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Courteney Cox is celebrating 20 years since the Friends finale. On May 6, the actor took to Instagram to mark the 20th anniversary of the sitcom’s last episode, sharing an emotional clip from the show’s final moments.
“It’s been 20 years since the series finale of Friends,” Cox, who played Monica Geller in the series, wrote in a caption. “I don’t know how we were able to act through all the tears. Forever grateful.”
The final scene shows Monica (Cox), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Ross (David Schwimmer), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and Chandler (the late Matthew Perry) standing in Monica’s New York City apartment for the last time before she and Chandler move to their new home.
“Do you guys have to go to the new house right away, or do you have some time?” Rachel asks. “We got some time,” Monica replies. “OK, shall we get some coffee?” Rachel asks as the six friends leave the apartment. “Sure … where?” Chandler jokes.
The clip shared by Cox then cuts to a behind-the-scenes moment filmed during the show’s final taping, showing the visibly emotional Friends cast taking a bow before the onlooking studio audience.
Airing between 1994 and 2004, the beloved sitcom followed a tight-knit group of friends (Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey) in New York City. Friends won six Emmys throughout its ten-season run, and became one of the most-watched sitcoms of all time, with more than 52 million people tuning in for the 2004 finale.
The Friends finale anniversary comes after the death of cast member Perry, who died at the age of 54 in October 2023. Along with individual tributes, the cast of Friends released a joint statement via People paying tribute to the actor.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement read. “We’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss … our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
