Jennifer Aniston even took a pay cut to achieve pay parity among the FRIENDS cast
Jen Aniston Breaks Down Over Matthew Perry's Fight
In the second season of FRIENDS, the cast's paycheck depended on their popularity. Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer were offered more money than their co-stars. However, Aniston and Schwimmer stood up for their friends and opposed the unequal pay structure. In an interview, Jennifer Aniston opened up about the salary negotiations that could have easily ruined "FRIENDS."
For the remainder of their 10-season run, the six cast members, including Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow, appeared together for contract talks. In Season 3, both Aniston and Schwimmer took a pay cut to achieve pay parity between the actors.
Jennifer Aniston and the rest of her FRIENDS co-stars earned just $22,500 per episode when the sitcom's first season rolled out (via Parade). The story of Aniston's Rachel and David Schwimmer's Ross took center stage due to their romantic angle in the first few seasons and they became an instant fan favorite.
