In the words of Janice: ‘Oh.My. God.’ Last week, prayers around the world were answered as a long-discussed Friends reunion was confirmed. More than 15 years after Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe handed in their keys and headed off to one final coffee at Central Perk, TV’s most successful friends are officially returning to the small screen.
With a working title of The One Where They Got Back Together, this reunion special is set to air in May, and will bring the cast – and the show’s creators – back for a trip down memory lane. And, interestingly – since she is the one who is least in need of the reunion – it seems we have Jennifer Aniston to thank.
‘Jen has been instrumental in getting the other five stars to sign up for the reunion special, which was certainly no easy feat,’ a source tells Grazia. ‘After years of rejecting the idea of a reboot, Jen – championed by Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow– spearheaded talks last year to get everyone together and discuss honouring the show in some way.’
Via dinners at her home, along with WhatsApps and calls, she has been encouraging everyone to participate on an ‘all of us or none of us’ basis. ‘There is such fervent excitement from fans that some of them found the idea of announcing any kind of reunion very daunting,’ the source adds. Indeed, Matthew Perry in particular has been frank about his struggles with fame, and his experience of addiction while filming the show. ‘I honestly recoil,’ he once said of watching old episodes, filmed in the midst of his problems. ‘It’s scary to look at that. I was a sick guy.’
Nevertheless, they have resolved to go on the journey as a team. ‘Jen put everyone at ease, reminding them all that the ball was always in their court and that, together, they could make sure they handled any kind of reunion with the respect it deserved,’ an insider explains, ‘without compromising their own integrity and concerns.’
On paper, getting the cast together for a special may seem like a dead cert.But all six have spent the past decade trying to prove to the world that they are so much more than one character in one show. All have taken big roles in TV, film and theatre, and feared taking a step back. But Jennifer was, Grazia understands, buoyed by recent successes. Her award-winning turn in Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, and a role in Murder Mystery – Netflix’s most-watched original film ever – provided all the proof she needed that the world sees her as more than an iconic haircut.
‘Turning 50 last year and looking back on her life and career, she has felt an immense sense of pride,’ a source says. ‘She knew then that the time was right to honour the show and all come back together. Warner Bros has led official conversations but, if it wasn’t for Jen’s pursuit of bringing the boys back into the conversation, it certainly wouldn’t have come together as seamlessly as it has.’
The most recent reunion may have been a rare sighting of all six actors together at one time, but they have all stayed close, particularlyJennifer and Courteney. They are all always on-call for support, appearing at premieres together or uniting for reunion skits on chat shows, whenever a favour was needed. They’ve even reunited on-screen. Jennifer, Lisa and Matthew all appeared in Courteney’s show Cougar Town. Courteney returned the favour for Matthew’s series Go On. And David Schwimmer reunited with Lisa for her acclaimed comedy Web Therapy.
No one has yet confirmed how much the cast will be paid, but one thing is for sure: everyone will be on the same salary. This echoes past negotiations when, during discussions over season three, the group vowed to unite and demand equal pay. This new special is scheduled to align with HBO Max’s acquisition of all episodes of Friends, a lucrative signing even now: while Netflix – which currently streams the programme in the UK – only releases their viewing figures sparingly, Friends is rumoured to be one of its most-watched programmes, even among audiences who were not born when it first aired.
The One Where They Got Back Together may just be one episode, but the world can’t wait to see the gang back together. Is it wishful thinking to hope that one evening of reminiscing on the famous orange couch could spawn something more lasting? Maybe, after all this time, they might have just been on a break after all.
READ MORE: The Friends Reunion Is Really Finally Happening: Here's What We Know
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Take a look below at the Friends cast then and now...
Friends Cast: Then and Now
1 of 22Then
James Michael Taylor as Gunther, the barista holding a torch for Jennifer Aniston's Rachel Green. Taylor was the show's most frequent guest star, appearing in 148 out of 236 Friends' episodes.
2 of 22Now
James - aka Gunther - made a super short appearance in the Friends reunion - without his trademark blonde hair!
3 of 22Then
Cole Sprouse, as Ross and Carol Willick's son, Ben.
4 of 22Now
Since starring on Friends, Sprouse acted alongside his twin brother, Dylan, on Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and its spinoff The Suite Life on Deck. Most recently, Sprouse has starred as Jughead Jones on teen drama Riverdale.
5 of 22Then
Twins Noelle and Cali Sheldon played Ross and Rachel's daughter, Emma.
6 of 22Now
According to IMBD, both twins have appeared in shorts over the years, but their biggest role to date was in horror film Us last year.
7 of 22Then
Giovanni Ribisi as Phoebe's half-brother, Frank Buffay, Jr.
8 of 22Now
Ribisi is best known for starring in TV series Sneaky Pete. He has also appeared in the films Saving Private Ryan, Avatar, A Million Ways to Die in the West and Ted.
9 of 22Then
Maggie Wheeler played Janice, a recurring character who was Chandler's long-time on-off girlfriend.
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10 of 22Now
Wheeler is best known for her role as Janice, but has since starred in Everybody Loves Raymond. She also made an appearance in the Friends reunion, looking almost exactly the same!
11 of 22Then
Little-known actress Jennifer Aniston played Rachel Green.
12 of 22Now
One of Grazia's favourite people, Aniston has gone on to have a very successful acting career, starring in films like Just Go With It, Rumor Has It, and The Break-Up. Most recently, Aniston starred in brand new AppleTV show The Morning Show alongside long-time friend and former on-screen sister, Reese Witherspoon, for which she won a SAG Award.
13 of 22Then
David Schwimmer as Ross Geller.
14 of 22Now
In 2016, Schwimmer appeared in the American Crime Story series about the assassination of Gianni Versace. In early 2019, he had to prove his innocence to Blackpool Police after a lookalike thief was caught on CCTV and he made an appearance at this year's National Television Awards.
15 of 22Then
Courteney Cox as Monica Geller.
16 of 22Now
Since starring in Friends, Cox has had a successful acting career, earning a Golden Globes nomination for her role as Jules Cobb in Cougar Town. She is also still very close friends with Jennifer Aniston.
17 of 22Then
Actor Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing.
18 of 22Now
Perry is best known for his role as Chandler, but he has since appeared in 17 Again alongsideZac Efron.
19 of 22Then
Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani.
20 of 22Now
After Friends ended, LeBlanc starred in his own spin-off show, Joey, which ran for two seasons. LeBlanc received three Emmy's nominations for his role as Joey on Friends.
21 of 22Then
Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay.
22 of 22Now
Kudrow is best known for her role as Phoebe on Friends and received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her work. She also gained plaudits through Web Therapy and The Comeback. She is also still close friends with former co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox.