‘Friends’ Star Lisa Kudrow Reveals Jaw-Dropping Residual Amount 20 Years Later

Michelle Stein April 29, 2026, 9:13 am

Friends stars — Jon Ragel /© NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection

FRIENDS, from left: Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, 1994-2004. ph: Jon Ragel /© NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection

What To Know

Lisa Kudrow revealed the amount she and her surviving Friends co-stars each earn per year.
The cast famously negotiated together to increase their salaries to $1 million per episode in the final seasons.
Friends continues to attract new generations, especially Gen Z.

Friends star Lisa Kudrow recently revealed the jaw-dropping amount of money she and her former castmates receive in residuals more than 20 years after the sitcom ended.

During an interview with The Times published on April 23, the actress who played Phoebe Buffay opened up about the staggering Friends residuals. She and her surviving former costars — Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, and David Schwimmer — now rake in $20 million per year. (Matthew Perry died at 54 in 2023 following an accidental overdose and drowning.)

Kudrow, 62, who most recently starred in the HBO comedy series The Comeback, also reflected on the show’s enduring legacy. Friends aired for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.

“After Matthew died, I watched the show again,” she explained. “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.”

Kudrow continued, “I felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing. David and Matt? They had me laughing so hard. And then Matthew — he was just beyond us all.”

Although the main Friends cast members started out at $22,500 per episode in Season 1, they each ended up earning $1 million per episode in the last two seasons because they negotiated together instead of competing. Additionally, each actor scored $2.5 million for the HBO Max reunion special that aired in 2021.

Matt LeBlanc's TV Comeback History, Explained

Despite Friends ending more than 20 years ago, it has attracted the attention of a whole new generation thanks to streaming platforms. There, Gen Z viewers have fallen in love with Kudrow’s Phoebe, Aniston’s Rachel Green, LeBlanc’s Joey Tribbiani, Cox’s Monica Geller, Perry’s Chandler Bing, and Schwimmer’s Ross Geller. Many have speculated that the reason for Gen Z ‘s attraction to Friends is because of its timeless themes of young adulthood and its depiction of a simpler time before smartphones and 24/7 online connectivity.

Can you believe how much the Friends stars still earn in residuals? What is your favorite episode?

Friends, streaming on HBO Max