10 Best Sitcom Casts Of The 21st Century (So Far)

Could it be anything else at number one? The cast of friends was so iconic and successful that television executives tried endlessly and futilely to replicate their dynamite chemistry elsewhere after the show concluded in 2004. Part of their magic is that the Friends cast is one of the only true ensembles to exist in television history.

The actors submitted themselves in the same categories at awards shows, salaries were negotiated as a collective unit and each character was granted equal prominence in every episode. The result of this is that all the characters seem equally well defined and have a crucial, indispensable function within the ensemble.

Most importantly though, is that the actors all have a chemistry with one another which makes them thoroughly believable as a close knit group of friends. This allowed the writers to pair off any two characters with the knowledge that the two actors would have a unique and hilarious dynamic (Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer were sparingly paired together due to their characters being so different, but any time they were the results were gold). This was the not so secret weapon of Friends and was the key to its longevity and consistency.

Even when the material was questionable (Ross’ pet monkey marcel and the Rachel/Joey romance in particular have not aged well!), the cast never took a wrong step and could generate laughs where they didn’t even exist on the page.

The performances were so recognizable and distinctive, that the characters resonated with viewers in the 90s and continue to do so today. This resonance also came from the actor’s skill at playing the dramatic moments of the show, which could take the viewers from laughs to tears in a matter of seconds without breaking the tone of the show. When Friends ended, many felt as if they were saying goodbye to real life friends and that is a massive credit to the best cast of the 21st century so far.