We’ve all seen it, and we all know we loved it; Friends, the epitome of addicting 90’s sitcoms. Friends aired from 1994 to 2004 for ten amazing seasons, and by this point, I’ve definitely seen every episode at least five or six times. There were those of us that loved quirky Phoebe the most or awkwardly hilarious Chandler. We even somehow loved Ross, despite how annoying he was almost all the time.
However, all of the main cast of Friends went in very different directions after the show ended, and arguably had varying degrees of success in their acting careers until this point. Here’s a look at what each of the Friends cast members has been up to since our favorite show ended.
1. Jennifer Aniston:
It’s not very hard to argue that Jennifer Aniston has had the most success since Friends ended out of her castmates. She is a household name and a major blockbuster sensation. Some of her most popular movies to date include: Just Go With It, Horrible Bosses, We’re the Millers, He’s Just Not That Into You, and Marley & Me. She’s also appeared in episodes of 30 Rock, South Park, and Courteney Cox’s show Cougar Town, among many other television shows. Aniston has had amazing and well-deserved success and has definitely been the highest profile star out of the Friends cast in recent years.
2. David Schwimmer:
Oh, Ross Geller. Most of the time we didn’t know if we should love him or hate him, but overall he was actually my favorite character on Friends. A very unpopular opinion, I know. Schwimmer has appeared in a few big movies since his time on Friends, including all of the Madagascar movies. He’s also taken some time to try out directing, with productions such as Run, Fatboy, Run, Little Britain USA, and two episodes of Matt LeBlanc’s show Joey. Schwimmer has recently returned to the limelight with his recent role as Robert Kardashian in the O.J. Simpson TV series, American Crime Story.
3. Matthew Perry:
As the wise and articulate Janice would put it: Oh my God, Chandler Bing. Matthew Perry has been arguably the second most successful ‘Friend,’ behind Jennifer Aniston, of course. He has starred in huge movies such as 17 Again, which, to be honest, is one of the best movies of the 2000’s. In terms of television shows, Perry starred in The Odd Couple as well as The Good Fight. Perry has also appeared in episodes of Scrubs and Cougar Town. He most recently portrayed Ted Kennedy on the television mini-series, The Kennedys: Decline and Fall.
4. Lisa Kudrow:
Lisa Kudrow has done incredibly well for herself since Friends ended, starring in many major motion pictures along the way. Some of her biggest movies have been P.S. I Love You, Bandslam, Easy A, Neighbors, The Girl on the Train, and Boss Baby. She has also been featured on many television shows, such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, BoJack Horseman, and Scandal. Kudrow received a lot of critical praise for one of her more recent creative shows titled The Comeback.
5. Matt LeBlanc:
Right after Friends ended, Matt LeBlanc starred in a Friends spin-off show titled Joey. Although LeBlanc received a Golden Globe nomination for his work on the show, it never really took off and only lasted for two seasons. The actor has recently received praise for his work on Episodes, a TV series where he plays himself and is humorous at his own expense. He has also starred in episodes of Man with a Plan and Lisa Kudrow’s show, Web Therapy. He is now starting a new role as co-presenter, a gig which has brought his name back into the press recently.
6. Courteney Cox:
Courteney Cox was notably cheated out of an Emmy nomination for her role as Monica Geller, making her the only ‘Friend’ who did not receive a nomination for their role on the show. Fortunately, she would later receive a nomination for her work starring in her hit show Cougar Town, which enjoyed consistently popular ratings. She also appeared in episodes of Web Therapy, Scrubs, Private Practice, and had a starring role in the TV series Dirt. Cox has also appeared in a few blockbusters, such as Scream 4, Bedtime Stories, and The Longest Yard.
Friends will forever be one of my favorite television shows of all time, and it’s really nice to see all of the actors who made Friends possible enjoying such great success in their careers since the show sadly ended. All we can do now is enjoy what these actors will do in the future, and hope that by some miracle we get a Friends reunion movie soon. Here’s to hoping!
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