Cast of Friends

David Crane and Marta Kauffman produced the American comedy Friends, which ran on NBC for 10 seasons from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004. The initial executive producers were Crane, Kauffman, and Kevin S. Bright.

The program revolves around six friends in their 20s and early 30s who reside in Manhattan, New York City. Here is a list of all the main cast and their roles from the Friends TV show:

Main Cast of Friends

Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green

American actress Jennifer Joanna Aniston was born on February 11, 1969. Her portrayal as Rachel Green on the sitcom Friends, which ran from 1994 until 2004, brought her widespread recognition. Aniston was cast as Rachel Green after the producer wanted her to try out for the part of Monica Geller but decided Courteney Cox would be a better fit.

Rachel was initially introduced as a runaway bride and a spoiled rich daughter with no proper job and who lived on her father’s money. She initially works at the Central Perk, the iconic setting stage in the show. Later, she gets into a career befitting to her liking: fashion. As the show progresses, so does Rachel’s growth in her career.

She won the award for Lead Actress and was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, including two for Supporting Actress and three for Lead Actress. In addition, she received two Golden Globe nominations and won Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2003.

Courteney Cox as Monica Geller

Courteney Bass Cox is a director and actress from the United States born on June 15, 1964. Her role as Monica Geller in the NBC comedy Friends (1994–2004) brought her international fame. Cox was cast as Monica Geller after being approached to try out for the lead part of Rachel Green in Friends.

In the show, Monica is the sister of Ross Geller, another main character in the show. She lives in an apartment that belonged to their grandmother and works as a chef for a living. By the end of the series, Monica rose to become the head chef at Javu, a luxury restaurant.

She changed her name to Courteney Cox Arquette after marrying David Arquette between seasons five and six. "Arquette" is added to the names of the rest of the cast in the opening credits of the episode "The One After Vegas" as a humorous reference to this.

Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay

American actress Lisa Valerie Kudrow was born on July 30, 1963. She became well-known worldwide for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the American comedy Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004. As the eldest member of the main cast, Kudrow played Ursula again on the NBC comedy Friends, where she also played Ursula's twin sister, Phoebe Buffay, a massage therapist.

Known for her portrayal as Phoebe on Friends (NBC, 1994–2004), Kudrow was praised for her performance and became the first member of the Friends cast to receive an Emmy Award in 1998 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani

Actor Matthew Steven LeBlanc was born in the United States on July 25, 1967. His performance as Joey Tribbiani in the NBC comedy Friends and its spin-off series Joey brought him international recognition.

Joey was introduced as a struggling actor in the show participating in small dramas, skits, or ads. He gained a once-in-a-lifetime chance with a fictional soap in the show “Days of Our Lives”, though it was short-lived and he was soon removed from it. Years later, he gained back the lead role on the same show.

LeBlanc was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for his role on the show. For ten seasons of Friends and two seasons of Joey, LeBlanc played the friendly but dimwitted Joey Tribbiani, a role that brought him wide popularity.

Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing

Late actor Matthew Langford Perry was born on August 19, 1969. His role as Chandler Bing on the NBC comedy Friends (1994–2004) brought him international recognition. Perry passed away in 2023 due to the severe adverse effects of ketamine usage.

Chandler works in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration for most of the series, but he eventually comes to despise the position. By the end of the series, he moves up to a junior copywriter position. Matthew Perry was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series owing to the program.

David Schwimmer as Ross Geller

David Lawrence Schwimmer is an American comedian, producer, director, and actor who was born on November 2, 1966. In 1995, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role as Ross Geller in the comedy Friends, which brought him international acclaim. In addition to his work on Friends, he has directed numerous episodes of the show.

Ross holds a Ph.D. and works as a paleontologist. His narrative arc revolves around his romantic feelings for Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), which started as a high school crush. He portrayed a hopeless romantic paleontologist who became a university professor after working at a museum.

Recurring cast in Friends

Following are the recurring cast of Friends who have been featured in several episodes:

• James Michael Tyler as Gunther
• Maggie Wheeler as Janice Litman Goralnik
• Jane Sibbet as Carol Willick
• Christina Pickles as Judy Geller
• Elliot Gould as Jack Geller
• Jessica Hecht as Susan Bunch
• Larry Hankin as Mr. Heckles
• Cole Sprouse as Ben Geller
• June Gable as Estelle Leonard
• Tom Selleck as Richard Burke
• Mike Hagerty as Mr. Treeger