Everything We Know About the 'Friends' Reunion Special Episode

May 20, 2021 by Bed Threads

It has to be one of the most anticipated television events in the world: HBO Max’s Friends reunion special, which is reuniting all of the core cast, as well as adding in several high profile guest stars as part of a big celebration of this iconic series.

That’s right, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudros, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer are reuniting for a very special episode that will take us back to the days of coffee at Central Perk, being in your 20s in New York and living with your best friends. This special episode is just about the most exciting thing happening in the world of television, given that a reunion between the cast has long been mooted. All it took was HBO Max to get them all together again.

Here’s what we know about the series so far.

Who is in the cast of the Friends reunion special?

All your favourites are returning: Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Courtney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matthew Perry (Chandler), Matt LeBlanc (Joey) and David Schwimmer (Ross), will all be in the reunion special.

Also returning will be supporting characters from over the years, including Maggie Wheeler (Janice), James Michael Tyler (Gunther), Reese Witherspoon (Jill), Tom Selleck (Richard) and Elliot Gould and Christina Pickles, who fans will remember as Ross and Monica’s mum and dad, Jack and Judy.

These famous and recognisable faces will all be appearing as themselves in this special episode, which is designed as an unscripted reunion for these actors to share stories about Friends and behind-the-scenes moments as part of a big celebration of the show.

Who are the guest stars of the Friends reunion special?

Are you ready? Take a deep breath, because this guest star list is long.

Some of the names include David Beckham, Cindy Crawford, James Corden, BTS, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Kit Harington, Mindy Kaling and civil rights activist Malala Yousafzai. What a list! We can’t wait to hear what they think of Friends, and what their own personal relationship to the series is.

What is the plot of the Friends reunion special?

Producers of this highly-anticipated one-off episode are keeping the exact plot under wraps. But one thing we do know is that it’s not a Friends episode per se, but rather a reunion for the key stars and supporting actors to talk about the legacy of the series and about their memories of making it. The core cast and supporting actors will reunite on the original Friends soundstage to talk about the show – which means that they’ll all be appearing as themselves.

This is the statement released by HBO Max about the content of the episode:

“Lastly, in order to avoid any misunderstanding about what this special is, we want to make it very clear that this is not a new, original episode of the series. The cast will be appearing as themselves, not as their beloved characters.”

Still, we wouldn’t put it past this crew, or HBO Max, to throw in a few surprises. Anything is possible where Friends is concerned.

When will we be able to watch the Friends reunion special?

Originally, the Friends reunion special was slated for release in 2020, but the coronavirus delayed production and release. Now, filming on the Friends reunion special has finally been complete and it will air on HBO Max on May 27. Start counting down the days now!

Where can we watch the Friends reunion special in Australia?

HBO Max is the streaming service for the Friends reunion special in the US, but we don’t have HBO Max here in Australia. The partner for HBO Max Down Under is Binge, and you'll be able to watch it there on May 27.

Is there a teaser trailer for the Friends reunion special?

There is! You can watch it below. We are so excited, and also a little teary. We’re chalking that down to the remix of the Friends theme by The Rembrandts that is used as the soundtrack to the teaser. It just hits us right in the feels.