Three decades ago, it was hard to foresee that a group of rising stars—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer—would become Hollywood icons through the beloved sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S. While fans from the ’90s cherished the series, it’s the newer generations that have helped sustain its legacy. However, 2023 brought sorrow as Matthew Perry, famed for his portrayal of Chandler, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 54.
As the sitcom celebrated its 30th anniversary, co-creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman, alongside executive producer Kevin Bright, reflected on the bittersweet milestone, grappling with the loss of their cherished friend and colleague.
In a conversation with Today, Kevin said, “He’d been fighting the good fight for so long, and it really did feel like, from the reunion, that he had finally found some peace. He made us laugh every day.” Marta added, “It’s a huge loss, and it does make the 30th a little fraught.”
In a 2023 interview, F.R.I.E.N.D.S. creator Marta Kauffman reflected on her last conversation with Matthew Perry, which took place just two weeks before his passing. She described their exchange as uplifting, noting that he seemed happy and full of energy, showing no signs of distress or concern.
While there has never been a discussion about rebooting F.R.I.E.N.D.S., the cast did come together for a special reunion on HBO Max in 2021. In a recent discussion, the show’s creators, Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, mentioned that they often receive suggestions from fans about ways to bring the show back or continue its story.
Kevin shared, “When you have pre-teens coming up to you, telling you how much they love your show and asking you, ‘Will there be more episodes?’” Marta adds, “We get that a lot. I get emails about it all the time and everybody has a great idea. And the great idea is their kids grown up doing a Friends show.”
Interestingly, David has the most funny and straightforward response to ideas about rebooting the series. Whenever someone brings up the idea, he quickly says, “Oh, no, no, no, no,” showing that he isn’t interested in continuing the show in any way.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S., featuring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer ran for 10 seasons and 236 episodes.
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