest film stars, Joseph Gordon-Levitt grew up on TV, appearing as Tommy Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun.
But before that, he played D.J.'s friend George on Roseanne for a brief period.
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
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Linda Cardellini appeared on televsion in an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun as Lorna before starring in Freaks and Geeks, Bloodline, and Dead to Me.
She is also known for appearing as Velma in the live-action Scooby-Doo films and Laura Barton in the Avengers films.
- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Redwood City, California, USA
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Before his own comedy news program, The Daily Show, Jon Stewart appeared as Andy Dick's "identical" twin brother on the NBC sitcom NewsRadio.
- Age: 61
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
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Before taking over the iconic role as James Rhodes/War Machine in the Iron Man and Avengers movies (and countless other films), Don Cheadle appeared in the first season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Will Smith's friend Ice Tray.
- Age: 59
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
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Chris Hardwick, famous nerd, comedian, actor, and television host, appeared on Married... with Children as... basically himself, playing spring-break beauty contest host Dan Inwood.
- Age: 52
- Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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Before becoming a Disney star known for playing Sharpay in the High School Musical films, Ashley Tisdale made the rounds on various '90s sitcoms as a young actress.
She played T.J.'s game show opponent on Smart Guy.
- Age: 39
- Birthplace: West Deal, New Jersey, USA
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Craig Robinson appeared as an office clerk in an episode of Friends before becoming Darryl Philbin on The Office and "The Pontiac Bandit" Doug Judy on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
He's also starred in numerous comedy films.
- Age: 53
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Before starring in such film franchises as The Fantastic Four and Sin City, movie star Jessica Alba had a brief recurring role as Alex's school rival Jessica on Nickelodeon's The Secret World of Alex Mack.
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Pomona, California, USA
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Keri Russell has been around for a long time. Before starring in multiple televison series like Felicity and The Americans, she played small television parts, including Jessica, Mr. Feeney’s niece, on Boy Meets World.
- Age: 48
- Birthplace: Fountain Valley, California, USA
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Now the star of HBO's Lovecraft Country, Jurnee Smollett appeared in as "Little Girl No. 1" in a Christmas episode of Martin.
- Age: 38
- Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York
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Adam Scott hasn't changed a bit.
He channeled his early Derek Huff (from the film Step Brothers) in an episode of Boy Meets World, the polar opposite of his lovable Parks and Recreation character Ben Wyatt.
- Age: 51
- Birthplace: Santa Cruz, California, USA
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Before Ellen Pompeo played Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy for almost two decades, Ross and Chandler fought over her character Missy on an episode of Friends.
- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Everett, Massachusetts, USA
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