Jennifer Aniston says ‘Friends’ cast ‘got rid of bitterness’ by fighting for equal pay

Many stars who work alongside each other in hit shows and films often fall prey to negativity and bitterness on set.

However, stars of the nineties classic sitcom Friends successfully remained glued together and were able to avoid being bitter towards each other through one thing: equal pay.

While chatting on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show, Jennifer Aniston, who was joined by costars Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow, revealed how it was important for all six members of the cast to be paid the same amount of $1million per episode.

“We’re all doing the exact same amount of work. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable knowing I was making more,” said Aniston.

Cox added: “We all felt that way. I thought it was the most important thing—as we all did—that we all were equal in every single way. That was the first time that people had all stuck together in a cast. I think it was scary, probably, for productions after that.”

Kudrow explained how with everyone’s salary being equal “it just got rid of bitterness. It was such a great relationship that is really rare and really lucky.”

“I think Courteney had a lot to do with it, too, because she was the most well-known. When we got there she was like, ‘Let’s help each other if you think something’s funny, let’s give each other notes’,” Kudrow recalled.

Aniston gave that a nod of approval and said: “It was healing. We actually kind of parented and healed and loved each other.”