Here's How Much The Friends Cast Is Really Being Paid For The Reunion Special
The cast of "Friends" is officially getting back together, and the unscripted reunion show has fans over the moon with excitement. It only took 17 years after the show ended for the gang to get back together and reminisce over the hit NBC series, which ended up being a pop culture phenomenon. The series still gets a ton of viewers thanks to streaming services such as HBO Max and Netflix, and new fans are being created every day thanks to the show's reruns. The entire cast of the series, including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry all showed up for the reunion special, which was said to earn them a big chunk of change. While the cast members have all gone on to have careers in both television and movies, their bank accounts weren't always swelling.
Parade reported that when "Friends" first began airing, the cast didn't make the same salaries. Instead, they were given about $22,500 per episode. By Season 2, they were all paid different amounts, with some of the actors being paid in the $20,000 range, while others were making around $40,000, per The New York Times. After the show's successful second season, the cast banded together for contract negotiations to raise their pay and ensure equality. By Seasons 9 and 10 of the series, the cast was being paid over $1 million per episode thanks to their joint efforts, and it seems that they teamed up again when it came to their pay for the reunion special.
The Friends cast took home a huge payday for the reunion special
The "Friends" cast members know how to negotiate a contract. According to The Wall Street Journal, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry were initially offered $1 million per person to come together for the unscripted reunion special. However, sources told the outlet that the group collectively declined that offer, believing that they could get a better one, and they did. They're now reportedly being paid between $2.2 million and $2.5 million for the highly anticipated reunion.
The Mirror reported that the cast of the show has done very well for themselves in the years since gaining huge fame on the series. Aniston is said to hold the largest net worth of the six main stars, at around $300 million thanks to her film career, endorsements, and her television series "The Morning Show," per Bustle. Cox is reportedly worth about $150 million thanks to the "Scream" franchise and television shows such as "Cougar Town," while Kudrow is said to have a net worth of around $90 million.
Perry is reportedly worth about $120 million due to his past movie and television roles, while David Schwimmer's net worth is said to be about $100 million due to his roles on shows such as "The People v. O.J. Simpson." Matt LeBlanc comes in last place with a net worth of around $80 million. He's earned part of his fortune on shows such as "Man with a Plan." No matter the amount the cast got paid, fans are grateful to have them back for what's sure to be an epic reunion.