The cast of beloved sitcom Friends put on a united front when announcing the sensational news of a reunion episode.
WATCH: Justin Theroux found Brad Pitt love notes to Jen Aniston
But it appears the actors are not as friendly as their characters were on the hit 1990s show.
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer had rubbished rumours of a reunion for years before making the shock announcement they would reunite for a one-off special to air on US network, HBO.
Sources say it was the fat pay cheques waved in their faces that finally convinced them to take part in a 2020 reunion, 16 years after the finale aired.
“There’s still a ton of drama involving this reunion and plenty of issues to resolve before they can go ahead with anything long-term,” an insider tells New Idea exclusively.
“At the end of the day, money has talked and the one-off is a go, but that doesn’t mean everyone is on board and fully comfortable with a new series.”
According to an insider, Matt – who played loveable playboy Joey – had to be talked around for months due to tensions between him and Jen. Rumours flew that Jen and Matt had a steamy affair during filming – but 51-year-old Jen has long denied any romance with her co-star.
“Jen and Matt have an uneasy friendship, mainly because he perceives Jen as being kind of snobby and above it all,” the source says.
Insiders say Jen, who is arguably the biggest name and highest paid out of the cast, was also defiantly against filming a reunion due to her long-running feud with show co-creator Marta Kauffman.
“There are some serious issues at play, with tensions lingering between some of the characters, and the big elephant in the room being Jen’s awkwardness with Marta,” the source says.
When the six stars renegotiated their contracts in 2002 and earned more than $US1million an episode, Marta was unhappy with their big pay cheques.
“A million dollars an episode is kinda ridiculous,” she said in 2015. “Let’s be honest, that’s a lot of money.”
And money appears to be the deciding factor in the Friends reunion special, with each star earning $US2.5 ($AU3.7) million for a month’s work. While Jen needed to be convinced, insiders say Courteney was all for a reunion but doesn’t really need the cash – although Lisa is said to be ‘desperate’ to take part.
Matthew Perry, who has battled drug addiction, reportedly needed reassurance from his co-stars that he hasn’t been an ‘embarrassment’.
Sources say there’s potential of a billion-dollar payday down the line, depending on the show’s success.
“Ultimately, the money was too much to resist and the cheque they’re getting for a month’s work has persuaded them to do it,” the insider adds.
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