The One With the Big Paycheck: 'Friends' Icon Lisa Kudrow Reveals Jaw-Dropping Amount Stars Still Earn in Residuals Two Decades After Show Ended
Lisa Kudrow revealed the massive paycheck she and the other leads on 'Friends' still receive annually.
April 28 2026, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
Lisa Kudrow dropped a bombshell about how much money she and the five living lead cast members of Friends still earn, nearly 22 years after the sitcom came to an end, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Kudrow, 62, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc, are all still raking in a staggering $20 million a year each, more than two decades after the cast last appeared on the iconic NBC sitcom. Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing, tragically died in 2023 from a ketamine overdose.
The Cast of 'Friends' Still Make $20 Million Annually
The stars of 'Friends' still earn $20 million annually thanks to their percentage ownership in the show.
When asked by the Times of London why she is still making that kind of money annually without having to lift a finger, Kudrow joked, "Because Phoebe Buffay was so great?" while referring to her character.
When Friends premiered in September 1994, the six stars made $22,500 an episode.
After the show exploded into a ratings juggernaut for NBC, the cast famously united and negotiated as a powerhouse group, locking in a $75,000-per-episode payday starting in Season 3.
By Seasons 7 and 8, their salaries skyrocketed to a jaw-dropping $750,000 per episode, before the final two seasons saw the six stars cash in on a record-smashing $1 million per episode deal, as well as a two percent share of the show's syndication profits, which results in the massive paychecks today.
Why 'Friends' Was a 'Brutal' Filming Environment for the Female Stars
Lisa Kudrow claimed she and the other female leads had a more 'brutal' treatment from writers.
Kudrow noted that the workplace was more "brutal" for the actresses due to the show's mostly male writing staff.
“Don’t forget we were recording in front of a live audience of 400, and if you messed up one of these writers’ lines or it didn’t get the perfect response, they could be like, ‘Can’t the b---- f------ read? She’s not even trying. She f----- up my line," she claimed.
"And we know that back in the room the guys would be up late discussing their sexual fantasies about Jennifer and Courteney. It was intense," Kudrow shared about the writers' room.
The Easy A star said she didn't let it get to her, explaining, "Oh, it could be brutal, but these guys — and it was mostly men in there — were sitting up until 3 a.m. trying to write the show, so my attitude was, ‘Say what you like about me behind my back because then it doesn’t matter.'"
Lisa Kudrow's High Praise for Late Matthew Perry
Lisa Kudrow praised her 'amazing' co-stars, especially the late Matthew Perry.
Kudrow revealed she only recently started rewatching Friends after Perry's heartbreaking death, as the sitcom continues to dominate in syndication and on streaming, cementing its status as one of the most-watched shows even today.
"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," the Emmy winner gushed.
"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," Kudrow raved.
Lisa Kudrow Reveals Why Younger Generations Love 'Friends'
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Lisa Kudrow revealed what sets 'Friends' apart from other sitcoms.
"I will never say anything bad about Friends because it’s still incredible work. There are plenty of shows with big-name comedians from that time, and they are not funny, but Friends is," Kudrow shared about how the show was able to rule the airwaves during its 10 season run.
The Comeback star credited its popularity today with a simpler time before screens and social media took over everyday life.
The characters would simply get together at their favorite coffee shop, Central Perk, or their adjacent NYC apartments for everyday human interaction that included plenty of laughs.
"Friends captured a kind of innocence that maybe a younger generation has never gotten to experience," Kudrow noted of how the show is such a hit with Millennials and Gen Z.
