One Bombshell ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Cameo Was So Perfect It Can Give Brad Pitt’s ‘Friends’ Episode a Run for Its Money
- Guest stars can make sitcoms exciting and push the story.
- Jennifer Lopez’s role on 'HIMYM' boosted both her career and the show’s ratings.
- It’s similar to Brad Pitt’s role on 'Friends,' which showcased his star power.
Guest stars can make or break a sitcom episode. They can bring new energy, or even push the story forward. In the case of particularly well-cast cameos, one that people still remember to this day is Brad Pitt’s appearance on Friends.
It was obviously unexpected and made fans go crazy to see him on the show, especially since he was dating the show’s star, Jennifer Aniston, at that time. However, one cameo by Jennifer Lopez on How I Met Your Mother holds the potential to outshine Pitt’s. JLo’s star power was so evident in her cameo that it could easily surpass Braddy’s TV moment.
Jennifer Lopez’s Power Play on How I Met Your Mother
Jennifer Lopez‘s appearance in the 17th episode, named Of Course, in season 5 of How I Met Your Mother wasn’t just a random celebrity drop-in. She played Anita Appleby, the strong-willed author of the provocatively titled self-help book Of Course You’re Still Single, Take a Look at Yourself You Dumb Sl*t.
After appearing on Robin’s morning show, Come On, Get Up New York!, to promote her book, Anita agreed to teach Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) a lesson about respecting women. Barney is trying to impress her, but she’s always ahead of him. This makes it really hard for Barney, and their interactions are fun to watch.
This cameo was a win-win for both parties. How I Met Your Mother was famous for its celebrity guests, and the singer’s star power definitely helped boost the ratings. Lopez also gained a lot from this cameo. After having twins — Maximilian “Max” David Muniz and Emme Maribel Muniz — in 2008, she was stepping back into the spotlight. In fact, shortly after the episode aired, Lopez was announced as a judge on American Idol and released her much-awaited album Love?
Brad Pitt’s Hilarious Cameo on Friends
Friends, another famous sitcom known for its star-studded guest appearances, featured Brad Pitt during his peak fame. In the season 8 of annual Thanksgiving special The One with the Rumor, he plays Will Colbert, a co-founding member of the ‘I Hate Rachel Green’ club and an old school friend of Ross Geller (David Schwimmer).
This was especially notable as he was dating Jennifer Aniston at the time. The episode cleverly taps into Pitt and Aniston’s real-life relationship. The story is about Will and Rachel, with Will struggling to move past old trauma from when Rachel bullied him as a kid because of his weight.
Now that Will is fit and strong, Rachel doesn’t recognize him and tries to get his attention. However, it turns out that Will hates her so much that he and Ross spread a rumor claiming Rachel was intersex. Just like Lopez’s cameo on HIMYM, this appearance was a great move for Pitt. It made him a big name in Hollywood.
Watch How I Met Your Mother on Disney+ and Friends on Netflix!
