A Look Back at the Friends Cast's Biggest Onscreen Hits and Misses (original) (raw)

JENNIFER ANISTON: HIT

Aniston continued to exercise her funny bone after Friends wrapped, starring in successful comedy after successful comedy, like The Breakup and Horrible Bosses. She also showed her range in flicks like The Good Girl and Cake — the latter of which nabbed her a Golden Globe nomination. And though it wasn't the most financially successful film on her résumé, Wanderlust deserves a special mention; she met husband Justin Theroux on the film's set.

JENNIFER ANISTON: MISS

Barry Wetcher/

One of the best-known celebrities in the world, Aniston hasn't had many misses in her post-Friendscareer. But no one's perfect — and the 2010 comedy The Bounty Hunter seems to have missed the mark, with most critics giving it a negative review (the movie has a 13 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.) Though admittedly, it did decently well at the box office, bringing in over $130 million worldwide.

COURTENEY COX: HIT

At the end of Friends, Monica Gellar trades the city for the suburbs. And in Cougar Town, Cox's character Jules Cobb is a single suburban mom who is dating again. The show didn't hit quite the same levels of success as Friends (what could?) but it did run for six seasons that boasted over 100 episodes. (Plus, Aniston, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow all guest starred on the show throughout its run.) She even nabbed a Golden Globe nomination for the show — a first for the actress_._

COURTENEY COX: MISS

FX

Sometimes it takes a couple swings before making a hit — which was the case with Cox's post-Friends television career. Her first lead role after Friends was in Dirt, a dramatic series in which she played a tabloid editor. It wasn't a failure by any means — the show lasted for two seasons before cancellation — but fails to compare to her prior (and latter) smash successes.

LISA KUDROW: HIT

You'd think after Friends, it would be difficult to make another lasting success on TV — but Kudrow had two. The first, The Comeback, was short-lived, only lasting for one season, but it did nab her an Emmy nomination, and was such a fan-favorite that it came back for a second season nine years later. And the second was a bit more unusual for a network TV vet: An improv web series called Web Therapy. In it, Kudrow plays a therapist who counsels patients over video chat. All of her Friends costars (except for Aniston) guest starred on the show. It was such a hit that Showtime picked it up after two years — it ended up running for four seasons there, too.

LISA KUDROW: MISS

Kudrow hasn't done much wrong after Friends, but a quick appearance on Jonah Hill's failed series, Allen Gregory, was questionable. (Though it was only one episode, so we can't fault her too much.)

MATT LEBLANC: HIT

LeBlanc's greatest post-Friends hit came from, well, just playing himself! Granted, a dramatized version. In Episodes, he plays a demanding, manipulative version of his charming self, who is cast in an American remake of a popular British program. The show ran for five seasons and nabbed LeBlanc a Golden Globe in 2012.

MATT LEBLANC: MISS

Warner Brothers

Part of the magic of Friends was, well, all the friends! And when LeBlanc's character Joey Tribbiani attempted to carry the torch solo on Joey, a spin-off show about Tribbiani trying to make it as an actor in L.A., things just didn't click. The show was cancelled after two seasons.

MATTHEW PERRY: HIT

Perry's series revival of The Odd Couple was a high point in his career, with the show lasting for three seasons before it was cancelled earlier this year. But Perry's real shining spot was his guest star turn on The Good Wife — so good, in fact, that they brought him back for The Good Fight. He's also had successes on stage, like the play The End of Longing, which he performed in London and Off-Broadway.

MATTHEW PERRY: MISS

Sadly, Perry's had a number of new series that have failed to nab second seasons: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Mr. Sunshine, and Go On.

DAVID SCHWIMMER: HIT

Schwimmer played Robert Kardashian in the super-hit (and awards season juggernaut) American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, in 2016, which won Outstanding Limited Series at the Emmys and the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film. He's also been a part of one of the most successful animated franchises of the past decade: The Madagascar films, playing Melman the Giraffe in all three installments. Schwimmer has directed, too, since his Friends days, including the film Run Fatboy Run and the play Fault Lines.

DAVID SCHWIMMER: MISS

Ali Paige Goldstein/Lionsgate/REX/Shutterstock

Like Perry, Schwimmer had his own one season wonder: A show called Feed the Beast, which premiered last year, and was cancelled after just ten episodes.