Christmas Comes Early for F.R.I.E.N.D.S:
Frosty the Doughman has made a special delivery to the cast of Friends. Warner Bros., which has been accused of being a regular Scrooge with the cast of one of its most valuable properties, has coughed up some serious green in this season of giving.
Daily Variety reports that the studio recently gifted Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc with $200,000 apiece.
According to the trade, the studio considered several offerings, including giving each cast member a Range Rover. Other luxury autos were considered before Warner Bros. execs agreed that $100,000 in cash would best show their appreciation. But when it finally came time to write the checks, the amount was doubled, presumably to the delight of the cast.
There were reports that Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and Joey were feeling less than friendly toward Warner Bros. After the studio presented the stars of ER with $1 million bonus checks after NBC agreed to fork over $13 million per episode, and gave Drew Carey a shiny new Porsche.
By comparison, the studio honored Friends' 100th episode by handing out paperweights to the cast. By coincidence, NBC also gave out paperweights, leading the actors to believe it was all a big joke. It wasn't.
Sources at WB tell Variety that everyone at the studio received paperweights, and the company had always planned on delivering a far more generous gift to the cast.
And the trade says the bonuses are just the tip of the money tree for the NBC Must-See sitcom stars, who are reportedly planning to ask— Given the show's strong ratings, continued critical kudos, and success in syndication, it's likely the cast members will soon land a big-bucks deal similar to their ER counterparts.