Highlights
- The Friends cast remained friends off screen, earning two percent of the $1 billion yearly earnings each.
- Guest stars, like Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles, continue to make thousands annually in residuals.
- Gould and Pickles enjoyed working on Friends, naming Brad Pitt as one of their favorite guest stars.
Friends is a beloved sitcom that premiered in 1994 and ran for ten seasons until the series finale aired in 2004, though fans would have loved more seasons. The cast had remarkable chemistry. They had bonded in real life behind the scenes (one episode was written based on a real experience that took place with the cast backstage), and also because the main six cast members remained friends.
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Along with an incredible cast, Friends had several up-and-coming and well-known celebrities who appeared as guest stars. Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles guest starred on the series as Jack and Judy Geller, Monica and Ross Geller's parents. Reportedly, guest stars earn residuals from the sitcom. Elliot Gould and Christine Pickles are still making thousands from their guest appearances on the show.
Elliot Gould And Christina Pickles Are Rumored To Be Making $20,000 Per Year From Backend Profits
Friends had many notable guest stars during its ten years on the air. Some were on the verge of success while others were easily-recognized celebrities. The main cast members - Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow - all became massive stars with the success of the show.
The cast members have been earning money since the series concluded. Reportedly, the show yields around $1 billion each year for Warner Bros. The main cast gets two percent of that amount, meaning each of them earns $20 million a year, just from the show. Their earnings help make the core six cast members some of the richest out of the overall cast of the show.
Reportedly, guest stars are also still earning money from the sitcom. Vincent Ventresca, who appeared as Fun Bobby, Monica Gellar's love interest, in two episodes, explained that he's paid $2,000 every year. He told The Guardian, "I get about $2,000 a year in residuals, and I only did two episodes, per Grazia. Ventresca's comment means there is reason to believe the celebrities who made guest appearances, including Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles, get paid $1,000 a year for each episode they appeared in.
Gould and Pickles played Ross and Monica Geller's parents on the show. Throughout Friends' ten seasons, Gould appeared in 20 episodes as Jack Geller, and Pickles guest starred in 19 episodes as Judy Geller.
Based on the number of episodes they appear in, it seems Gould and Pickles are still making thousands from their work on Friends . Gould is likely earning $20,000 a year in residuals, while Pickles earns $19,000 per year for her appearances.
Both Gould And Pickles Enjoyed Working On The Show
Many who appeared as guest stars on Friends have opened up about their experiences while working on the show. Several celebrities who guest starred on the series loved being on the show and working with the main cast members. However, others disliked or even hated their time on the hit series. For example, Kathleen Turner, an iconic guest star, absolutely hated the cast.
Gould and Pickles have been open about how much they enjoyed working on the show and with the cast.
"We made this at a time in my life where I certainly was maturing and getting older and growing into other roles," Gould told E! News . "And the opportunity and the success and to be able to work with new, younger people, I mean, who have become iconic on their own right, it's a wonderful evolutionary aspect to my existence. And I'm extremely grateful for it."
Both have spoken highly of the main cast. "They were always incredibly welcoming and charming," revealed Pickles. Gould said, "People ask me if the friends are really the way they appear, are they really so down to earth and identifiable, real people? And they are. So that's wonderful to be able to share that," per E! News.
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Gould also recalled on Today that he "got in trouble" for revealing information about the show.
"It was when we had the wedding in London, and I gave it away, the cliffhanger, that Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) was there. Oh, they were really angry at me. And I thought, 'We are so successful, what are you being angry at me for?' You know what I mean? I just made a mistake. I'm only human, I'm not perfect, I'm playing- I'm your Jack Geller."
Elliot Gould And Christina Pickles Have A Favorite Guest Star
When they appeared on Friends as husband and wife, Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles were around and worked with a number of other celebrity guest stars. The two were asked who some of their favorites were, and both revealed it was Brad Pitt, who made one of the most memorable celebrity cameos on Friends as Will Colbert, who hates Jennifer Aniston's Rachel Green. Gould appeared with Pitt in the Ocean's 11 film series, and Pickles played Pitt's mother in Legends of the Fall.
Gould opened up about Pitt coming to see Aniston. "Bradley came to meet his wife, he was married to Jennifer (Aniston) at that point and Jennifer liked for me and Brad to hang out together. You know, I like him a lot. And that was great to be able to be working with him and working with Jennifer. So, I mean, it's in a way, this is a very extended family.
"I hadn't seen Brad since I played his mother on Legends of the Fall and it was lovely to see him again," added Pickles, "It was as if he'd known me forever and it was a very sweet meeting," per E! News.
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Both Gould and the actor have spoken highly of the main cast. "They were always incredibly welcoming and charming," revealed Pickles, per E! News.
Chistina Pickles and Elliot Gould loved working on Friends, and enjoyed interacting with the entire cast, including other guest stars. Since appearing on the show, the on-screen husband and wife have made thousands from Friends every year in residuals.
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