{"id":466918,"date":"2026-05-03T21:02:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T21:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/466918\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T21:02:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T21:02:17","slug":"lisa-kudrow-still-earns-20m-a-year-in-residuals-from-friends-more-than-30-years-after-show-premiered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/466918\/","title":{"rendered":"Lisa Kudrow still earns $20M a year in residuals from &#8216;Friends&#8217; more than 30 years after show premiered"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/friends-star-lisa-kudrow-admits-shows-live-audience-irritated\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Lisa Kudrow;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Lisa Kudrow<\/a>&#8216;s breakout role in &#8220;Friends&#8221; is still bringing in the big bucks over 30 years after it first aired in 1994.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">During a recent interview with <a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/96c0ec0d-c83b-498a-9cda-3fa6d772ddf7\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:The Times in London;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">The Times in London<\/a>, the 62-year-old revealed she and the rest of the cast of &#8220;Friends&#8221; continue to earn $20 million a year in residuals from the show.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Because Phoebe Buffay was so great?&#8221; Kudrow jokingly guessed as to why the dollar amount is so high, referencing her character from the show.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Friends&#8221; first premiered in September 1994, and was an immediate breakout hit, and reportedly was ringing in 25 million viewers each week.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Lisa Kudrow at the launch of HBO Max in London in March 2026.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/d9fb4ea1eea6ad744402cb1c15fe7a58.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Kudrow shared that the cast of &#8220;Friends&#8221; still receives $20 million in residuals every year.<\/p>\n<p>(Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/friends-star-matthew-perry-death-one-year-later-what-know-about-investigation\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:&#039;Friends&#039; Star Matthew Perry&#039;s Death One Year Later: What To Know About The Investigation;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>&#8216;Friends&#8217; Star Matthew Perry&#8217;s Death One Year Later: What To Know About The Investigation<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Despite its popularity, Kudrow shared she had never actually watched the show, telling the outlet she wanted to watch it after her former co-star, <a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/matthew-perry\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Matthew Perry;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Matthew Perry<\/a>, died in October 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS\/mvaj7wvj\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Read On The Fox News App;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Read On The Fox News App<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Before, I only saw what I did wrong or could have done better,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;But for the first time I truly appreciated just how great it was. I felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing. David and Matt? They had me laughing so hard. And then Matthew \u2014 he was just beyond us all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Kudrow previously spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in June 2024 about what it&#8217;s like for her to watch Perry on screen as Chandler Bing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She explained that watching him is a way of &#8220;just celebrating how hilarious he was,&#8221; adding that he was &#8220;uniquely hilarious&#8221; and that &#8220;that is what I want to remember [about him].&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing standing with Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6847e91b29117d93a3f8ee0d6606cd87.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Kudrow wants to remember Matthew Perry as the funny guy he was on &#8220;Friends.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;You\u2019re just laughing all day long, basically, in between the scenes, because these are funny people,&#8221; Kudrow said. &#8220;And especially someone like Matthew, whose goal was: How many laughs can I get in real life every day? So we were always laughing so hard, tears were flying out of our faces.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Like What You\u2019re Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Like What You\u2019re Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When speaking with The Times, Kudrow spoke about the idea that the show maybe &#8220;<a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/friends-actress-slams-modern-sitcoms-being-too-afraid-tell-jokes-make-people-uncomfortable\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:captured a kind of innocence;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">captured a kind of innocence<\/a>&#8221; that existed in the past that &#8220;a younger generation has never got to experience&#8221; without social media, smartphones or laptops.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Despite this, Kudrow assures fans things were not as innocent behind the scenes as they may have appeared to be.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Don\u2019t forget we were recording in front of a live audience of 400, and if you messed up one of these writers\u2019 lines or it didn\u2019t get the perfect response they could be like, \u2018Can\u2019t the b&#8212;- f&#8212;ing read? She\u2019s not even trying. She f&#8212;ed up my line,\u2019&#8221; she said. &#8220;And we know that back in the room the guys would be up late discussing <a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/lisa-kudrow-exposes-dark-side-friends-set-troubling-writer-room-claims\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:their sexual fantasies about Jennifer;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">their sexual fantasies about Jennifer<\/a> and Courteney. It was intense.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow in red as Rachel and Phoebe on 'Friends' standing next to Courteney Cox as Monica in orange, all looking unamused\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7ea917e13cffacb635888a35ce0f724e.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Friends&#8221; ran on NBC for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Click Here To Download The Fox News App;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Click Here To Download The Fox News App<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Friends&#8221; ran on NBC for 10 seasons over 10 years, with the final episode airing in May 2004 and reportedly garnering over 52 million views.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Original article source: <a data-yga=\"{\" ylinkelement=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/lisa-kudrow-still-earns-20m-year-residuals-friends-30-years-show-premiered\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Lisa Kudrow still earns $20M a year in residuals from &#039;Friends&#039; more than 30 years after show premiered;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Lisa Kudrow still earns $20M a year in residuals from &#8216;Friends&#8217; more than 30 years after show premiered<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lisa Kudrow&#8216;s breakout role in &#8220;Friends&#8221; is still bringing in the big bucks over 30 years after it&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466919,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[265],"tags":[18,117,1330,19,17,57616,8075,205009,205008,128],"class_list":{"0":"post-466918","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-friends","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-lisa-kudrow","14":"tag-matthew-perry","15":"tag-phoebe-buffay","16":"tag-residuals","17":"tag-tv"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116512669618285391","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}