Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green)

The Previously Unknown Jennifer Aniston Was the Breakaway Star from the Breakaway Hit That Was Friends — and the Only One to Earn an Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for Her Performance on the Show. Thanks to Her Success as Half of the Series' Perennial Romantic Couple, Ross and Rachel, She Propelled from Films Like 1993'S Oddball Horror Flick Leprechaun to Rom-Coms Tailor-Made for Her, Like Picture Perfect (1997) and Along Came Polly (2004). to Aniston's Credit, She Always Made Sure to Try to Stretch Herself in Indie Films as Well, Turning in Solid Performances in Movies Like She's the One (1996), the Good Girl (2002), and Cake (2014), the Latter of Which Earned Her a Golden Globes Nomination.

David Schwimmer (Ross Geller)

David Schwimmer Was Always the Most Serious Friend, and His Post-Ross Career Has Carried That Torch. Before He Even Landed His Gig on Friends, He Founded the Lookingglass Theater in Chicago in 1988 with Some Fellow Northwestern Grads. and While He Also Starred in His Share of Painful 1990S Rom-Coms (The Pallbearer, Kissing a Fool), He Later Focused More on Prestige Projects, Like Hbo's Band of Brothers and Portraying Robert Kardashian on Fx's the People V. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Which Earned Him an Emmy Nomination to Match His Previous One from Friends. He Also Had a Voiceover Stint in the Madagascar Franchise as a Very Nervous Giraffe Named Melman.

Courteney Cox (Monica Geller)

Courteney Cox Was the Friend with the Greatest Name Recognition at the Start of the Series. She'd Already Made Quite a Splash as Michael J. Fox's Girlfriend on Nbc's Family Ties in the Late '80S, as Well as the Girl Bruce Springsteen Dances with in 1984'S "Dancing in the Dark" Video.

Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing)

Before the Friends Reunion, Matthew Perry Hadn't Been Seen on Tv Since 2017 When He Played Ted Kennedy in the Reelz Miniseries the Kennedys After Camelot. Then His Memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Came out in November 2022. and It Made Headlines Every Day. While the Book Has Been Praised for Its Honest Depiction of Addiction, Some Feel It Takes Unnecessary Mean-Spirited Jabs at Some Fellow Celebs. (Keanu Reeves Deserves No One's Scorn, Okay?) of Course, He Wouldn't Have Had All Those Stories to Write About (Or His 2002 Best Actor in a Comedy Emmy Nomination) Were It Not for His Role as the Witty and Sarcastic Chandler Bing on Friends.

Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay)

Lisa Kudrow's Savvy Post-Friends Career Shows That She's Far from the Flighty Character She Portrayed on the Show. While the Actress Had Her Fair Share of Forgettable Supporting Roles (Like in 1999'S Analyze This and 2002'S Analyze That), She Starred in the Iconic '90S Comedy Romy and Michele's High School Reunion and Dove into the Indie World with 1998'S the Opposite of Sex, Directed by Her Frequent Collaborator Don Roos.

Matt Leblanc (Joey Tribbiani)

Matt Leblanc Took a Well-Deserved Break Following His Brief Post-Friends Spin-Off, Joey. (Thanks to the Cast's Highly Publicized Salaries of $1 Million an Episode by the Show's Final Seasons, Which Is Even Steep by Hollywood Standards.) He Also Spent Time with His Daughter with Ex-Wife Melissa Mcknight, Marina Pearl — Who Was Dealing with a Brain Condition She Has Thankfully Recovered from — and Is Still Close to His Stepkids, Tyler and Jacquelyn.

James Michael Tyler (Gunther)

We Would Be Remiss If We Didn't Mention James Michael Tyler, the Unofficial Seventh Friend. in His Role as Gunther — Rachel's Longtime Admirer and One-Time Boss at Central Perk — Tyler Appeared in More Than Half of the Show's 236 Episodes. He Apparently Got the Role Because He Had Previously Worked at a Coffee Shop as a Barista and Was the Only Extra Who Knew How to Work the Cappuccino Machine. Tyler Made a Virtual Appearance at the Friends Reunion but Sadly Died from Prostate Cancer in October 2021 at the Age of 59.

The Cast of Friends: Where Are They Now?

By Alexander Ross

• Oct 8, 2026 • 11 min read

The Cast of Friends: Where Are They Now?

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

It's a "Problem" Any Struggling Actor Would Kill for: You Star in an Iconic Hit Tv Series for a Full Decade — Impacting Hairstyles, Fashion, and Catchphrases ("We Were on a Break!") — While the Syndication Rights Ensure You'll Be Beloved for Generations to Come. but What Do You Do for a Second Act?

Alexander Ross

Gaming, Esports & Interactive Media Writer

Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.

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