Fans of Friends, the sitcom that arguably defined a generation, have had their prayers for a reunion answered. From 1994 until 2004, the show followed the eventful lives of Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Joey, Ross and Chandler for a whopping 10 seasons, and now they are set to be reunited for a one-off special this spring (and filming on it has just wrapped!) on new streaming service HBO Max, which will also have all the original seasons available to watch. The original series transformed Friends' lead actors into global megastars. Click or scroll through to find out how much each of the cast earned from the series and beyond.
The pay wasn’t always that phenomenal for the cast. During the first season, they started out earning a relatively paltry $22,000 per episode, but they soon figured out that they could be making much more. Prior to starting the second season, they refused to begin filming until it was agreed they would be paid $100,000 each per episode. But even that seems measly in comparison to the $1 million an episode they were getting by the final season.
While production of Friends is history, the show still manages to bring in a whopping $1 billion per year in syndication revenue for Warner Bros. Although the cast is only entitled to 2% of that income, that equates to a yearly paycheck of $20 million for each cast member. Not bad for something you did over a decade and a half ago. But who’s made the most money since?
Since Friends, Matt LeBlanc’s acting work has mostly been for TV, with Friends spin-off series Joey, UK comedy Episodes, and Man with a Plan. In 2016, LeBlanc joined the BBC's popular automotive TV series Top Gear, but left the show after four seasons. LeBlanc hasn’t completely shunned film acting, appearing in the Charlie’s Angels movies and the 2014 comedy Lovesick.
Thought to have amassed a fortune of around $80 million, Matt's wealth can partially be attributed to his success in Friends but his successful TV roles afterwards have also bolstered his earnings.
Lisa Kudrow has avoided the tabloids for the most part since the end of Friends. The singer of iconic song Smelly Cat went on to act in films such as Easy A, Bad Neighbors and The Girl on the Train, as well as TV shows including Scandal and BoJack Horseman. Kudrow has also created shows of her own, with series Web Therapy and The Comeback making it to production.
Her Friends fortune, plus her other work, has certainly lined her pockets, and it has been estimated that Kudrow has a very healthy fortune of around $90 million.
After Friends wrapped, David Schwimmer shied away from the glitz and glam of Hollywood. After appearing as a voice actor in the Madagascar films, Schwimmer seemingly disappeared. However, he’d made the leap into the world of directing films and theater, appearing in Some Girl(s) and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial in 2006. However, in 2016 David was back on TV screens as Rob Kardashian in the TV docu-series The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and in 2018-2019 he starred in five episodes of Will & Grace. Most recently Schwimmer took a lead role in UK comedy Intelligence.
Schwimmer’s career is thought to have earned him a chunky $100 million, although other estimates peg his fortune lower at $85 million.
Despite battling illness and addiction, Matthew Perry has worked non-stop since Friends ended. He landed roles in films including The Ron Clark Story, and 17 Again alongside Zac Efron, and went back to acting on TV series with Scrubs and The Good Wife. In 2019, while the rest of the Friends cast gathered for a televised reunion, Perry was absent due to his commitments with the London-based play he was starring in, The End of Longing. But he is confirmed for the latest reunion.
It has been reported that Matthew Perry boasts a fortune of as much as $120 million.
Courteney Cox has also been quite busy since the end of Friends. She’s appeared in a long list of films including the Scream franchise and starred in the popular TV series Cougar Town from 2009 until 2015. She's also taken on roles in the series Shameless, and Modern Family. In-between acting roles she’s built up her bank account via endorsement deals that she signed with Pantene, Coca-Cola, Head & Shoulders and Avon. Cox has also made money from the production company she set up with ex-husband David Arquette, Coquette Productions.
With an estimated net worth of $120 million, Cox comes in as second richest of the bunch.
Jennifer Aniston arguably went on to become the most famous member of the Friends troupe. Her role as Rachel Green kick-started off her acting career and she’s since appeared in blockbuster hits Along Came Polly (2004), the 2008 tearjerker Marley and Me, and Horrible Bosses back in 2011. She has recently returned to TV with her Screen Actors Guild-winning turn in The Morning Show. Her famous face has also landed her numerous endorsements with huge companies like Emirates, Aveeno and SmartWater.
Aniston is thought to be worth a whopping $300 million, making her the richest member of the Friends cast. However, Aniston and the rest of the original cast are set to see their fortunes grow by at least $2.5 million when their reunion episode, which has the current working title The One Where They Got Back Together, hits our screens this year.
Now read about the people who earned the most in the last decade