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FRIENDS is one of the most iconic shows ever produced. The NBC series ran for a decade from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, over 10 seasons and across 236 episodes. A highly acclaimed show, it was about six friends who reside in Manhattan, New York City.
The principal cast comprised of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. Even though they appeared in several other on-screen projects later, they were always called the “FRIENDS star.”
As we celebrate the series, let’s focus on how much the main actors have aged.
All the FRIENDS actors belonged in the range of 54-60
a) Jennifer Aniston (54)
When Jennifer Aniston joined FRIENDS, she was 25, the youngest. A main fixture on the show, she played the character of Rachel Green. Green is shown as a fashion enthusiast and the best friend of Monica Geller.
She strikes up relationships with several men but ultimately goes for Monica’s brother, Ross. Throughout the series, Ross and Rachel are in an on-again, off-again relationship, and their pairing is considered one of the most promising ones on the show.
Recently, she was seen in Murder Mystery 2 and is currently featured in season 3 of The Morning Show.
b) Courteney Cox (59)
Courteney Cox was 30 when she started acting on FRIENDS as “mother hen” Monica Geller. A highly competitive, bossy, perfectionist character, she was someone with an obsessive-compulsive nature.
She is known for her relationship with the very elder Richard Burke and her marriage to Chandler Bing. As for her profession, Monica was a chef who worked in various restaurants.
Cox’s subsequent appearances were in the horror film franchise Scream, Dirt (2007–2008), and Cougar Town (2009–2015). Recently, she was seen as Gale Weathers on Scream VI. As for TV, Shining Vale marked her latest in a main role.
c) Lisa Kudrow (60)
Lisa Kudrow was the eldest of the lot when she joined FRIENDS as Phoebe Buffay at the age of 31. The beloved character was a masseuse and self-taught musician.
She is the only character among the six who didn’t get involved with any of her core pals. In the end, Phoebe tied the knot with Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd).
Kudrow’s later appearances include the cult comedy Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) and the romantic comedy The Opposite of Sex (1998), among many other acclaimed roles. Of late, she was seen in Better Nate Than Ever (2022) and heard in Rick and Morty.
d) Matt LeBlanc (56)
Matt LeBlanc was 27 when he starred as a well-intentioned womanizer and struggling actor Joey Tribbiani. His catchphrase "How you doin'?" is a cultural phenomenon with even Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke requesting him to say the same in an interview. The only single member in the group, Joey dated several women, even Rachel, to no avail.
LeBlanc had his own spin-off named after his character that ran for two years from 2004. His last major appearance was as patriarch Adam Burns in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan.
e) Matthew Perry (54)
Matthew Perry was of Aniston’s age, 25, when he started portraying the king of sarcasm Chandler Bing on FRIENDS. A statistical analysis and data reconfiguration executive for an MNC, Chandler was an erotic novelist’s son. His father was gay and cross-dressing Las Vegas star father, which probably is why he has such a wry sense of humor.
Chandler dated Janice Hosenstein for a long time before marrying Monica and adopting twins with her.
This apart, Perry’s following work includes films like Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes, The Whole Nine Yards, 17 Again, and The Ron Clark Story, and TV series like Mr. Sunshine, Go On, and The Odd Couple.
f) David Schwimmer (56)
David Schwimmer was 28 at the time of his FRIENDS stint as Ross Geller. A paleontologist for the American Museum of Natural History, the thrice divorcee was a topic of jokes among his buddies because of this. His three marriages were with Carol Willick, a lesbian and mother of his son Ben Geller; Emily Waltham, who splits with him after he spills Rachel's name and not hers while taking vows; and Rachel, whom he drunkenly married in Las Vegas.
In Joey, it’s implied that Rachel and Ross finally married, after FRIENDS aired a very dramatic airport sequence. Schwimmer will next be seen in Extrapolations.
Stream all episodes of FRIENDS on Max.
