More than 20 years after its final episode aired, the cast of Friends continues to earn staggering sums from the show’s enduring popularity.
According to Page Six, Lisa Kudrow, who portrayed Phoebe Buffay throughout the sitcom’s 10-season run from 1994 to 2004, revealed that she and her co-stars still bring in around $20 million annually in residuals.
The actress shared the figure while reflecting on the show during a recent interview, offering a rare look at the lasting financial impact of one of television’s most successful series.
Kudrow said she revisited “Friends” following the 2023 death of her co-star Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing.
“After Matthew died, I watched the show again,” the 62-year-old shared. “Before, I only saw what I did wrong or could have done better. But for the first time, I truly appreciated just how great it was.”
She added, “Because there was a genius at work. And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again.”
Looking back on her performance, Kudrow said she felt she “did OK,” but reserved strong praise for her fellow cast members.
She described Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox as “amazing” in their roles as Rachel Green and Monica Geller.
She also highlighted David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc for their comedic performances, while singling out Perry.
“He was just beyond [them] all,” she said of his portrayal of Chandler.
Despite the show’s success and the close bond among the six leads, Kudrow acknowledged that working behind the scenes could be challenging.
“Don’t forget we were recording in front of a live audience of 400, and if you messed up one of these writers’ lines or it didn’t get the perfect response, they could be like, ‘Can’t the bitch f**king read? She’s not even trying. She f**ked up my line,’” Kudrow explained.
She added, “And we know that back in the room, the guys would be up late discussing their sexual fantasies about Jennifer and Courteney. It was intense.”
Those alleged comments later became part of a legal battle when a former assistant filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Warner Bros. Television in 2004. The case was ultimately unsuccessful.
Kudrow described the work environment as demanding but credited the writers’ dedication.
“Oh, it could be brutal, but these guys — and it was mostly men in there — were sitting up until 3 a.m. trying to write the show,” she said.
“So my attitude was, ‘Say what you like about me behind my back because then it doesn’t matter,’” she added.
Despite the tensions, Kudrow made clear she still holds the series in high regard.
“I will never say anything bad about ‘Friends’ because it’s still incredible work,” she said.
“There are plenty of shows with big-name comedians from that time, and they are not funny, but ‘Friends’ is.”
