Noeven though they have passed more than twenty years since the last episode of Friendsthe most beloved sitcom of all time continues to be an unprecedented business. In an interview given to the newspaper The Times, Lisa Kudrow confirmed that the protagonists of the series continue to earn astronomical sums thanks to the success that shows no sign of fading. In fact, each of the five surviving cast members receives approximately $20 million a year in royaltiesor the compensation linked to copyright for the constant replications and global distribution. It is an “annuity” that demonstrates how the bond between the public and the six friends of Central Perk is still indissoluble today.
Friendsfrom record contracts to million-dollar reunions
The reason for this richness lies in a far-sighted strategy adopted by the cast. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and the late Matthew Perry chose to negotiate your contracts as a single indivisible block. This unit brought i their salaries from $22,500 in the first season to the incredible sum of one million dollars per episode for the show’s final two seasons.
The six protagonists of “Friends” in a scene from the series. (Credit: Warner Bros. / Supplied by LMK / IPA)
To these sums are added the earnings per special projects, such as the famous 2021 reunion on HBO Max, for which each actor grossed around $2.5 million. Having demanded a percentage of the proceeds from the reruns has allowed the performers to transform the series into a financial fortune that continues to grow year after year.
The memory of Matthew Perry and the “genius” Chandler
Lisa Kudrow explained that her perspective on the series changed profoundly after the tragic death of Matthew Perry in 2023. For years the actress avoided re-watching the episodes to avoid falling into self-criticism, but mourning pushed her to finally rediscover the extraordinary work done together. «After Matthew died I watched the show again. For the first time I really appreciated how fantastic it was.”he said with emotion.
Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry at the 1997 Emmys. (Photo by Ron Davis/Getty Images)
Lisa Kudrow wanted to pay homage to her colleague’s unique talent, defining his performances as something unattainable for anyone else: «There was a genius at work. And whatever we do in the future, we will never experience anything like it again.”.
The dark side of the writers’ room
In addition to financial successes, Lisa Kudrow has lifted the veil on a working climate which at the time could prove particularly harsh and chauvinist. Although the six actors had a sincere friendship, the atmosphere in the writers’ room was often brutal and full of sexist comments. “It could have been terrible: those men sat until three in the morning and discussed their sexual fantasies about Jennifer and Courteney”the actress revealed with extreme frankness. Despite these tensions, Kudrow explained that she had adopted a very clear professional defense strategy: «My attitude was: “Say whatever you want about me behind my back, because then it doesn’t matter.”.
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