Friends reunion: What the stars have been up to
The long-awaited special arrives this week
The final episode of Friends aired 17 years ago but the show is perhaps more popular now than ever.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the reunion special which will bring stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer back together on the beloved comedy’s famous set.
Here is what the Friends have been up to since 2004:
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston played Rachel Green for 10 years on Friends
After 10 years of playing shopaholic Rachel Green on Friends, Aniston focused on her film career, enjoying box office success across drama and comedy.
Notable roles included 2006 romcom The Break-Up alongside Vince Vaughan and 2008 tearjerker Marley & Me, also starring Owen Wilson.
She made her return to TV in 2019, starring alongside Reese Witherspoon – who played her sister in Friends – in Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show.
It has been a hit with critics and won Aniston, 52, a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Meanwhile, Aniston’s personal life has continued to attract intense interest.
News of her separation from former husband Brad Pitt in 2005 sparked a media frenzy.
Aniston married the actor Justin Theroux in 2015, but they split on good terms two years later.
Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox played Monica Geller on Friends and will be returning for a special
After middling success in the years following Friends, including roles in films Zoom and The Longest Yard, Cox scored a hit with the TV comedy Cougar Town, which first aired in 2009.
She played a recently divorced mother in her 40s, looking for new experiences following the collapse of her marriage.
It ran for six seasons until 2015.
Cox will reprise the role of Gale Weathers in the fifth Scream movie, which is set for release next year.
The 56-year-old, who was married to her Scream co-star David Arquette for 14 years, has been in a relationship with Snow Patrol band member Johnny McDaid since 2013.
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow played Phoebe Buffay on Friends
Kudrow played the lovable eccentric Phoebe Buffay on Friends. Her first major role following the show was in HBO series The Comeback, which premiered in June 2005.
Kudrow was never far from TV screens following Friends, with roles of varying weight in shows including Cougar Town, BoJack Horseman, Angie Tribeca, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Scandal.
Kudrow’s post-Friends film roles have included Bandslam (2008), Easy A (2010), The Girl On The Train (2016), Long Shot (2019) and Booksmart (2019).
The 57-year-old has been married to French advertising executive Michael Stern since 1995.
David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer will join his Friends co-stars for an unscripted special on HBO Max
Following the Friends finale, Schwimmer starred in the independent drama film Duane Hopwood as an alcoholic dealing with the collapse of his marriage.
His directorial debut came in 2007 with British comedy Run Fatboy Run, starring Simon Pegg.
Schwimmer, 54, earned acclaim for his portrayal of OJ Simpson lawyer Robert Kardashian in the anthology series American Crime Story.
The former Friends star received an Emmy nomination for the role.
Schwimmer has a daughter with British artist Zoe Buckman.
Matthew Perry
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Perry, 51, is known to millions of fans as Chandler Bing.
Since leaving Friends, his film roles include 2009’s 17 Again alongside Zac Efron.
Perry was the co-creator, writer and star of short-lived sitcom Mr Sunshine, which premiered in 2011. The following year he appeared as a sportscaster in NBC comedy Go On.
Perry has had a public battle with substance abuse. In 2013, he received an award from the White House for opening Perry House, a sober living facility at his former mansion in Malibu, California.
Perry will appear in star-studded black comedy Don’t Look Up alongside an ensemble cast including Leonardo DiCaprio when it arrives on Netflix later this year.
He got engaged to Molly Hurwitz, a literary manager, in November 2020.
Matt LeBlanc
Former Top Gear host Matt LeBlanc will rejoin his Friends co-stars for a reunion special
LeBlanc’s character, the womanising but lovable daytime soap actor Joey Tribiani, had his own spin-off in the months following Friends’ ending.
Joey ran for two seasons but was cancelled due to poor ratings.
Following a five-year break, LeBlanc played himself – though a slightly embellished version – in comedy series Episodes, winning a Golden Globe for the performance.
LeBlanc, 53, a passionate petrolhead, had a three-year stint co-hosting Top Gear during the show’s post-Jeremy Clarkson years.
He announced his decision to step down in 2018.
Friends reunion will be coming to Sky One and NOW in the UK from Thursday, 27th May, airing at 8pm
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