Could Lisa Kudrow's amazement be any more profound? Despite the fact that it's been 22 years since the end of Friends, the actress and her fellow cast members, including Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc, are still reaping the benefits of their show's enduring popularity. According to The Times, they collectively rake in a staggering $20 million annually in residuals when the show is re-aired.
In an interview published on April 23rd, Lisa shared her thoughts on why the show has remained so popular. She quipped, "Is it because Phoebe Buffay was so great?" But in all seriousness, the 62-year-old actress has another theory. After Matthew Perry's untimely passing in 2023 due to the acute effects of ketamine, she rewatched Friends for the first time with a newfound appreciation for its greatness.
"Before, I only saw what I could have done better," she shared. "But this time around, I truly appreciated how amazing it was." She raved about her fellow cast members, stating that Jennifer and Courteney were "amazing," while David and Matt had her laughing so hard. And then there was Matthew - "he was just beyond us all."
Lisa also feels that the energy between the six characters was incredibly unique to its time. "Friends captured a kind of innocence that maybe a younger generation has never experienced," she explained. "It's still incredible work."
Despite some behind-the-scenes issues, the cast remained united and their salaries grew from $22,500 per episode during season one to $1 million per episode during seasons nine and ten. Of course, Lisa knows that none of this would have been possible without Matthew's signature humor.
"There was a genius at work," she said of his performance as Chandler Bing. "And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again." Ultimately, re-experiencing his genius on Friends was a comforting reminder for Lisa after his death.
"After Matthew passed away, there were marathons [on TV] and that was really comforting to watch the show," she shared on Capital FM in March. "Plus, it just makes me laugh and there he is."
"He was so funny, I mean, the funniest," she continued. "Sorry, everybody else, but just truly."
