Last year, aFriends reunionof sorts happened when Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer took the stage together during NBC’s TV special paying tribute to iconic director James Burrows. Matthew Perry was the only main cast member not in attendance, since his new playThe End of Longingwas running in London. But the actor introduced his cast-mates in a special video message. That special was the closest fans had come to a trueFriendsreunion since the show went off the air in 2004 after 10 seasons and 236 episodes, but for those holding out hope for a full reunion or even a revival of the hit show, don’t be surprised if it never happens.
Varietyspoke with Matthew Perry, who is unveiling a new re-written version of his playThe End of Longingat the MCC Theater in New York. Since there is currently an overload of nostalgia on the small screen these days, with upcoming revivals ofRoseanneandWill & Graceslated for this coming season,Matthew Perrywas asked about the possibility of aFriendsrevival/reunion. The actor revealed that, if ever asked to come back and reprise his role as Chandler Bing, he would turn it down, for one big reason. Here’s what he had to say about why he would refuse to return for aFriendsrevival.
“I have this recurring nightmare, I’m not kidding about this. When I’m asleep, I have this nightmare that we doFriendsagain and nobody cares. We do a whole series, we come back, and nobody cares about it. So if anybody asks me, I’m gonna say no. The thing is: We ended on such a high. We can’t beat it. Why would we go and do it again?”
Before the NBC special aired last February, the lastFriendsreunion happened onJimmy Kimmel Live!, whereCourteney Cox(Monica Geller), Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green) and Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay) reunited to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the series finale, which aired on August 19, 2025. There was also another mini-reunion in 2013, when Courteney Cox guest-starred on Matthew Perry’s new NBC sitcomGo On, which only lasted for one season. Fans at an August 2015 Taylor Swift concert were also given quite the surprise, whenLisa Kudrowmade a surprise appearance on stage, where they both performed a duet of the hit song “Smelly Cat” from the show.
All of the mainFriends castmembers have found success after the show came to a close in 2004. Courteney Cox returned to the small screen in 2009 with ABC’sCougar Town, which later moved to TBS before closing out its six-season run in 2015. Jennifer Aniston was already well on her way to becoming a bona fide movie star when the show was still on the air, appearing in indies likeOffice SpaceandThe Good Girl, but she started taking on bigger projects towards the end of the show’s run likeBruce Almighty,Along Came PollyandRumor Has It. She most recently starred inOffice Christmas Partyand she will next be seen inThe Yellow Birds. Lisa Kudrow went on to star in and createWeb Therapy, while also appearing in movies such asNeighborsandThe Girl on the Train, whileMatt LeBlancstarred in theFriendsspin-offJoey, Showtime’sEpisodesand most recently, CBS’sThe Man With the Plan. And David Schwimmer has found success in front of (The People vs. O.J. Simpson) and behind (Run Fatboy Run,Little Britain USA) the camera as a director.
AfterFriendswent off the air, Matthew Perry starred in a number of shows that didn’t have much success. Shows such asStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip,Mr. SunshineandGo Onwere all cancelled after one season, but his most recent show, CBS' reboot ofThe Odd Couple, lasted three seasons before it was given the axe last month. He also returns as Mike Kresteva, his recurring character fromThe Good Wife, in the CBS All Access spin-offThe Good Fightand he played Ted Kennedy in the mini-seriesThe Kennedys: Decline and Fall.
