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Graphic charts actors' earnings from Friends, and points out other interesting facts about the show.
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ENTERTAINMENT

Een nostalgische terugblik op "Friends" nu nieuwe docu wordt uitgezonden

By Ninian Carter

May 26, 2021 - The cast of the immensely popular American sitcom Friends have come together for a documentary that’s sure to please nostalgic fans.

Friends, the smash hit nineties/noughties U.S. sitcom, is back in the public eye thanks to a new documentary featuring the original cast members reuniting for a one-off special – reportedly being paid $2.5 million each to do so.

The comedy series was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and aired on NBC in the U.S. from 1994 to 2004. It follows the hectic lives of six friends living in Manhattan, and became an instant hit with audiences thanks to a clever, witty script and a genuine chemistry between the six lead characters – Chandler Bing (played by Matthew Perry), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer, Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) and Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow).

The show is still hugely popular today, syndicating around the world on TV stations and streaming services, earning Warner Bros a whopping billion dollars a year – some 17 years after the show's season 10 finale.

Thanks to the stars' collective bargaining power, they each receive 2% of the show's continued revenue, meaning today they each take home an astonishing $20 million a year.

In fact, the six leads shared an unusual camaraderie, breaking with studio tradition from season three onwards and negotiating their salaries together. The final two seasons saw each player earn a cool $1 million per episode (a season comprises 24 episodes, except seasons three and six which have 25 episodes each, and season 10 which has 17 episodes). During the show's 10-year run, the stars earned about $90 million each.

Friends: The Reunion streams on HBO Max in the U.S., and other streaming outlets globally, from May 27, 2021.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 26/05/2021; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Getty Images
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