The Friends cast is perfect. All six leads truly embodied their characters, had pitch-perfect comedic timing and felt like real friends. Now, over 20 years after the last episode, audiences still know all the Friends’ main characters and their personalities. Even if they haven’t watched the show. Which is all down to the great work of Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. That said, for fun, let’s try to envision who would play Friends’ lead roles in 2025.
To accomplish this, I will try to pick actors who are not yet huge stars, though some may have high-profile credits. Just to avoid this being a star-studded fan casting. Plus, the players will be in their mid-20s to early 30s. Like the original cast when they started.
Monica – Hari Nef
Throughout her relatively small career, Hari Nef has showcased many of Monica’s key qualities. Her role in Barbie demonstrated her comedic talent and her caring nature. Additionally, Assassination Nation platformed her more cutting wit as well as a vulnerable side that could be well utilised for Monica’s insecurities. Also, given that she stands out and plays well as part of an ensemble cast in both projects, it’s undeniable that Hari would make a great pick for the Friends’ mother figure.
Chandler – Jacob Batalon
Could there be a more perfect modern embodiment of Chandler Bing than Jacob Batalon? His turn as Ned in the MCU Spider-Man films shows that he can do pretty much any type of comedy you can throw at him. He is pitch-perfect as the funny, loyal best friend archetype. Coupled with this, his sweet small-scale courtship with Angourie Rice’s Betty Brant in Far From Home provides a great basis for him to build on with Chandler and Monica’s relationship storyline.
Phoebe – Geraldine Viswanathan
Phoebe Buffay wears her heart on her sleeve. She is also unpredictable, with a sarcastic, sometimes dark sense of humour. Geraldine Viswanathan can nail sarcasm and emotionally honest moments. Her underappreciated work in Drive Away Dolls proves it. Meanwhile, Miracle Workers: End Times gets many big laughs from her delivery of dark punchlines. Seriously, imagine Phoebe in a post-apocalypse scenario. You will end up with something like Geraldine’s performance in Miracle Workers: End Times.
Joey – Jacob Elordi
You see, Joey Tribbiani is an actor, he’s also charming, a devoted friend, and one of TV’s most beloved himbos. Who else could pull that off? Well, as Saltburn‘s Felix is a charming himbo who defends someone he considers a friend, and other projects like Priscilla and Euphoria indicate he can play a variety of roles, which he could utilise for Joey’s acting projects, Jacob Elordi would be fantastic as the jobbing actor.
Rachel – Aimee Lou Wood
Initially sheltered and naive, Rachel Green rises to have her own career while maintaining a welcoming personality. She is Friends’ most well-known character. If there is any equivalent that instantly comes to mind, it’s Aimee Lou Wood’s Aimee from Sex Education. Aimee also has a privileged background and appears naive at first, but she also goes through a lot of development and keeps a sense of warmth throughout. Plus, Aimee is really funny, having won a BAFTA for her performance. Which is a big deal.
Ross – David Corenswet
Yes, the new Superman would make a fantastic Ross Geller. He can play both the charming and darker aspects needed for Ross’ love life, see his Projectionist performance in Pearl. The sense of humour that saves Ross from being a repulsive presence is also on full display in his interviews. The dedication to acting we see in his role as Hollywood‘s Jack means he can also pull off Ross’s passion for Palaeontology.
So ends our look at who we would cast in the iconic Friends roles in 2025. Who would you pick for these beloved parts?
