Lisa Kudrow Reveals How Much the 'Friends' Cast Still Earns in Residuals, Over 20 Years After the Show Ended
It's been more than two decades since Friends first wrapped, but for the cast, the hit sitcom continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.
Lisa Kudrow recently opened up about how much she and her castmates are still receiving in residuals, and the amount is still staggering.
While speaking to The Times of London, Kudrow shared that she and her Friends co-stars are still cashing checks for $20 million per year, following their decade of dominating primetime television. That's a hefty paycheck rolling in for Kudrow, as well as Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc. Matthew Perry, who famously played Chandler Bing, died in 2023.
The outlet shared that in the UK, Friends is still incredibly popular. In the US, it remains in syndication, with reruns airing on Nick at Night and TBS.
As for why Friends ranks among top sitcoms after all this time, Kudrow jokingly suggested it could be thanks to her character, Phoebe Buffay. Then, she opened up about revisiting the show many years later.
"After Matthew died, I watched the show again," Kudrow 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. 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."
Despite wrapping in 2004, Friends has never really faded from popularity and continues to draw new audiences with each generation. Even though television has evolved dramatically since it aired weekly, strong syndication and streaming deals have kept Friends at the forefront of comfort viewing, and that translates to an impressive payout for the cast, who could live comfortably on those residual payments alone.
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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 4:54 PM.