Friends' Cast Might Be Getting as Much as $4 Million for Reunion

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published 8 February 2020

According to a new report, the cast of Friends (opens in new tab) could be set to earn $3-$4 million each for the rumored upcoming reunion special.
Deadline's co-editor-in-chief of TV coverage, Nellie Andreeva (opens in new tab), revealed that insiders have indicated that's the range the actors are looking at to appear in the hourlong special.
While still unconfirmed, rumors of a Friends reunion have been building steam for months. If it happens, the special will air on HBO Max, which launches in May.

The Friends (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)cast (opens in new tab) are poised to make BANK if their much-rumored reunion special comes through.

In case you couldn't BE anymore out of the loop, rumor has it that the cast of the iconic sitcom will reunite for an unscripted (read: as themselves, not as Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe) reunion special that would live on HBO Max (opens in new tab), which is set to launch this May.

Deadline's co-editor-in-chief of TV coverage, Nellie Andreeva, shared some insider details she's been hearing about the much-rumored reunion special in a new column, writing (opens in new tab):

"Following tough negotiations, I hear Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry have reached an agreement in principle with series’ producer Warner Bros. TV to do what I hear would be an hourlong special. No one would comment, but I hear each of the six stars will be paid in the $3 million-$4 million range for appearing in the special."

According to Andreeva, the total budget for the special is coming in at about $20 million and early negotiations between the Friends (opens in new tab)cast (opens in new tab) and Warner Bros. TV had come "to a standstill at the end of 2019" because the actors and studio were "far apart on money."

Regardless of if the reunion special comes together or not, the original nine season run of Friends will live, permanently, on HBO Max (opens in new tab) as of May 2020.

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.