There’s been speculation, hope and multiple denials ever since Friends stopped airing in 2004 but the news we've all wanted for years is finally confirmed: the cast are reuniting!
According to the Hollywood Reporter, HBO confirmed that Rachel, Joey, Ross, Chandler, Monica and Phoebe will be back for a one-off special premiering in May on their streaming platform HBO Max. It’s been announced the filming will take place on the now-iconic Warner Brothers lot where the sitcom filmed its entire 10-year run. And yes; they’ve still got the old set!
The news of the re-union trended for hours on Twitter after Matthew Perry took to Instagram with a throwback pic of the gang and two internet-breaking words: “It’s happening.”
His co-stars Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox then all reposted the same image with Matt LeBlanc cheekily posting a photo of the cast of M_A_S*H, an American war-comedy from the 70s and 80s, instead.
The announcement caused a frenzy of excitement on social media with celebrities unleashing their inner fans to react to the news. Reese Witherspoon who co-stars with Jennifer Aniston in The Morning Show, responded “This is EPIC. WHAT???!!! This is the greatest news Ever!!! Beyond excited.’
Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski commented “NOTHING ELSE MATTERS” and Kris Jenner expressed her initial confusion at the cryptic post with “Whoa…wait WHAT is happening??!?!?!”
Despite being off the air for more than 15 years, Friends’ popularity orstatus in pop culture has never really waned thanks to repeats on TV and the episodes being streamed on platforms like Netflix which has helped the show gain a whole new generation of fans. In fact, Friends was the most streamed show in 2018 in the UK. There was an uproar when it was announced that Netflix would stop streaming the show as its back catalogue moved to HBO Max.
The details on this one-off are still scant at the moment but we do know it will be unscripted and the show’s creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane are on board. Will there be an updated version of the iconic opening credits?? And what about guest stars? Thankfully we only have to wait until May for all to be revealed.
READ MORE: Wait, Friends Stars Are Reportedly Still Earning £16.1Million A Year From Repeats
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.