Lisa Kudrow says ‘Friends’ cast still earns $20M a year in residuals

Lisa Kudrow’s breakout role in “Friends” is still bringing in the big bucks over 30 years after it first aired in 1994.

During a recent interview with The Times in London, the 62-year-old revealed she and the rest of the cast of “Friends” continue to earn $20 million a year in residuals from the show.

“Because Phoebe Buffay was so great?” Kudrow jokingly guessed as to why the dollar amount is so high, referencing her character from the show.

“Friends” first premiered in September 1994, and was an immediate breakout hit, and reportedly was ringing in 25 million viewers each week.

Kudrow shared that the cast of “Friends” still receives $20 million in residuals every year. (Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images for HBO Max)

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Despite its popularity, Kudrow shared she had never actually watched the show, telling the outlet she wanted to watch it after her former co-star, Matthew Perry, died in October 2023.

“Before, I only saw what I did wrong or could have done better,” she explained. “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.”

Kudrow previously spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in June 2024 about what it’s like for her to watch Perry on screen as Chandler Bing.

She explained that watching him is a way of “just celebrating how hilarious he was,” adding that he was “uniquely hilarious” and that “that is what I want to remember [about him].”

Kudrow wants to remember Matthew Perry as the funny guy he was on “Friends.” (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images)

“You’re just laughing all day long, basically, in between the scenes, because these are funny people,” Kudrow said. “And especially someone like Matthew, whose goal was: How many laughs can I get in real life every day? So we were always laughing so hard, tears were flying out of our faces.”

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When speaking with The Times, Kudrow spoke about the idea that the show maybe “captured a kind of innocence” that existed in the past that “a younger generation has never got to experience” without social media, smartphones or laptops.

Despite this, Kudrow assures fans things were not as innocent behind the scenes as they may have appeared to be.

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“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—ing read? She’s not even trying. She f—ed up my line,’” she said. “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.”

“Friends” ran on NBC for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. (Collection Christophel © Warner/Alamy)

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“Friends” ran on NBC for 10 seasons over 10 years, with the final episode airing in May 2004 and reportedly garnering over 52 million views.