Here's where the Friends characters would be today
The One Where We Never Get a Revival.
In recent years, Will & Grace, Murphy Brown, and Roseanne all made returns to TV with varying success, but despite that trend and the show’s incredible staying power, Friends does not look like it will follow suit. The cast and creative team has consistently shot down the idea of reuniting for any sort of revival, with Matthew Perry even revealing his “recurring nightmare” about such an idea.
“When I’m asleep, I have this nightmare that we do Friends again and nobody cares,” he told Variety in 2017. “We do a whole series, we come back, and nobody cares about it. So if anybody asks me, I’m gonna say no. The thing is: We ended on such a high. We can’t beat it. Why would we go and do it again?”
Fair enough, Mr. Bing! Since it doesn’t look like we’re going to get to catch up with our dear Friends, we’re left to speculate on what Chandler (Perry), Monica (Courteney Cox), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Ross (David Schwimmer), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) are up to 15 years after we last saw them. So in honor of the 25th anniversary of the beloved series’ premiere, that’s exactly what EW has done. Read on for the definitive answers as to where the six friends are today.
Ross and Rachel
Sorry to start off on a sad note, but these two are divorced — again. Like the 10 years we witnessed, they’ve continued to be off and on, and while that will surely be the pattern for the rest of their lives, they’re currently apart. Rachel could never get past resenting Ross after she gave up her dream job in Paris, but she’s rebounded nicely professionally as she’s started her own fashion line. Meanwhile, a newly single Ross suddenly had plenty of time on his hands, and outraged by the popularity of Jurassic World, he wrote a book about the factual inaccuracies in the Jurassic Park universe. Unfortunately for him, it turns out that people prefer Michael Crichton’s version. At least their daughter Emma is doing well. She has already gained early acceptance to NYU, while Ross’ son Ben has recently gained a new roommate: Ross (he blew his book money on the unsuccessful launch of his Divorced Men’s Club).
Phoebe
Where to even begin with Phoebe. She’s still with Mike, but they’re in an open relationship, even though neither of them takes advantage of it — they just like knowing it’s there. Shortly after Friends wrapped, they began a short run as a musical duo, playing local clubs and restaurants with Mike on piano and Phoebe on vocals. Unfortunately, a few bad Yelp reviews over Phoebe’s unique lyrics put an end to those gigs, and efforts to recruit her nieces and nephews in an attempt to become a wholesome family band were unsuccessful. With her music career on the downslide, she went back to work as a masseuse, eventually taking on a famous regular who ended up offering her the job of his campaign manager. She turned him down, but both inspired and horrified by the election, she got into politics, miraculously winning a seat in the House of Representatives. But no matter how busy Phoebe may be, she always keeps her schedule clear on Tuesday nights so she can take the train back to New York for open mic night at Central Perk.
Monica and Chandler
Thankfully, these two are in it for the long haul. They’re loving their life in the suburbs, where Monica has opened a small café and Chandler has been a stay-at-home dad. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have their struggles: Chandler is already having separation anxiety from the twins, even though they’re three years away from college, and Monica works alone since she’s the only one who can function under her demanding management style. But that drive has helped her become the president of the PTA and head of the neighborhood watch. And yes, they still have that room above the garage for Joey, who utilizes it more than someone in his position should.
Joey
After returning from an unsuccessful move to Los Angeles, Joey vowed that he’d never leave New York again. Fortunately, he quickly found success, landing a CBS sitcom from Chuck Lorre that filmed in NYC. Think Two and a Half Men meets Grey’s Anatomy. Now going into season 12, Doctors stars Joey as Dr. Drake Ramoray (he thought his fans would be confused if he played a doctor other than Drake). An eternal bachelor, Joey does have a young daughter named Chick with the 25-year-old actress who plays his daughter on the series. As the “father of a daughter” (he says that way too much), he’s doing his best to change his ways, which is why his New Year’s resolution is to learn how to ask a woman, “How you doin’?” and actually mean it.
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