The American sitcom, Friends (1994-2004) is without a doubt one of the most famous television series to date. People all around the globe still enjoy the camaraderie between the six protagonists of the show. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer in the lead roles, the series followed the lives of these 20-something adults in New York City.
Jennifer Aniston, who played ‘Rachel Green’ in the series, recently opened up to the Wall Street Journal about the salaries of the entire cast. She shed light on the significance of her co-stars having equal compensation and how the show would not have lasted as long if they had not been paid equally. For the unversed, Jennifer Aniston is a well-known American actress, who, along with the popular series, Friends, acted in some major productions like, Murder Mystery, We Are The Millers, The Morning Show and The Good Girl.
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Jennifer Aniston received an Emmy award in 2002 for her role in the sitcom, Friends. During her interview with WSJ, she talked about how the pay parity had the potential to destroy the bond between the entire lead cast. Remarking on the same, Jennifer said:
“It would’ve destroyed us, I think, if someone was soaring financially.”
In an interview with Radio Times in 2013, Jennifer Aniston said that the entire cast was negotiating why they all deserve equal pay when they all worked equally hard. She said:
“We're doing equal work, and we all deserve to be compensated in the same way. I wouldn't feel good going to work knowing someone was getting 'x' amount and I was getting something greater.”
The six lead characters, including Jennifer, fought for equal pay during the beginning of season 3 of the sitcom, Friends. According to reports, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer chose to take a pay cut during Season 2 of the show as they were receiving higher salaries than their co-stars because the storyline of the season focused on their characters, 'Ross' and 'Rachel'.
It is undeniable that the show, Friends enjoyed a decade-long success thanks to the exceptional chemistry among the cast both on and off-screen. Moreover, if the cast had not raised any concerns regarding the unequal pay, it was likely that the show would not have garnered the immense love it received from its audience. The adamancy of the six leads about being paid equally, and rightfully so, gave us one of the epic sitcoms of all time. And to date, all of them remained very good friends, always cheering for each other.
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As per a report by People, during season 1 of the show, every actor received a payment of USD 22,500 for each episode. However, Aniston and Schwimmer started earning more than their fellow cast members when the focus of the show shifted towards the relationship between 'Ross' and 'Rachel' in season 2. Consequently, the two took a pay reduction, and each cast member earned USD 75,000 per episode during Season 3. As per the latest reports, it is said that by the time the show aired its finale season in 2004, the six lead characters of the show were compensated with a whopping USD 1 million for each episode (23 episodes for season 9 and 17 episodes of season 10).
What are your thoughts on the pay parity that exists in the entertainment industry? Let us know.
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