Friends will go down in history as one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. Thanks to its wildly talented and hilarious cast, the series aired new episodes for a decade and continues to air reruns on various television networks and streaming services around the globe. The series reportedly earns Warner Bros. 1 billion dollars a year.
Thanks to the immense success of the series, the members of the main cast went on to become some of the highest-paid actors in television history. This group also went on to forever change how actors negotiate their contracts. Using Insider as a source, fans can find out exactly how much the main cast was paid for each season.
8 Cole Sprouse: First Episode - $20,000 / Last Episode - $20,000
Cole Sprouse was not the first actor to portray Ross and Carol’s son, Ben, but he was certainly the most memorable. Sprouse starred as Ben Geller from season six to season eight of the series and was very young when he began working on the series, yet he reportedly was paid $20,000 per episode.
Though Sprouse only appeared in seven episodes, he is generally who people think of when they think of Ben and he will always remain an important part of the Friends legacy.
7 James Michael Tyler: First Episode - $5,000 / Last Episode - $40,000
While James Michael Tyler has played many different roles throughout the years, he will always be most known for his portrayal as Gunther, manager of Central Perk. Tyler appeared in every season of the series and was in 185 episodes in total.
In the first season of the show, he earned $5,000 per episode he appeared in. Throughout the seasons, that amount steadily increased until he earned $40,000 per episode, for his comedic stylings.
6 David Schwimmer: First Episode - $22,500 / Last Episode - $1 Million
When Friends first aired in 1999, David Schwimmer made $22,500 per episode of season one. By the end of season one, it became clear to the executives of the show that Schwimmer’s on-screen relationship with Aniston was a big reason why the show was so successful.
Luckily for the rest of the cast, Schwimmer felt the group should all be paid equally for their work and he fought for everyone to be paid the same amount, which turned into $1 million dollars per episode by the final season.
5 Lisa Kudrow: First Episode - $22,500 / Last Episode - $1 Million
Like the rest of the cast, Lisa Kudrow made $22,500 per episode for the entirety of season one for her work as Phoebe Buffay. As the seasons went by, fans were happy to learn more and more about the enigmatic character.
Her original songs “Smelly Cat” and “Two Of Them Kissed Last Night” are classics and her big heart helped make her one of the most lovable characters on the show. Kudrow created a one-of-a-kind character and was undeniably deserving of the $1 million dollars per episode she was paid in seasons 9 and 10.
4 Courtney Cox: First Episode - $22,500 / Last Episode - $1 Million
Courtney Cox nailed her role as the responsible, ambitious, and caring Monica Geller. If it weren’t for Monica’s connection to Ross and Rachel, the friends probably would have never formed the strong connection that they did. Throughout the series, Monica takes care of everyone in the group, while still managing to get into her own widely entertaining messes.
Cox was paid the same amount as all of her co-stars and continues to collect $20 million a year in royalties, like the rest of the main group.
3 Matthew Perry: First Episode - $22,500 / Last Episode - $1 Million
It’s safe to say Friends probably would not have reached the heights it did if not for Matthew Perry’s gift of delivering one-liners. For 10 seasons, Chandler was the group’s resident comedian — or at least he tried to be. He also was one-half of one of the most memorable bromances on television and his relationship with Joey was also a central part of his character.
Like the rest of the cast, Perry made $22,500 for the first episode of the show and $1 million for his work in the final episode.
2 Matt LeBlanc: First Episode - $22,500 / Last Episode - $1 Million
Matt LeBlanc’s portrayal of Joey Tribbiani was so successful that he even got his own spinoff show when Friends ended in 2004. LeBlanc was able to balance out Joey’s role as the womanizer and struggling actor of the group by also playing up his kindness and loyalty.
His salary followed the same trajectory as his co-stars. Following the $22,500 per episode deal he had for season one, he made $40,000/episode in season 2, $75,000/episode in season 3, $85,000/episode in season 4, $100,000/episode in season 5, $125,000/episode in season 6, $750,000/episode for seasons 7 and 8, and finally $1 million/episode for seasons 9 and 10.
1 Jennifer Aniston: First Episode - $22,500 / Last Episode - $1 Million
Though Jennifer Aniston has gone on to play many other high-profile roles since working on Friends and has become a huge star in her own right, her role as Rachel Green will forever remain her most iconic. From her style and her fascinating love life to her willingness to go after what she wants, Rachel is a character that many women aspire to be like.
When season one ended, Aniston was supposed to receive a huge bump in pay, along with her co-star David Schwimmer, however, Aniston agreed to take a pay cut so that all the main cast would receive equal pay.
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