Lisa Kudrow addressed one of Hollywood’s most jaw-dropping financial revelations during a recent interview. The Friends star seemingly confirmed the staggering amount she and her surviving co-stars still earn annually, more than two decades after the iconic sitcom aired its final episode.

Lisa Kudrow seemingly confirms Friends stars’ annual $20 million residuals

Lisa Kudrow seemingly confirmed that each surviving Friends cast member earns around $20 million annually in residuals. The actress addressed the staggering figure during an interview with The Times published on April 23. Kudrow quipped about the reason behind the enduring fees, saying, “Because Phoebe Buffay was so great?”

The 62-year-old offered a more sincere explanation rooted in her experience rewatching the show. Kudrow revisited the series after co-star Matthew Perry died in 2023 from the acute effects of ketamine. She told The Times, “After Matthew died I watched the show again. Before, I only saw what I did wrong or could have done better. But for the first time I truly appreciated just how great it was.”

Kudrow praised each of her co-stars individually during the interview with the British publication. She said, “I felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing. David and Matt? They had me laughing so hard. And then Matthew, he was just beyond us all.” The actress reserved her highest admiration for Perry’s comedic talent throughout the conversation.

The cast famously negotiated their salaries as a group throughout the show’s ten-season run. They started at $22,500 per episode and reached $1 million per episode by the final seasons. Kudrow reportedly took a lead role in those collective salary discussions with the network. The strategy made Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Courteney Cox the highest-paid television actresses at that time.

Kudrow also attributed the show’s lasting appeal to its pre-social media setting and genuine cast chemistry. She told The Times, “Friends captured a kind of innocence that maybe a younger generation has never got to experience.” She described Perry as a genius and added, “Whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again.”