‘Friends’ Reunion Finally a Go: See How the Cast Has Changed Since Season 1
“Oh. My. God.” [Cue Janice voice!] After over a year of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Friends reunion is finally happening.
HBO Max’s loudly hyped special is set to be filmed in Los Angeles in mid-April, Deadline reports, with Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry all locked in for the big streaming event. And boy have these stars changed a lot since the first season debuted in 1994.
The sitcom’s cast members, now household names, have gone on to start families, star in box office hits, and even fuel rumors of a potential reboot, all while continuing to making us laugh along the way.
Scroll down to see the cast of Friends, then and now.
Jennifer Aniston: Then
The beautiful actress was just 25 years old when she joined the hit sitcom in the first season as Rachel Green. Before that, she had minor roles on TV shows including Ferris Bueller and Muddling Through.
Jennifer Aniston: Now
Today, Aniston is one of the most successful actresses in the country, with movies like The Break Up, Along Came Polly, and We’re the Millers under her belt. She’s also endorsed several big name products including Smart Water, L’Oréal, and Aveeno. She’s currently filming the second season of Apple TV+’s hit series, The Morning Show (above).
Courteney Cox: Then
The actress wasn’t exactly new to Hollywood when she signed on to star as Monica Geller in the early ’90s. Cox famously starred in Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” music video in 1984, in which she joined the singer on stage.
Courteney Cox: Now
Today, Cox has continued her success from Friends, starring on TV shows like Cougar Town and most recently, Shameless (above). She can next be seen reprising her role as Gale Weathers in 2022’s Scream sequel. She also shares daughter Coco Arquette with ex-husband David Arquette.
Lisa Kudrow: Then
Kudrow joined Friends in Season 1 to play the lovable yet goofy Phoebe Buffay, a character that was inspired by her Mad About You portrayal of the ditzy waitress, Ursula.
Lisa Kudrow: Now
Since Friends, the hilarious actress has gone on to star in TV series including Web Therapy and The Comeback and films like Neighbors and Booksmart. She most recently appeared on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Space Force. Kudrow, who is married to husband Michel Stern, welcomed son Julian back in the late ’90s.
David Schwimmer: Then
Schwimmer was 27 years old when he joined the cast of Friends as Monica’s older brother, Ross Geller. Before that, he guest-starred in popular series like L.A. Law, NYPD Blue, and The Wonder Years.
David Schwimmer: Now
In 2016, Schwimmer portrayed the late Robert Kardashian in the Emmy-winning miniseries, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Most recently, the actor appeared on the revival of Will & Grace (above) and the Peacock comedy Intelligence.
Matt LeBlanc: Then
The lovable actor signed on to play Joey Tribbiani when he was just 26 years old. Before that, he starred in Married with Children spinoff Vinnie & Bobby.
Matt LeBlanc: Now
LeBlanc was the only Friends star to get his own spinoff, Joey, however it didn’t resonate with the viewers quite like the original series and was canceled after two seasons. In recent years, he starred in the acclaimed Showtime comedy Episodes and CBS sitcom Man With a Plan.
Matthew Perry: Then
Perry signed on to play Chandler Bing when he was 25 years old. Before that, he held multiple roles in a variety of TV series, but none made it beyond one season.
Matthew Perry: Now
Since Friends, Perry has appeared on series like The Kennedys After Camelot, The Good Fight (above), and The Odd Couple.
The cast of Friends: Then
September 22, 1994 marked the premiere of Friends and the chemistry on screen was palpable from the very first episode.
“It was lightning in a bottle. To have those writers, those creators of the show, the team they put together and the actors. It just worked. I mean, the casting was just perfect, it really was,” Courteney Cox previously said.
The cast of Friends: Now
It was the selfie shared ’round the world… and also the one that nearly broke the internet. When Jennifer Aniston made her Instagram debut in early October 2019, she couldn’t post just any typical photo to the social media platform. Instead, the actress shared a photo reuniting with her former castmates, which sent fans into a frenzy. In just days, the iconic reunion photo became one of the most-liked pictures on Instagram ever.
