'Friends: The Reunion': How much will main cast get paid? Getting the pals back together hasn't been cheap
It has been a long-held dream of ardent 'Friends' enthusiasts. The reunion episode of possibly the most popular sitcom of the era is going to air exactly eight days from now, on May 27, 2021, on Warner Media's upcoming streaming service, HBO Max. While the reunion is not exactly an extended episode about the lives of six friends from New York, it will have the original cast members visiting the old sets, reminiscing some iconic behind-the-scenes moments.
Apart from the OG cast members, the reunion will feature guest stars like David Beckham, Justin Beiber, BTS - the South Korean idol group, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevigne, Lady Gaga, Elliot Gould, Larry Hankin, Kit Harrington, Mindy Kalling, Thomas Lenon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon, amongst others.
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How much will cast be paid?
'Friends' alums -- Jennifer Anniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Mathew Perry, and David Schwimmer -- were amongst the highest-paid TV actors in the '90s, during the filming of 'Friends'. The last episode of 'Friends' was aired on May 4, 2021. The actors are now coming together in May 2021, 17 years later, for an unscripted reunion special. Fans are obviously elated. According to Deadline, each OG cast member is making around $4 million from the reunion special episode. Originally, the actors were offered $1 million which they all turned down. Reportedly, they were paid $1 million for the final two episodes back in 2004.
Reunion has notable absences
Paul Rudd played Phoebe's husband, Mike on the show. Although he was originally cast for a few guest appearances, he was such a fan favorite that his marriage with Phoebe was written into the show. But to the utter disappointment of many 'Friends' enthusiasts, Rudd didn't make it to the guest list of celebrities set to appear on the reunion special. Twitter even had fans rage tweeting over Paul Rudd's absence from the reunion special episode. But Paul Rudd isn't the only one missing. So is Cole Sprouse, the actor who played Ross Geller's son, Ben. Fans were also bummed about Christina Applegate, who played Rachel Green's sister Amy on the original show, not making the cut for the special. Especially since Reese Witherspoon, who played Rachel's other sister Jill, will be making a cameo appearance for the reunion.
The reunion special episode is directed by Ben Winston and is produced by Kevin S Bright, Marta Kauffman, David Crane, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, and Ben Winston.
Catch the reunion episode of 'Friends' streaming on May 27 on HBO Max.