A zeitgeist of the '90s and pop culture juggernaut, Friends is one of the most successful television series of all time. Over 52 million people watched its finale, and in 2018 it was the most watched television show on Netflix. The sitcom launched the careers of its six stars: Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courtney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, and Matthew Perry.
All six received award nominations for their role on the show, and each went on to have successful movie and television careers after the beloved show ended. The sixsome even appeared on an HBO reunion special this year. Kudrow, Schwimmer, Cox, LeBlanc, Aniston, and Perry are all household names in the entertainment industry now, but who was the most famous before the show started?
6 Matthew Perry
Actor Matthew Perry was on a variety of television series before being cast as Chandler Bing in Friends. Finding roles in various television series and movies at the start of his career, Perry starred in the Fox series Second Chance, but the show was only on for a few months before being cancelled. The actor almost missed his chance to be on Friends as he was cast on another television show, L.A.X. 2194, a sitcom centered around the airport's baggage claim in year 2194. The show never made it to air, and after it was cancelled, Perry was available to join the Friends cast.
5 Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow played eccentric musician and massage therapist Phoebe Buffay, writer of iconic songs like "Smelly Cat," "Holiday Song," and "Little Black Curly Hair." Kudrow had lots of small roles before landing her starring role on Friends, including one episode of Cheers. Kudrow recently revealed that her life could have been much different had she not been fired from another hit sitcom - Frasier. Kudrow was hired to play Frasier's radio producer Roz, but was fired after just a few days of filming. Soon after she was called in to audition for the role of Phoebe. After Friends Kudrow has had roles in several television shows and movies, including P.S. I Love You and Easy A.
4 David Schwimmer
Like his Friends co-stars, David Schwimmer was building up his career by earning acting credits on the silver screen. He was in multiple episodes of the Wonder Years, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, and had one-episode stints on a couple other series, and small roles in some movies. He was so frustrated with his roles, though, he contemplated quitting television completely before landing his iconic role. Schwimmer ultimately rose to fame for playing Ross Geller, resident nerd and dinosaur lover. Post-Friends, Schwimmer's most popular venture was voicing Melman in the Madagascar series. Schwimmer can now be found on television show Intelligence.
3 Matt LeBlanc
Matt LeBlanc knows how it feels to be a struggling actor. Before landing the role of Joey Tribiani on the NBC show, LeBlanc was on a short-lived television series TV 101, as well as other tv shows and movies, but still hadn't made his big break. In fact, the actor revealed to Conan O'Brien he was down to just $11 in his bank account before being cast in Friends. Thanks to his work as Joey in both Friends and the eponymous spinoff Joey, as well as his starring role in two other comedy series, Episodes and Man With a Plan, LeBlanc's bank account definitely has more than $11 now.
2 Jennifer Aniston
While she's arguably the most famous Friend after Friends thanks to her prolific movie career, Jennifer Aniston was in the same position as her co-stars before being cast as Rachel Green in Friends. Aniston had roles in numerous movies and television shows, including several sitcoms that were cancelled. Like Perry, she was cast in another sitcom that she had to beg to be fired from in order to be cast in Friends. Aniston did have options, though, as she turned down the opportunity to be a cast member of Saturday Night Live. After Friends ended, Aniston went on to star in over a dozen movies including Marley & Me, We're the Millers, and Horrible Bosses. The Emmy-winning actress can now be found starring in Apple TV's hit The Morning Show as news anchor Alex Levy.
1 Courteney Cox
Of all the Friends stars, the most famous before its premier was none other than Courteney Cox, better known to some as Monica Geller. Thanks to her role in a Bruce Springsteen video ten years before friends premiered, "Dancing in the Dark," Cox was a recognizable figure in Hollywood before joining the Freinds cast. Cox had roles in a variety of other television series and movies before the sitcom aired, and is known for her role as Gale Weathers in the Scream movie series, three of which she filmed while Friends was still on air. Cox also starred on TBS sitcom Cougar Town, and had guest roles in a variety of other shows and movies since her time playing Monica.
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