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After the main six, the character who appeared in the most episodes is Gunther (last name: Central Perk?), with over 100 appearances (to put that into greater context, the next highest is Jack Geller with 21). However, most of those were unspeaking, and a lot were uncredited. In fact, Gunther didn’t actually have his first line of dialogue until the 33rd episode of the show (his 24th appearance), Season 2, Episode 9, “The One With Phoebe’s Dad.”
The line comes when Ross is trying to make amends with Rachel, having made a list of her pros and cons the episode prior. This includes getting her a slinky but, when she rejects the offering, he asks Gunther if he has stairs, who simply responds “Yeah,” and Ross gives him the toy. It’s a minor moment in the episode, sure, but an important one in the history of the show, because Gunther would go on to become one of the series’ most important characters.
Gunther Was The Seventh Friend
Played by the late, great James Michael Tyler, Gunther was a key part of helping make Friends so beloved. He added a nice contrast to the main six, serving as someone who existed outside of their bubble, but could occasionally pierce through it. While it started with a “yeah,” he’d go on to have some of the show’s most memorable quotes – such as speaking Dutch and calling Ross an “ezel” (or donkey) – and even a long-running joke of him being besotted with Rachel. No supporting character spent more time with the main six, nor learned more about their lives, than Gunther.
