Forget The Main Cast Of Friends, The Supporting Actors Are Still Making Thousands From Repeats (2024)

FAQs

Do Friends actors still make money from Friends? ›

It has been 20 years since the last season of FRIENDS aired on Television, yet the cast members of the show are still earning for the show. Each time you rewatch the show on Netflix or elsewhere, Warner Bros earns money and as per the contract, the cast members receive 2 percent of the royalties.

The math breaks down like this: Friends brings in $1 billion (yep, with a B) in revenue for Warner Bros. each year from broadcast rights to syndicate reruns. Each member of the cast gets 2 percent of that billion bucks, resulting in all six making $20 million annually.

DISCOVERY INC. NETFLIX INC. The six actors had a deal that paid them each 2% of syndication income from "Friends," when Warner Bros. was pulling in $1 billion annually from streaming the show, the outlet reported.

Though the cast went their separate ways when the sitcom ended in 2004, they remained in each other's lives throughout the years, united by having shared 10 of the most important years of their lives together. Perry reiterated that bond in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

Bustle reports that on-and-off soap opera star Tribbiani earned the most inside the Friends stratosphere after he landed a gig in a feature film, which saw his annual earnings skyrocket to $130,000. “In between acting gigs, however, Joey seemed to lack any part-time jobs to make ends meet,” the outlet reports.

Since Perry never married or had children, his parents would likely be the recipients of his royalties and other assets. However, they could choose to give up their rights to the residuals through a "qualified disclaimer," allowing the money to pass on to Perry's half-siblings.

Perry — and his “Friends” co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — reportedly make $20 million a year in residuals. The beloved NBC comedy ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.

So Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles, Ross and Monica's parents Jack and Judy, could be adding $20,000 and $19,000 to their bank accounts every year. Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice, could be getting a cheque for $19,000. Jane Sibbett, aka Ross's ex-wife Carol, may be receiving $15,000.

Matthew Perry had mixed feelings about making $1 million per episode on Friends. The late actor, who died on Oct. 28 at the age of 54, recalled feeling guilty after he and his costars negotiated for their historic paychecks.

The trust beneficiaries are his father, John Perry, and mother, Suzanne Morrison. His half-sister Caitlin Morrison and ex-girlfriend, Rachel Dunn, are also beneficiaries. He did not have children. Perry's will contained specific instructions that any children he had would not inherit from his estate.

Does Jennifer Aniston get residuals from Friends? ›

In 2000, the Friends cast signed a contract that allowed them all to get a cut of any royalties from reruns, which is kinda rare, tbh. And since Friends is still on television 19 years later, Jen gets a 2 percent share of the total $1 billion the show earns in streaming and royalties revenue Every. Damn.

For the remainder of the series, 62 episodes in which he appeared, he earned $40,000 per episode. That's $2.48 million for the seasons and $124,000 everytime season 7,8,9, 10 airs. Add it all up and Gunther's total residual is $220,000 everytime all 10 Friends seasons air per local station.

Schwimmer and Perry maintained a close friendship in the years after Friends concluded in 2004, and often showcased their characters' signature banter in their public interactions.

Did Courtney Cox and David Schwimmer get married? Courteney Cox got married to David Arquette in 1999 after a few years of dating and they were still married when David Schwimmer married some time after the end of Friends.

While the cast has reunited for special events and occasions, there haven't been any instances of romantic pairings among the main cast members based on their "Friends" relationship dynamics. The enduring friendship among the actors has been a heartwarming aspect of the show's legacy.

At its inception, Friends was an ensemble production: all the cast members were given roughly equal screen time. They were also given equal pay: $22,500 each per episode. However, in the second season, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer were paid more than other cast members.

Matthew Perry aka Chandler Bing: worth $120 million (£95m) at time of death. At the time of his death, Perry was reportedly worth $120 million (£95m). Perry had always spoken candidly about his battles with addiction.

How much does Jennifer Aniston make from Friends re-runs? It's estimated that Aniston and the rest of the core Friends cast makes up to $20 million a year from re-runs and streaming of the series alone.

The co-stars stood by their Friends. (Image credit: Warner Bros.) In the beginning, the cast of Friends reportedly made $22,500 per episode, by the end all six actors famously had astounding salaries of $1 million per episode.