'Friends' star cast still remains 'highest-paid' performers in TV history

The star cast of the most popular TV show Friends has been the highest-paid actors of all time, and they still remain to be known as the ones.

Nobody has been able to break their record so far. The cast, including Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc, emerged as superstars in 1994 and are still ruling hearts in 2023 with their famous TV series Friends.

When the first season aired, the salary of each actor per episode was $22,500. In season 2, the pay increased to $40,000. But after that, some complications emerged when the increase in salaries was not extended to all six actors.

Therefore, in season 5, Warner Bros. increased the pay scale by $15,000 per episode. The cast witnessed a rise in their salaries with each season, and by seasons 9 and 10, the three lead actresses had become the highest-paid performers on TV. 

They signed a contract worth $1 million per episode for the last two seasons.

Even today, Warner Bros. collects an estimated $1 billion each year from the TV show Friends through licensing and merchandising. Out of that total collection, each cast member is paid 2% every year, reports Inquisiter.

Many years have passed since the last episode of the finale season aired, yet these actors are being paid for the spectacular jobs they have done in their particular roles.

Friends, even after so many years, is still binge-watched by fans all across the world with the same level of excitement and happiness.