How Much Was Matthew Perry Paid for ‘Friends’?
Friends fans remember Chandler Bing actor Matthew Perry fondly. Perry played Chandler for 10 years and has incredible memories with his co-stars. Altogether, the cast made tens of millions of dollars from the hit sitcom. But how much money did Matthew Perry make from Friends? Here’s what the Chandler actor reportedly earned to appear in the series.
Matthew Perry was reportedly paid $90 million for ‘Friends’ before royalties
Chandler Bing actor Matthew Perry was paid a lot over the years for acting in Friends. During the show’s first season, the core actors took home $22,500 per episode, which resulted in $540,000 each for season 1. By the time the second season rolled around, show creators paid the actors nearly double what they pulled in the first season. They each maid $40,000 per episode. Perry made almost $1 million just from season 2.
Season 3 of Friends resulted in an even higher payout for each core actor. Perry and his co-stars pulled in $75,000 each per episode, and by season 4, they earned $85,000 each. In seasons 7 and 8, the actors reportedly earned $750,000 each per episode, and by seasons 9 and 10, they earned $1 million each per episode.
Perry earned a grand total of $90 million just from working on the set of Friends. This doesn’t include money later earned from royalties or other bonuses. Today, each cast member likely makes between $10 and $20 million in royalties annually. This likely means that with royalties, Perry potentially earned over $300 million from Friends.
He made between $3 and $4 million for ‘Friends: The Reunion’
Not only was Matthew Perry paid millions of dollars for acting in 10 seasons of Friends, but he was also paid handsomely for Friends: The Reunion. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Perry reportedly reached an agreement with Warner Bros. TV regarding the special. And rumors alleged they’d each earn between $3 and $4 million for their participation. In total, the network would spend around $20 million on talent.
Unfortunately, many fans remember the Friends: Reunion promo for Perry’s slurred speech. Perry reportedly had dental work done, causing the slurring. “Matthew turned up to the reunion and members of his team said that he had an emergency tooth procedure that day,” a source told The Sun. “That was said to impact his wellbeing and also how he was feeling. He had been in pain from what we understand, which caused the slurred speech.”
Matthew Perry reportedly spent around $9 million trying to stay sober
Friends star Matthew Perry has been very open regarding his struggle with sobriety. He went to rehab 15 times, and he spent an estimated $9 million on trying to stay sober.
Perry discussed his alcohol and drug abuse in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. In 2018, he had pneumonia and a burst colon as a result of his addiction. He had to wear a colostomy bag for nine months. Then, in 2020, he was resuscitated after his heart stopped beating for five minutes, but doctors broke eight ribs in the process. Overall, he underwent 12 operations due to his ill health.
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
Elements of this article were originally reported by In Touch, Deadline, and Daily Mail.
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