Friends is one of the most iconic sitcoms in the history of American television. The NBC series aired from 1994 to 2004, revolving around the lives of six friends in their 20’s living in Manhattan, New York. Although it finished 19 years ago, the show still airs globally and earns $1 billion annually. This helped its main cast members become superstars and multi-millionaires.
From the start, the cast were making good money! In the first season, the actors were paid $22,500 per episode. By the time they reached the last two seasons, the cast were paid $1 million per episode! Each cast member made a whopping $22 million in the 10th season.
Wealthiest Cast Members on Friends:
1. Jennifer Aniston – $320 Million
Arguably the most famous on the list is Jennifer Aniston, who portrayed Rachel Green. Reportedly, Jennifer Aniston was paid more than other cast members as her relationship with Ross was a hit in the early seasons.
Aniston started her career in off-Broadway productions. After Friends, she appeared in more than 40 hit films, including Bruce Almighty, Horrible Bosses, Marley and Me, Along Came Polly, and The Break-up.
Jennifer became one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood for comedic roles. Because of this, she took a long break from television. Aniston returned in 2019 for The Morning Show on AppleTV+. This helped her net worth reach $320 million.
2. Courteney Cox – $150 Million
Next is Courteney Cox, the actress who played Monica Geller, a chef noted for her cleanliness, passion, and obsessive-compulsive personality. Monica was considered the “mother hen” of the group.
Apart from Friends, Cox gained fame as Gale Weathers in the Scream franchise, which started in 1996. After her breakthrough roles, Cox worked on several shows, like Modern Family, Talhotblond, and Cougar Town, as a performer and director.
Courteney has also profited from Coquette Productions, a production firm she co-founded with her ex-husband. All of these various media endeavors give her an estimated net worth of $150 million.
3. Matthew Perry – $120 Million
Matthew Perry’s character was the sarcastic Chandler Bing. While filming for Friends, Matthew was very open about his battle against drug and alcohol addiction. Now that he’s sober, Perry is using his wealth from Friends to enjoy himself.
In 1992, Perry was featured in an episode of Dream On where he first met Friends creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman. This link eventually helped him get the role of Chandler.
More recently, he hasn’t been in any television projects. His efforts are centered on voice acting, comedy, and theater. He’s also into real estate investments, which is a major factor in his $120 million fortune.
4. David Schwimmer – $120 Million
Monica Geller’s older brother, Ross Geller, was played by none other than David Schwimmer. His most recognizable traits are his nerdy demeanor and extremely awkward sense of humor, which make him a hopeless romantic.
David got his first regular role as the liberal child of a conservative television personality in the Fox sitcom Monty. After auditioning for Ross, Schwimmer initially turned down the role. Thankfully, he later changed his mind.
After Friends, his name became known in the animation category by voicing Melman, the giraffe in Madagascar. He also helped create theater plays with the production firm Lookingglass. Schwimmer’s net worth is currently $120 million.
5. Lisa Kudrow – $90 Million
Lisa Kudrow is known for playing the bohemian guitarist Phoebe Buffay. Phoebe always spoke her mind, which made her one of the most influential fictional female figures on television.
As a student at the improv and sketch comedy school The Groundlings, Lisa started her career as a comic. This led her to star in several sitcoms in the 1980s and 1990s.
After her successful stint with Friends, Kudrow appeared in various movies, like Bad Neighbors and Easy A, and TV shows, like BoJack Horseman and Scandal. She also heads an online series called Web Therapy. Kudrow’s wealth is valued at $90 million.
6. Matt LeBlanc – $85 Million
Matt LeBlanc had one of the most memorable characters in Friends, whose reactions became meme material on the internet. He played Joey Tribbiani, the dimwitted but kind hottie.
LeBlanc started his career appearing in commercials and music videos. LeBlanc only had $11 in his bank account before landing the role. Like the other cast members on the show, his life turned around after Friends became a worldwide hit.
LeBlanc was given a spinoff series titled Joey after the main series ended. It ran for two seasons. In 2016, Matt joined BBC’s Top Gear but left after three years. Although Matt currently focuses on small-screen appearances, he still has a net worth of $85 million.
