More than two decades after the finale of Friends, Lisa Kudrow has revealed that she and her co-stars continue to earn approximately $20 million annually in residuals. The actress, who portrayed the quirky Phoebe Buffay, shared this staggering figure during an interview with the Times of London, as reported by Page Six.
Revisiting the Show After a Loss
Kudrow, now 62, played Phoebe across all ten seasons from 1994 to 2004. She admitted that she recently rewatched the series following the death of Matthew Perry in 2023 at age 54, and it fundamentally altered her perspective on the show.
“After Matthew died, I watched the show again,” she said. “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.”
She added, “Because there was a genius at work. And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again.”
Praise for Castmates
Kudrow modestly acknowledged her own performance, saying she “felt (she) did OK” as Phoebe, but she was far more enthusiastic about her co-stars. She called Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox “amazing,” praised David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc for their comedic timing, and described Matthew Perry as “just beyond (them) all” in his role as Chandler Bing.
Behind-the-Scenes Tensions
Despite the show’s success, Kudrow noted that not everything was harmonious behind the cameras. While the six leads famously stuck together—negotiating their salaries from $22,500 per episode in Season 1 to $1 million by Seasons 9 and 10—they occasionally clashed with the writers.
She reflected on the “innocence” captured by Friends, which feels rare in today’s television landscape.
Thoughts on Modern Comedy
Beyond Friends, Kudrow is contemplating the direction of comedy today. In a recent conversation with Lily Tomlin for Interview Magazine, she questioned whether sitcoms are evolving or playing it safe. She pointed to shows like 30 Rock, Seinfeld, and Friends as examples of sharp, well-written comedy, adding that contemporary multi-camera sitcoms do not resonate with her in the same way.
“I think we need to get back to being able to tell jokes,” she said. “I feel like we’ve been too afraid to make jokes that might make people uncomfortable.”
Kudrow believes the best comedy is surprising. “The really good ones … they’re not tame jokes. They’re jokes that are kind of, ‘I can’t believe you just said that,’” she explained. “Comedy is about surprise. You need things you didn’t see coming.”
A New Way to Enjoy Friends
These days, Kudrow has found a fresh way to enjoy Friends without over-analyzing her own performance. “Now I’m comfortable watching Friends without punishing myself,” she said. “I’m trying to have that be my nighttime show, so I have a laugh or two before I go to sleep. There are still episodes I’ve never seen.”
