Friends cast earns about $20 million each year from syndication

The six principal actors of the sitcom *Friends* receive roughly $20 million annually from the series' ongoing syndication and streaming deals, which generate about $1 billion a year. Their collective contract, negotiated during the show's original run, secured salaries that rose to $1 million per episode and set a precedent for equal pay among television ensembles.

Former supporting actor James Michael Tyler, best known as Gunther, died in October 2021 after a three‑year battle with prostate cancer; he appeared via Zoom at the 2021 reunion to explain his absence. Actress Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice, has stepped back from television, with her most recent credit in 2024.