Highlights

• The cast of Friends had humble beginnings and knew the show would be their ticket to fame and a stable income.
• Courteney Cox purchased a Porsche before the show was even picked up, while Matt LeBlanc, who was broke at the time, bought dinner with his first paycheck.
• Jennifer Aniston bought a 1969 Mercedes with her first Friends paycheck, but the car broke down soon after. Jay Leno found her attractive because he is a car guy and the car could now be worth a lot of money.

Most Friends fans know that before the show premiered, none of the cast members had very long resumes in Hollywood. Each was trying to make their respective 'big break,' and somehow, they all knew that Friends would be their ticket to not just fame, but a reliable paycheck.

Like any other 20-something starting out in their career, the Friends cast had their struggles before the show got picked up. So when they got their first paychecks, the cast was happy to be able to throw a bit of cash around. Jennifer Aniston, specifically, revealed that she bought something very cool with her Friends paycheck, something that even impressed Jay Leno.

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Years ago, Jay Leno sat down with the cast of Friends to discuss, among other things, what they spent their first paychecks on. It's probably something many fans have wondered about, especially in terms of how much those first paychecks actually were. Each cast member had a bit different story to relate.

When Jay asked who needed the job the most, back when Friends started in 1994, and Matt LeBlanc admitted that he was probably the most desperate. He related that he was super broke at the time—with only $11 to his name—and the first thing he bought with his very first paycheck was dinner.

Other actors were better off at that time, specifically Courteney Cox, although she wasn't quite rolling in the dough yet. While Lisa Kudrow joked that Courteney 'bought a building' with her Friends money, Cox laughed it off, while suggesting she may have purchased a building recently (by that time).

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Her first purchase, Cox explained, was a Porsche—but she bought it before the show was even picked up. Apparently, Courteney lived a bit beyond her means at that point, but maybe that optimism helped manifest the show's successful run.

Jay approved of her purchase, saying that was a good choice.

Courteney admitted, "I do overextend myself a little... I took a gamble and it worked."

As for Lisa Kudrow, she seemed a bit embarrassed to admit that she bought an Acura Legend. While that was a more frugal choice, at least she and Jennifer Aniston both waited until they had money in hand to buy their cars.

However, Lisa's car would have cost about $38,000 back in the 1990s, depending on the model and features. While an Acura wasn't a big-name luxury car, it was an impressive purchase, especially if Lisa bought the car cash.

As for Jennifer, she had some troubles, albeit not financial, when making her first-ever Friends paycheck purchase. In the end, she may have wished she had bought an Acura.

Jay Leno 'Bonded' With Jennifer Aniston Over Her Car Purchase

Like Courteney, Jennifer confessed she bought a nice car with her first Friends paycheck, a 1969 280 Mercedes. When she told Jay this, he immediately replied, "We should go out. That'd be great yeah... now you're really attractive to me."

Jennifer said "thank you" and laughed, and right after, Lisa piped up about Courteney's 'building.' It seemed that she may have read the room—and Jay's awkward flirting—and wanted to divert the conversation.

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Why was Jennifer so much more attractive to Jay once she revealed her car purchase? Leno is well-known as a 'car guy,' and although he lives rather frugally, he still owns an expensive car. Today, a 1969 Mercedes can cost as much as $180K, based on online listings, with $100K more the average.

Back in her 20s, Jennifer reportedly purchased her car for $13,000. While she was thrilled driving it off the lot, she admitted in another interview that the car broke down soon after. Calling it a lemon, Jennifer claimed she drove the car twice before it stopped running.

It's not clear whether she kept the car or simply got rid of it, but had she held onto the vehicle, it would be worth a ton of money today—likely even as a lemon. As for Courteney's car, she said she kept it for seven years, meaning she eventually got rid of it. Today, a Porsche 993 would be worth around $70K.

The Friends Cast Went On To Earn Millions

Those first paychecks were nothing to scoff at, especially for struggling actors like Matt LeBlanc, but over time, the entire cast would amass millions thanks to their roles.

David Schwimmer even went out on a limb to help his fellow cast members get paid more, and it ended well for all of them. While bigger paychecks during the show were a perk, the cast also continued to receive royalties for many more years.

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It's not exactly clear how much the Friends cast has earned from royalties, but even some guest stars received not-too-tiny checks, hinting that the main cast probably receives millions per year.

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