Looking back, one of the things that arguably made "Friends" so successful was how perfect of a job the producers did with casting. We aren't just talking in terms of talent, but age, too. The series was about a group of friends in their late 20s and early 30s living, laughing, and loving in New York City, and the actors who were about that age, too. Often, real events that happened to the actors — like Lisa Kudrow's pregnancy [1] — were incorporated into the plot of the show.
Plus, the young cast ended up spending a lot of time together and forging deep relationships. Their bond was still deeply apparent during the 2021 "Friends" reunion [2]. Matthew Perry [3], who played Chandler and tragically passed away on 28 Oct. 2023, also talked about how he had a crush on all his women costars [4] during a previous interview with Diane Sawyer. He told Sawyer that he actually asked Jennifer Aniston [5] out before filming, but she said no. Still, he pined for her on set. "Well, how can you not have a crush on Jenny? And Courteney [Cox]? And Lisa [Kudrow]? So I made it kind of difficult to go to work because I had to pretend that I didn't have these crushes," he explained.
Ahead, we break down how old every "Friends" cast member was when the show premiered and some of the major life events they experienced during filming.
How Old Was Matthew Perry in "Friends"?
While he and Aniston were both 25 years old during the "Friends" pilot in 1994, Matthew Perry [7] — who was born on 19 Aug., 1969 — was six months younger than her, making him the youngest cast member. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series in 2002 for his portrayal of Chandler.
In his memoir, Perry opened up about his battle with addiction and journey with recovery [8]. Perry wrote that he attended rehab 15 times. In the book, he said his addiction issues began when he joined "Friends."
Additionally, Perry starred in "The Whole Nine Yards" in 2000 and its sequel, "The Whole Ten Yards", four years later. He had a small reoccurring role in season five of "West Wing" in 2003. He starred in CBS's "The Odd Couple" from 2015 to 2017.
On 28 Oct. 2023, reports from the LA Times [9] announced that Perry had tragically died from an apparent drowning in his Californian home.
How Old Was Jennifer Aniston in "Friends"?
Jennifer Aniston [10] — who was born on 11 Feb., 1969 — was 25 years old when the "Friends" pilot aired in 1994. Her role as Rachel Green pushed her career to new heights, and she quickly started making appearances in films as well. During her decade on the show, Aniston starred in movies like "She's the One" (1996), "Picture Perfect" (1997), "The Object of My Affection" (1998), and "Along Came Polly" (2004). For her portrayal of Rachel, Aniston won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 2002 and a Golden Globe for best lead actress in a musical or comedy television series in 2003. The actor has primarily worked in film since the show ended, though she returned to TV in 2019 with "The Morning Show."
How Old Was Matt LeBlanc in "Friends"?
Matt LeBlanc — who was born on 25 July, 1967 — was 27 years old when he made his debut as Joey Tribbiani on "Friends" in 1994. In 2003, he married model Melissa McKnight, and one year later — right before the final season of "Friends" — they welcomed a baby girl [11], Marina Pearl LeBlanc. The couple divorced in 2006. During his time on "Friends", LeBlanc was nominated for a handful of awards for his portrayal of Joey, including a SAG Award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series in 2002 and a Golden Globe the following year for best lead actor in a musical or comedy television series. He was nominated for an Emmy three times. He's been Emmy nominated four more times since for his work on "Episodes", which aired for five seasons.
How Old Was Courteney Cox in "Friends"?
Courteney Cox [12], who portrayed Monica Geller, was 30 years old when "Friends" began in 1994, born on 15 June, 1964. She kept herself very busy when she wasn't filming the sitcom. She married David Arquette [13] in 1999, though they divorced in 2013, and during the last season of "Friends", she was pregnant with their daughter, Coco Arquette [14]. Another fun fact we love? Aniston is Coco's godmother.
From 1996 to 2000, Cox shot three Scream movies [15] and had her hand in several other projects. She returned to the horror franchise for 2011's "Scream 4", 2022's "Scream", and 2023's "Scream VI". She also starred in the sitcom "Cougar Town" for six seasons.
How Old Was David Schwimmer in "Friends"?
David Schwimmer — who was born on 2 Nov., 1966 — was 28 years old when the first episode of "Friends" aired in 1994, making him only a little older than his character, Ross Geller, who was on the cusp of 27. Schwimmer starred in the rom-com "The Pallbearer" alongside Gwyneth Paltrow [16] in 1996 and in "Six Days Seven Nights" in 1998. He also appeared in the miniseries "Band of Brothers" in 2001. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 1995 for his portrayal of Ross. Schwimmer's biggest role since "Friends" wrapped up was in 2016's "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story", in which he portrayed Robert Kardashian.
How Old Was Lisa Kudrow in "Friends"?
Lisa Kudrow — who was born on 30 July, 1963 — was 31 years old when she made her debut as Phoebe Buffay in "Friends" in 1994, which makes her the eldest of her castmates. Soon after the first season aired, Kudrow married her husband, Michel Stern. When Kudrow announced she and Stern were expecting, the producers wrote her pregnancy into the script for season four.
"The six of us would do a huddle backstage and just say, 'All right, have a good show, love you love you love you love you.' And when I was pregnant, then they would say, 'Have a great show, love you love you — love you, little Julian!' 'Cause we knew it was a boy and that was his name. So sweet, they included my little fetus in the huddle," she told People [17] in 2018. For her portrayal of Phoebe, Kudrow won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series in 1998 and a SAG Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series in 2000. She also starred in the classic film "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" (1997) while "Friends" was airing.