Much like the rest of the sitcom world in the 1990s, Friends also had its fair share of cast changes. The show revolves around six friends who live in New York City, and there’s no shortage of plotlines about them being broke and struggling to find love. There are also plenty of subplots about forgetting your car on a hill with no parking brakes and nearly crashing into someone’s living room…or forgetting to pay your bill and having your electricity shut off.
With all those twists and turns, it’s amazing that it only took until season seven for one major character to be written out of the show completely, as actor Matthew Perry left after season five. Several other original cast members left Friends at different points during its ten-season run, but we’ll take a look at who among the six main cast members of Friends is the oldest.
6. Jennifer Aniston (February 11, 1969 – present)
Age: 53
Role: Rachel Green-Geller
Years Active in the Industry: 1987 – present
Net Worth: $320 million
photo source: Vanity Fair
Jennifer Aniston is best known for her role as Rachel Green in the popular sitcom Friends. She played the role for all 10 seasons of the show, and her performance earned her an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. After Friends ended in 2004, Aniston starred in a number of successful movies, including The Break-Up, Rumor Has It, and We’re the Millers. She has also starred in several less successful films, but her career has generally remained strong since her time on Friends.
Did You Know?
Jennifer Aniston is an American actress, film producer, and businesswoman. She is also one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood, and is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world.
5. Matthew Perry (August 19, 1969 – present)
Age: 53
Role: Chandler Bing
Years Active in the Industry: 1979 – present
Net Worth: $120 million
photo source: Wikimedia
Matthew Perry is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends. Perry also starred in a number of other television shows and movies throughout his career, including The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and Fools Rush In.
Perry was born in New York City to Canadian parents and grew up in Ottawa, Canada. He has three sisters: Suzanne, Jane, and Alexandra. Perry has been open about his struggles with addiction and mental health issues and has been sober since 1997.
In addition to his work in television and film, Perry is also a talented writer and producer. He has written several episodes of Friends and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and he produced and starred in the 2010 film The Ron Clark Story.
Did You Know?
Perry is an avid tennis player and has competed in several celebrity tennis tournaments. He is also a supporter of various charities, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and literacy organizations.
4. David Schwimmer (November 2, 1966 – present)
Age: 55
Role: Ross Geller
Years Active in the Industry: 1982 – present
Net Worth: $130 million
photo source: Encyclopedia Britannica
David Schwimmer is an American actor, director, and producer. He is best known for his role as Ross Geller in the NBC sitcom Friends, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1995. Other notable roles include Ross in the British comedy series Extras and Robert Kardashian in the American crime drama series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
Born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, Schwimmer began his acting career performing in school plays. He later appeared in television commercials and guest-starred in several television series, including The Wonder Years and LA Law. After graduating from college, he made his film debut in Steven Soderbergh’s independent film Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989). His next starring role was in the 1990 film A Dangerous Woman.
Did You Know?
In 2006, he returned to television with the lead role in the American crime drama series The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, in which he played Robert Kardashian, one of OJ Simpson’s defense lawyers.
3. Matt LeBlanc (July 25, 1967 – present)
Age: 55
Role: Joey Tribbiani
Years Active in the Industry: 1987 – present
Net Worth: $85 million
photo source: Wikipedia
Matt LeBlanc is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He played the role of Joey Tribbiani on Friends. He also played a fictionalized version of himself on the CBS sitcom Episodes from 2011 to 2017, and has appeared in several films and television series since his career began in 1987.
LeBlanc was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and grew up in a French-Canadian family. He began his acting career with a guest appearance on the television series TV 101 in 1988. He then appeared in several commercials and music videos before landing his breakout role in Friends in 1994. He has since appeared in a number of films and television series, including Lost in Space (1998), Charlie’s Angels (2000), and Episodes.
Did You Know?
LeBlanc has won several awards for his work on Friends and Episodes, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series—Musical or Comedy—and two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
2. Courteney Cox (June 15, 1964 – present)
Age: 58
Role: Monica Geller
Years Active in the Industry: 1983 – present
Net Worth: $150 million
photo source: Page Six
Courteney Cox is an American actress, producer, and director. She is best known for her role as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, for which she earned an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She also starred in the FX drama series Dirt and the ABC comedy-drama series Cougar Town.
Additionally, she is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, she has directed two episodes of Friends, and she has also produced several films and television series.
Did You Know?
Courteney was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and she has a twin sister named Jennifer.
1. Lisa Kudrow (July 30, 1963 – present)
Age: 59
Role: Phoebe Buffay
Years Active in the Industry: 1983 – present
Net Worth: $130 million
photo source: Wikipedia
Among the main cast of Friends, Lisa Kudrow is considered the oldest. Lisa is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She gained worldwide recognition for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends, for which she received many accolades, including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Kudrow has appeared in a number of films and television shows. In addition to her role on Friends, she has starred in such films as The Opposite of Sex (1998), Wonderland (1999), Dr. T & the Women (2000), Marci X (2003), P.S. I Love You (2007), and Hotel for Dogs (2009).
Did You Know?
She is also fluent in French and was once a member of The Groundlings, an improv group in Los Angeles.
