While we all know Friends is now considered an old show, it is still difficult to believe the sitcom premiered 24 years ago. It has aged beautifully over the years and holds up to this day. It doesn’t matter how technologically advanced we might get, as the idea of having a social circle and the bond of friendship lasts longer than any contemporary practices. There’s also the fact that the Friends stars are still very much popular two decades later. The show itself only gains further fans as time goes by and with each generation, the cries for a reunion film or series get louder.
Those actors who appeared on the show in supporting or guest capacities have enjoyed the rub from their appearances too. Some of them have gone on to become big names themselves while those who haven’t still have a treasured place in the hearts of Friends fans. Even though it might not seem as if a long time has passed since the show has ended, the reality is that it actually has been quite a while. Thus, it is inevitable that changes will be present in the facial features of these stars. Or is it? Because you will be surprised by finding out how many of these actors have retained their physical youth. It would appear as if the sands of time have been very kind of these people. For others, the natural progression of age has caught up.
Regardless, we will forever remember these people as youthful as their Friends days.
20 Getting Out Of The Friendzone
No matter how many credits David Schwimmer racks up in his career, he will always be known as Ross - The Divorce Force. Having popularized the dreaded friendzone that we all know all too well in this day and age, Ross was the hero for all those men who desperately wanted to win the affection of the girl they had loved for years. Ross had been in love with Rachel for 9 years before he won her heart, although this was marred for several more years after the infamous “We were on a break!” situation.
David Schwimmer was the best at physical comedy among the cast members.
You might recall his jumpy mannerisms early one such as when he struck himself on the head at the laundromat after a surprise kiss from Rachel or when he had jumped in jubilation on the couch after Rachel had dreamt about him. Since Friends has ended, David Schwimmer initially turned his focus towards directing rather than acting as he completed the film Run Fatboy Run and directed his Friends co-star Matt Leblanc in Joey. He is also famous for lending his voice in the popular Madagascar movies and earned another Primetime Emmy nomination for his role in American Crime Story. David’s personal life has unfortunately taken inspiration from Ross, as he and wife of 7 years announced their separation in 2017. On the upside, David doesn’t seem to have aged at all in the last 24 years!
19 Ken Adams
Nobody likes to work, not really. While many will argue they have their dream jobs, the fact remains people would love to have earned enough to relax and have nothing to do with the luxury of never having to work again. Matt Leblanc realized this dream after Joey ended in 2006, going off the grid for five whole years. The actor has claimed repeatedly that he had initially intended to be absent for only a year but had enjoyed his sabbatical so much that it ended up becoming five years instead. He deserved it too as Matt had seen many struggles, just like Joey had, in his younger years. He had a small part in Married... with Children before starring in the short-lived Vinnie & Bobby. When Friends came calling Matt’s life was set.
He doesn’t even look much different compared to when he was 25, and that’s saying something because the actor turned 50 in 2017! During his Friends days, Matt’s hair had started to grey naturally but had colored them out to avoid looking older. Now he has embraced the look and rocks it well. Currently, he has a dual starring role in Top Gear and Man with a Plan. So, How’s he doing? He’s doing great.
18 Miss Chanandler Bong
Hard as it may be to believe Matthew Perry is the youngest of all the main Friends cast members. He and Jennifer Aniston share the same birth year of 1969, but Matthew arrived some months later than his co-star. Unfortunately, life’s various challenges got the better of him and during Friends’ third season Chandler’s dramatic weight loss was too obvious to ignore. He was suffering from problems and was in and out of facilities for a number of years. Due to this, his weight fluctuations can be seen starting from Season 3 to Season 8 where he would suddenly gain or lose large amounts of weight.
Chandler Bing’s heavy sarcastic humor has lived on all these years down the road, and is there any chance he could be any funnier? Matthew’s acting is largely the same no matter which role he takes and this brand of humor can be caught in a number of shows the actor attempted since Friends ended, like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Mr. Sunshine, Go On, and The Odd Couple. The latter was the only one of these shows to be picked up for multiple seasons, although it too was canceled following Season 3. He doesn’t suffer from personal issues anymore, so here’s hoping further success can follow.
17 Oh My Gosh!
Very rarely has it been that a minor character has achieved such fame for the actress that it propels her to around the same level of stardom as the main cast has enjoyed. In Maggie Wheeler’s case, this became a reality. Janice Litman Goralnik (nee Hosenstein) was the most popular character outside of the main six cast members. Her iconic laugh and catchphrase of “Oh My God!” are still a favorite for Friends fans. It’s even more incredible to consider her popularity as Janice was barely on the show. The bulk of her appearances were from Seasons 1-3 when she was Chandler’s on and off girlfriend, after which her appearances were limited to generally one per season (She wasn’t seen at all in Season 6).
Still, her popularity ensured she would return every time to haunt Chandler Bing.
Although it might not have appeared that way, Maggie Wheeler is eight years older than Matthew Perry and was already in her thirties by the time she appeared in Friends. She has always portrayed the ‘friend’ character in her TV roles such as in Seinfeld or Ellen. In fact, since Friends has ended Maggie has only featured in minor or guest roles in various TV shows like How I Met Your Mother, where she used her real and very contrasting real voice.
16 Before Life Was Suite
They grow up so fast, don’t they? Back in 2000, Cole Sprouse made his first big TV appearance on Friends as Ross Gellar’s rather airheaded son Ben. Ben saw a number of actors take over the part as the role transitioned from a newborn baby to a toddler to a child. Cole took on the character when Ben began his schooling. He did a commendable job in showing Ben in both his innocent and mischievous phases. In the episode The One with the Holiday Armadillo, Cole played Ben as a naive boy who favored Christmas more than Hanukkah, while in The One with the Truth About London he was great in infuriating viewers by developing Ben into an annoying troublemaker.
However, Cole’s real star-making turn was with Disney in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody series. Together with his twin brother Dylan, the two of them enjoyed considerable success for years before making the wise decision of foregoing their burgeoning acting careers in favor of attending University. After several years away from the industry Cole completed his magnificent comeback with Riverdale, a dark turn on the Archie Comics series. He has been well acclaimed in the role of Jughead but to Friends fans, he remains the mischievous Ben Gellar.
15 Best Ex-Wife
Jane Sibbett is mostly associated with Carol, Ross’ gay ex-wife – she’s the first of his divorces so we’re just getting started – who left him before the series began. As she awkwardly found out about her pregnancy while being in a relationship with partner Susan, Carol ensured she would make appearances in the show over the years. Her character redeemed herself for being unfaithful to Ross by being the perfect ex as she remained on more than amicable terms with Ross, who considered her a friend. Although she was oddly absent from Friends after the seventh season, Jane Sibbett is still most famously known for this role. Jane wasn’t the only actress to play the part, as she replaced original actress Anita Barone due to unknown reasons.
Sibbett has seldom been seen since exiting Friends with her TV credits ending after a role in 2007 in Out of Jimmy’s Head. She looks pretty good, though, for a person who is 55 years old at present. Sadly, her 24-year marriage ended in 2016, and with lack of film credits, we can only wonder what she is up to nowadays. But like her picture, let’s hope she’s still seeing happy days.
14 Worst Ex-Wife
Emily is the much maligned second ex-wife of Ross Gellar. She was introduced in Season 4 when Rachel inadvertently set her up with Ross to have a chance to pursue Joshua. While Rachel’s relationship was a bust Ross and Emily grew close and eventually married. Their marriage, though, was doomed before it even began after Ross accidentally said Rachel’s name instead of Emily’s at the altar. In Season 5, Emily became a vicious and controlling spouse to Ross who made about a million attempts to make up for his mistake. Viewers would have noticed Emily had remained in bed for the majority of her scenes in Season 5, this was due to Helen Baxendale having been pregnant at the time.
In 2004 she had the opportunity to return to the role but turned it down as she found her 1998 experiences tiresome with all the tabloid attention she found in the United States. Friends was the center of a lot of media and it is understandable why someone from Europe would not find it desirable to be flanked by the press everywhere. Helen has recently been seen in Cuckoo, a BBC show. She, however, has a great home life with her partner and three children.
13 Coolest Man On Earth
Phoebe may have mistaken Dr. Richard Burke as James Bond in his first appearance in The One Where Ross and Rachel... You Know but she is easily forgiven for that because Tom Selleck is just too cool not to be mistaken for a secret agent. Even back in 1995, Tom was considered an older man, although judging by appearance he was definitely the best looking compared to anyone on the show. His trademark mustache made him a kind of personification of a manly man, something that was referenced heavily on Friends as Chandler and Joey sought to replicate his manly aura.
Tom has remained a cool older guy even in 2018.
Now being in his 70s, he is noticeably older in appearance, but remove a few wrinkles here and there and he may just look the same as he did in 1995. He has been starring in the police procedural show Blue Bloods along with Donnie Wahlberg since 2010, and had been a bona fide star even before appearing on Friends as his most famous role was as Thomas Magnum IV in Magnum, P.I. His performance as Richard was much lauded too, garnering him an Emmy Award nomination for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy series in 2001.
12 Lovable Science Geek
Switching over to one of Phoebe’s famous exes we see one of those people on this list who doesn’t seem to have aged much over the years. Hank Azaria first made his appearance as David the Scientist Guy in 1994 and returned to play the part in 2001 and 2003. His persistence in the show was due to David being the love of Phoebe’s life, at least until Mike came into the picture. Meanwhile, Hank looks almost about the same in 2018 as he did in 1994, except without the glasses which he was required to wear in order to portray a lovable geek.
Like a few actors in this list, Hank was also already known for playing a famous part in a TV show before his Friends appearance. In his case it is a role, or rather roles, he has played for 29 years by this point. We’re talking, of course, about his voice acting in The Simpsons. Although political correctness has sucked the fun out of his hilarious portrayal of the character of Apu in recent times, Hank is also active on the live action acting front in the comedy show Brockmire. He's a talented guy and continues to do great things.
11 Most Understanding Girlfriend
Bonnie Somerville was a mere 27 years old when she began her recurring role in Friends’ eighth season. She was memorable too as Mona is lauded by fans as the most understanding girlfriend ever. She put up with Ross lying to her about Rachel only being his friend, then also accepted Rachel being pregnant with his child and being his ex-wife, and even being insulted by Rachel’s father for being someone she wasn’t. The tip of the iceberg was Ross omitting the fact that Rachel had moved in with him. Ross even confessed to Joey that he judged Mona for not breaking up with him sooner.
It took some good acting to convince viewers that such an understanding person could exist and Bonnie did just that. Too bad, however, that Mona remains her most distinct role to date. Now 44, Bonnie’s good looks haven’t eroded at all. She is set to appear in a film in 2018’s A Star is Born starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. While it is not likely she will have a meaty role in the film, it at least indicates Bonnie is far from done as far as her acting career is concerned.
10 Junior No More
Never before would you have seen a brother so excited to find out his sister was pregnant with his children as Frank Buffay Jr. But it made perfect sense in context and the character delivering the line. Phoebe’s familial continuity wasn’t well done after Season 4 where her previously disappeared father and mother had returned, only to disappear without explanation once again. Frank Jr. was the only family member she had who remained consistent. Giovanni Ribisi, like his character, was very young when he appeared in Friends, so carried out his job perfectly as a harebrained adolescent. When the show ended in 2004 he hadn’t even turned 30 years old yet.
Due to this youth, he hasn’t changed as much as you might think. Now in his early 40s, Giovanni’s features have appropriately matured, as has he seeing that he has acquired more adult themed roles such as the lead character in Sneaky Pete. In a cast comprising mainly of unknown faces, Avatar had a recognizable face in Giovanni Ribisi. He will reprise the role in Avatar 2 and its further sequels. With such high profile movies on the making and a lead part in a TV show, our young Frank Jr. has certainly come a long way.
9 Easy On The Eyes
Friends ended 14 years ago back in 2004, but Eddie Cahill only just turned 40 years old. He played Tag Jones, the object of Rachel’s affection in Season 7. Tag was meant to be 24 years old but in reality, Eddie had only just turned 22. With almost a decade age difference between Eddie and Jennifer Aniston, the dynamic between Rachel and Tag played well. Eddie was also very easy on the eyes, something that Tag was meant to be seeing that Rachel gave him a job at Ralph Lauren purely because he was very attractive.
Weirdly enough, despite being one of the youngest actors on Friends ever, Eddie looks rather older than his age. This might be due to playing a gritty cop in CSI: New York for nine whole years from 2004 to 2013, or maybe it’s because people age differently as compared to one another. Eddie was never a film actor and has only four acting credits in that regard to his name with the most recent one released as far back as 2008. But he has been able to find steady work on TV with main roles in Under the Dome and Conviction.
8 That Girlfriend
There are only a few girlfriends who could be worse than Kathy, and that’s no easy feat. The character was lackluster at best who exited the series by making us hate even more than before. Kathy was never the jaw-dropping beauty one would imagine two guys fighting over – especially considering her terrible hairdo – but due to circumstances, Chandler couldn’t help fall in love with her while she was with Joey. She also developed feelings for Chandler and ended up with him once Joey realized he valued Chandler too much as a friend to be mad at him. A few episodes later Kathy would again be unfaithful, this time with another cast member, and left the show after this, bringing an end to the already unlikable storyline.
Unlike Kathy, her actress Paget Brewster is a beautiful soul even in 2018 at the age of 49.
Due to Friends’ immense popularity Paget is still widely known for playing Kathy but has in fact been more prominent in Criminal Minds. She has been with the show for 12 years and counting by this point. On the personal front, she got married in 2014 in a ceremony officiated by her Criminal Minds co-star.
7 The Yeti
Danny’s final episode on the show was way too gross for anyone not to associate him with anything else. He started out on Friends as kind of a jerk. Having been mistaken for a Yeti by Monica and Rachel upon first meeting in The One with the Yeti, Danny seemed to find it hard to forgive Rachel for the misunderstanding, answering with curt replies of ‘Okay’ for everything she said. Later on, he became more of a normal guy who Rachel developed a crush on. Unfortunately, they broke up once it became clear Danny was dangerously close to his sister. So much so that no one could look past it.
In real life, George Newburn hasn’t aged almost in the slightest. Except for minor signs of aging around the eyes he looks exactly the same as he did back in 1999. That’s a real thing of wonder considering he is 54 years old now. Also in real life is the fact that he isn’t weirdly close to his sister and has been married to the same woman for the last 28 years. Since 2012 he has had a recurring role in the Shonda Rhimes show Scandal, as well as lending his voice to a number of DC Comics Animated shows and films.
6 The Original Iron Man
The guy who popularized Iron Man to the world appropriately portrayed a similar character on Friends. Jon Favreau was Pete Becker in Season 3, Monica’s eventual former flame who was never mentioned again. Pete was one of the funniest characters the show had ever introduced. He was a billionaire who had never known defeat and pursued Monica relentlessly until she also fell for him. The show had several moments of comedy when it showed Pete enjoying the ability to splurge money wherever he could.
Pete was more or less a version of Tony Stark in a television sitcom.
He had the mannerisms to back it up as well as the facial hair to mark the resemblance. Eventually, Monica and Pete’s relationship ended when his fixation with becoming a UFC Champion became too much for her. Jon Favreau has since directed Iron Man and its sequel as well as become a mainstay in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Happy Hogan. He has also produced many of the MCU films. His status as a director has taken over his acting credits as he directed the very successful Jungle Book recently and will also be at the helm of The Lion King due out in 2019. He doesn’t resemble Pete Becker as much anymore.
5 First Girlfriend
Undoubtedly one of the cutest significant others to appear on the show, Lauren Tom played the sweet girl Julie, Ross’ first girlfriend we saw on Friends. The second season’s first half focused on the love triangle between Julie, Ross, and Rachel, and although Julie lost the race she did leave a mark on viewers that still lasts. Funnily enough, she did get to have a happy ending with Russ, Ross’ doppelganger, so it wasn’t all gloom for the character. Anyone who has watched the Friends DVD exclusives will know that Lauren is much more feisty in personality in real life and her voice isn’t as dipped in sugar as Julie’s was.
If one were to blur the most recent picture of Lauren one would think it was taken around the same time as the one where she is featured on Friends. She has hardly aged in the last 23 years and her career progression can be caught on TV over the years as she has been ridiculously active judging her seemingly endless filmography. Supernatural fans, in particular, will recall her as Kevin Tran’s mother, a role she owned by defying the usual scared mom trope.
4 Age Defying At Its Best
The ultimate vampire, one might call him. Paul Rudd has always remained the same it might seem. The actor looks exactly as he did back in 2003, when he debuted in Friends, as he does in 2018 when he is set to star in Ant-Man and the Wasp. We might have called it eerie had Paul Rudd not been one of the most likable people one could ever find. He has made comedy his main forte since Friends has ended, with main roles in Anchorman and Anchorman 2 as well as I Love You, Man, This is 40, How Do You Know, and Wanderlust, the latter with Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston.
He is also adept at more serious roles in The Fundamentals of Caring, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Admission. All these acting credits only point to his mainstay presence in Hollywood, something that might not end any time soon seeing as Ant-Man and the Wasp is only the second entry in the Ant-Man series and there is still Avengers 4 to go. As Mike, Paul played Phoebe’s final love entrance and eventual husband. The character appeared 19 times in total and yet it never felt like he was overstaying his welcome. Mike was a hilarious character in his own right and his interactions with Ross and Joey were a particular delight to watch.
3 A Star In Her Own Right
Arguably, Monica was the most attractive female cast member of Friends when the show began in 1994. With her brunette hair, slender figure, and natural smile Courteney Cox was believable as a 26-year-old New Yorker, despite actually being 30 years old and 2 years the senior of David Schwimmer who played her older brother on Friends. Though she looks a bit different now, it is likely because she has worked hard to preserve the way she used to look. She isn't completely happy with how all of it went, as she doesn’t resemble much of the natural looking beauty Monica was in Friends. Still, the actress has persevered through all the criticism and championed another successful and long-running show called Cougar Town that ran from 2009 to 2015.
Of the main cast, she was the only one who never received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, a fact more confusing when one realizes that both her female cast members actually won Emmy awards for their performances. She did snag a Golden Globe award nomination for Cougar Town in 2010, however. Her 11-year marriage to David Arquette may have ended in 2010, but Courteney has been in a stable relationship for the past 5 years Snow Patrol band member Johnny McDaid. We can expect to see more of Cox in the future!
2 Our Favorite Singer
Lisa Kudrow was the first cast member of Friends to win an Emmy award. While the show was the most successful sitcom during its duration as far as ratings were concerned, the awards landscape was packed by other TV shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier. Because of this, Lisa and Jennifer Aniston were the only main cast to bag an Emmy win. Phoebe was the kooky headed member of the group of friends and remained so for the show’s ten-year run. She was the oldest friend as well when it was found out in Season 7 that she had turned 31 before any other friend had even turned 30.
Offscreen, Lisa Kudrow was also the oldest actor of the cast and is currently 54 years old. She looks superb for her age, though. Like Phoebe, Lisa is also multilingual and is known for speaking French fluently. Like Jennifer Aniston, Lisa has been present on the big screen since Friends has ended, most recently being seen in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and Table 19. She also garnered critical acclaim for the HBO series The Comeback, a role that earned her further Emmy nominations. Still, we’d love to hear her rendition of Smelly Cat one more time.
1 The A-Lister
Of course, who could ever leave out the most successful actor that came out of Friends? Jennifer Aniston is known as much for her personal life as her professional life. Gaining prominence at the age of 25 when Friends began airing, Jennifer’s relationship with Brad Pitt took tabloids by storm, and even 20 years later the tabloids still haven’t had their fill with her. Perhaps it’s because she looks superb as ever. Jennifer hasn’t moved to the sidelines into supporting roles as her age has progressed – She turned 49 in 2018 – and remains an A-lister in Hollywood.
Few can claim to be as much of a trendsetter as Rachel was.
While Jennifer never really was fond of the hairdo she had up until Season 3, ‘The Rachel’ hairstyle was a fashion wave that captured females around the world. She was the most critically acclaimed actor on the show as well as she took him the Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe award home. Well into 2018, Jennifer is a headline name who has remained loyal to the Friends fanbase despite her immense popularity. She joined the cast in the reunion show that honored director James Burrows. Although her marriage to second husband Justin Theroux didn’t work out, she still has a lasting legacy.