Friends Cast: Where Are They Now?

So no one told them life was gonna be this way... after leaving Friends?

friends 1994-2004
NBC

Friends is one of the biggest sitcoms of all time, still pulling in massive audiences through syndication and streaming 15 years after it ended. There’s even been talk of people dropping Netflix if Friends is removed; it’s that important to people.

That’s no surprise, really. The adventures of Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey were as relatable and endearing as they were hilarious. It’s still the benchmark most sitcoms are held up against today. Behind the scenes, group negotiation for the star’s salaries meant the gang were set up for life too.

What happened to them afterwards though? They made enough money to retire, but none of the them did. With the 25th anniversary of the premiere coming up in September (and a celebratory Lego set releasing), now seems a good time to look back and reflect.

As well as the main six, the spotlight is being turned onto some of the major guest stars the show had, especially those who went on to have interesting careers. With a ten year run, there’s so many actors that it was impossible to include them all, and the likes of Elliot Gould who had their major success pre Friends have been left out too.

17. Jon Favreau (Pete)

friends 1994-2004
Open Road Films

Jon Favreau’s appearance in Friends is often a little overlooked, seeing as it happened before he really became famous. Favreau played Monica’s boyfriend Pete, the millionaire who became a cage fighter, losing Monica’s affections in the process.

Though Favreau has continued to pick up acting roles here and there, it’s behind the camera where he’s had the most success. Favreau directed Christmas comedy classic Elf, passion project Chef, recent Disney remake The Lion King, but most his most important contribution to cinema came in 2008.

Favreau directed Iron Man, bringing the MCU to life, while also pushing for Robert Downey Jnr’s casting ahead of studio favourites Sam Rockwell and Tom Cruise. Favreau also played Happy Hogan in the film series, and directed the sequel before handing over to Shane Black for the third film in the trilogy, after falling out with Marvel over not being given the Avengers ahead of Joss Whedon.

Considering how important RDJ was to the overall success of the MCU, it’s not just Favreau’s direction which was important, but his foresight to see exactly why the then risky entity of Robert Downey Jnr was perfect for the role.

In this post: 
Friends
 
Posted On: 
Contributor

Self appointed queen of the SJWs. Find me on Twitter @FiveTacey (The 5 looks like an S. Do you get it? Do you get my joke about the 5?)