The Age of Each Friends Cast Member During Filming Will Leave You Feeling Nostalgic

Lisa Kudrow was 31 years old when she made her debut as Phoebe Buffay in Friends, which makes her the eldest of her castmates. Soon after the first season aired, Kudrow married her husband, Michel Stern. When Kudrow announced she and Michel were expecting, the producers wrote her pregnancy into the script for season four.

“The six of us would do a huddle backstage and just say, ‘All right, have a good show, love you love you love you love you.’ And when I was pregnant, then they would say, ‘Have a great show, love you love you – love you, little Julian!’ Cause we knew it was a boy and that was his name. So sweet, they included my little fetus in the huddle,” she told People in 2018. For her portrayal of Phoebe, she won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series in 1998 and a SAG Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series in 2000.

Courteney Cox, who portrayed Monica Geller, was 30 years old when Friends began. Cox kept herself very busy when she wasn’t filming the sitcom. From 1996 to 2000 she shot all three Scream movies and had her hand in several other projects. She married David Arquette in 1999, though they divorced in 2013. During the last season, she was pregnant with their daughter, Coco Arquette. Another fun fact we love? Jennifer Anniston is Coco’s godmother.

David Schwimmer was 28 years old when the first episode of Friends aired, making him only a few months older than his character, Ross Geller, who was on the cusp of 27. Schwimmer starred in the rom-com The Pallbearer alongside Gwyneth Paltrow in 1996 and in Six Days Seven Nights in 1998. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 1995 for his portrayal of Ross.

Matt LeBlanc, aka Joey Tribbiani, was 27 years old when he started working on Friends. In 2003, he married model Melissa McKnight, and one year later – right before the final season Friends – they welcomed a baby girl, Marina Pearl LeBlanc. The couple divorced in 2006. During his time on the sitcom, he was nominated for a handful of awards for his portrayal of Joey, including a SAG Award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series in 2002 and a Golden Globe the following year for best lead actor in a musical or comedy television series.

Jennifer Aniston was 25 years old when the Friends pilot aired. Although her role as Rachel Green pushed her career to new heights, she also had a few notable film appearances. During her decade on the show, Aniston starred in movies such as She’s the One (1996), Picture Perfect (1997), The Object of My Affection (1998), and Along Came Polly (2004). For her portrayal of Rachel, Aniston won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 2002 and a Golden Globe for best lead actress in a musical or comedy television series in 2003.

While he and Jennifer Aniston were both 25 years old during the Friends pilot, Matthew Perry is six months younger than her, making him the youngest cast member. In 1997, Perry checked himself into rehab after becoming dependent on alcohol and drugs. Four years later, he went back to rehab. Eventually, Perry came back to set, sober, and was able to finish out Friends. He starred in The Whole Nine Yards in 2000 and its sequel, The Whole Ten Yards, four years later. He had a small reoccurring role in season five of West Wing in 2003.