Matthew Perry made millions starring in Friends, here’s how much he was worth

Matthew Perry earned millions just from starring as fan-favourite Chandler Bing on Friends, now his net worth can be revealed.

Matthew Perry was an instant sensation when he sauntered onto our TV screens in 1994 as Chandler Bing, the sarcastic best friend with a heart of gold, on Friends.

The series catapulted Perry and the rest of the ensemble cast to new heights of fame and fortune over Friends’ 10 year run.

Matthew Perry, who was renowned for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends has died. Picture: Kevin Winter / Getty Images.

In 2002, Perry and his five co-stars made history by striking the first-ever $US 1 million per-episode pay deal. The cast negotiated together, and threatened to walk off the show if they were not paid the same.

At the time it was the largest-ever paycheck for a 30-minute television show. And it was a massive jump from what the cast were reportedly paid when the show first aired.

In the early days, according to MarketPlace, Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer were reportedly paid $22,500 per episode. But by the third season the sextet were reportedly making $100,000 per episode.

Perry is reported to have earned at least $US90 million from his 10 years on Friends.

The Friends cast made history by negotiating a $1m per-episode pay deal – the largest ever for a 30-minute episode, at the time. Picture: Getty Images.

Even after the show ended in 2004, the smart negotiation skills of the cast meant they have made significant profits in the years since thanks to syndication payments – which they won during season six negotiations.

Earning syndication rights was also a major milestone for the cast, according to the New York Times, something usually previously only offered to stars who had ownership rights in a show.

So while Warner Bros earns about $US1 billion a year from reruns of the show, USA Today reported in 2015, the six cast members were pocketing 2 per cent of that: an annual income of about $US20 million.

Forbes, however, estimated in 2021 that – after deductions – the cast had earned $260 million through syndication, based on data provided by S&P Global and conversations with sources close to the deals.

Perry’s Chandler Bing (seen here alongside Matt LeBlanc’s Joey Tribbiani (L)) was a fan-favourite character on Friends. Picture: Brian D. McLaughlin/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images.

But Perry was one of the few in Hollywood to say he was a working actor and kept busy with a number of TV shows and films throughout his career.

He starred in movies like The Ron Clark Story, Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, and 17 Again. He also took up roles in TV projects like The Odd Couple.

Perry flew pretty well under the radar since his last major film project in 2009, but was catapulted back into the spotlight for the long-awaited Friends Reunion in 2021 – he and the cast were reportedly paid upwards of $US2.5 million each to appear in the special.

In October 2022, he published his memoir ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing’, which became a bestseller.

Perry has also explored real estate investment and development opportunities through the years, owning a number of multimillion-dollar properties across California. He has bought and sold multiple homes across the state, from Malibu to his latest $US5 million home in the Hollywood Hills, in June this year.

As of October 2023, Perry has an estimated net worth of about $US120 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, thanks to his career in acting, but also for his work as an executive producer and screenwriter.

Originally published as Matthew Perry made millions starring in Friends, here’s how much he was worth