Oh. My. God! The Friends cast has finally reunited and we couldn’t be happier. The HBO Max special, FRIENDS: THE REUNION, sees the six Friends stars all return to one room for only the second time since the series ended in 2004.
The nostalgia-filled FRIENDS: THE REUNION begins with the last scene of the Friends finale before panning over to David Scwhimmer, the first to arrive on set. One by one the entire cast arrives at their favorite hangout spot, Monica’s apartment, and the happy tears instantly start flowing.
Within only a few seconds, Matt LeBlanc starts reminiscing about on-set shenanigans and when Matthew Perry is the last to arrive, Jennifer Aniston hits him with the classic Chandler line, “could you BE anymore late?”
What the Friends cast is up to now
It’s been 17 years since the beloved sitcom had its final episode so what is the cast up to now? In 2016 we caught up with the Friends cast but that was five years ago and the stars have done SO MUCH since. So in honor of the whole gang getting back together for FRIENDS: THE REUNION, let’s take a look at what the cast of Friends has in the works.
Later this year Jennifer Aniston will reprise her Emmy nominated performance in season two of The Morning Show. Meanwhile, Lisa Kudrow has been in the recording booth providing voice-over work for the upcoming new movie release The Boss Baby: Family Business and Fox’s upcoming series HouseBroken. And Courtney Cox is on a reunion tour as she will return as Gale Weathers-Riley in 2022’s Scream.
As for the guys, David Schwimmer has returned to TV with the British sitcom Intelligence. Matt LeBlanc just wrapped up the final season of his CBS sitcom Man with a Plan and Matthew Perry will star in this year’s absolutely stacked Adam McKay drama Don’t Look Up.
The cast returns to the iconic fountain for a special interview
Everything comes full circle as James Corden interviews the stars in front of the iconic fountain from the Friends title sequence. Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer explain how they were transported right back to their twenties the second they saw everyone on set again.
Additionally, Lisa Kudrow recalls the sense of eternal love they have for one another stating, “we have such a bond from having done this show and forged this very tight relationship that anytime you text or call someone they’re gonna pick up. They’ll be there” However when James Corden asks Matthew Perry who doesn’t pick up, the Chandler Bing actor jokes “I don’t hear from anyone.”
This is the history lesson I didn’t know I needed. ?
Catch the entire story on Friends: The Reunion, streaming now on HBO Max. #FriendsReunion pic.twitter.com/E8iZh9LVbI
— HBO Max (@hbomax) May 27, 2021
FRIENDS: THE REUNION is also a documentary
The reunion show also takes time to interview the show’s creators, Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane to tell the story of how Friends was made. Much of the show’s content drew from the real lives of Marta Kauffman and David Crane, who were best friends trying to find love and figure their 20s out in New York City.
David Crane explains it was incredibly important that the show be an ensemble as it had never been done before and that the one-sentence pitch for Friends was “that time in your life when your friends are your family.”
To make the reunion that much sweeter, former recurring cast members, including Reece Witherspoon, James Michael Tyler, and Tom Selleck, reveal what made their time on the show so special.
David Schwimmer returns as gamemaster as the friends play another trivia game
When asked which episode was her favorite, Courtney Cox expressed her love for “The One with the Embryos,” in which Monica and Rachel face off against Chandler and Joey in an epic trivia game. The Friends cast, now in their 50s, return to Monica’s apartment for another showdown.
The teams are once again men vs. women with categories “fears & pet peeves,” “ancient history,” “literature,” and “it’s all relative” making a return. Over 23 years after the original episode aired, the cast has a hilarious battle of wits to see who knows the most Friends trivia.
Friends fans are tearing up on Twitter from pure happiness
Friends has one of the strongest fan bases in television history, spanning multiple generations and countless countries. So, we headed to Twitter to see how Friends fans are reacting to FRIENDS: THE REUNION.
Thank you Anna and Sudhir for putting into words what we’re all feeling.
I was nostalgic and happy, cried a lot, went hysterical with laughter and though I thought I knew everything there is to know about #Friends, I was surprised to find that I learnt a few new things while watching the #FriendsReunion. Did I tell you it made me happy? ? (1/n) pic.twitter.com/MmDrHn9cH2
— Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) May 27, 2021
I laughed. I cried. Sometimes, both at once. #FriendsReunion is an emotionally overwhelming journey for those attached to the series.
It loyally sticks to the format of your average episode: Love, friendship, comedy, cameos… And add to all of this, much nostalgia value too.— Sudhir Srinivasan (@sudhirsrinivasn) May 27, 2021
The power of seeing the cast return after all this time is a testament to how special Friends is.
People need to understand that it’s not always about a show being funny to have a special place in your heart. It’s about finding warmth & solace while watching them all together even after decades of it going off-air that makes this show and these people special#friendsreunion pic.twitter.com/Mc3Nv4bzqg
— Taruni (@its_taironical) May 27, 2021
Fans are catching on to some of the many references dropped by the actors in the reunion.
don’t touch me #FriendsReunion pic.twitter.com/1uyCqAxv0H
— martona testona?FRIENDS REUNION (@wewereonabraek) May 27, 2021
Excuse me while I wipe this tear away as the Friends cast group hugs one final time in this emotional photo.
#FRIENDSREUNION: the end. pic.twitter.com/2CjFWI6Tcq
— screencap friends (@capfriends) May 27, 2021
To hear the Friend’s cast tell exclusive stories, reveal which props they took home with them and much much more, check out FRIENDS: THE REUNION on HBO Max!
More Entertainment News Like This: 5 years ago, we caught up with the Friends cast – you’ll love seeing these throwback pics
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