Ahead of their big televised reunion on Thursday, we take a look at how they survived the ups and downs.

Matt LeBlanc: Thrown by his wife after a strip tease party

If you were to ask LeBlanc: “How are you?” the answer would probably be much better nowadays.

While Joey was an easy-going bachelor relaxed about relationship breakups, in real life, LeBlanc took the end of his 2006 marriage to former model Melissa McKnight very badly.

LeBlanc, 53, whose roster of previous girlfriends includes actresses Minnie Driver and Kate Hudson, and pornstar Jenna Jameson, split from Melissa after being caught getting too close to a strip -teaser at a party. The actor admitted that he barely left home for years afterwards and that it was “a very dark time”.

He is currently dating Aurora Mulligan, a BBC producer he met while working on Top Gear, and is a devoted father to his 16-year-old daughter, Marina, from her marriage to Melissa.

LeBlanc also feels a lot more positive about his acting career, which he had had enough of as a result of Friends end.

Most recently he was the star and producer of the American sitcom Man with a plan, which ended last year after four rounds.

Matt has also received numerous rave reviews for his appearances in the BBC comedy Episodes, which lasted almost seven years.

Lisa Kudrow: still married to Mr Right

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Like her character Phoebe, the actress found herself a little emotional, this time at her son Julian’s graduation ceremony in California last weekend.

Kudrow, 57, posted a picture of them together on Instagram afterwards, saying: “Happy proud happy. And a little crying. By me not him.

She was pregnant with Julian, now 23, while filming the fourth series of Friends – and his baby bump was written in the script. Of the six core cast members of the show, she has lived the most stable personal life.

Kudrow has been married to 63-year-old businessman Michel Stern for 26 years and they live together in Beverly Hills. She was a virgin until she married Michael in 1995, after running away for the right man.

She once said, “I don’t know if you would call me uptight, but I understood what it’s like to be so afraid of sex – of your sexuality. To me it was just, ‘No, I’m running away because I have to make myself worthy of the kind of man I have in mind.’

His comedic timing was perfect for catchy supporting roles in movie comedies. Easy and Booksmart.

Last year Kudrow starred in the Channel 4 series Feel good, which will return to Netflix for a second series. She also appears in the streaming channel comedy Space force.

David Schwimmer: Separated from his wife after seven years

His Friends Ross’s character was super goofy, and offscreen Schwimmer stepped away from the spotlight as well.

When he married British artist Zoe Buckman in 2010, it was a very private affair – and the same can be said of their divorce seven years later.

Schwimmer issued a statement at the time saying, “It is with a lot of love, respect and friendship that we have decided to take some time apart.”

He added that they would focus on their now 10-year-old daughter Cleo.

The couple appear to have achieved this goal by remaining good friends and were pictured together on a Black Lives Matter walk last year.

Schwimmer, 54, who previously dated Australian singer-actress Natalie Imbruglia, is reportedly single for the time being.

Professionally he also tried directing, filming the 2007 Simon Pegg comedy Run Fatboy Run as well as episodes of Little Brittany.

Most recently, he starred in the sitcom Sky Intelligence, which returns for a second series, and a 2019 film Laundromat, with Meryl Streep.

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Matthew Perry: battle against drink and drugs

After years of romantic turmoil, the struggling actor is currently engaged with literary director Molly Hurwitz.

Perry, 51, who once dated Julia Roberts and reportedly held a candle for co-star Courteney Cox, has long expressed a desire to get married and have children.

The star – who has had a very public battle with drugs and alcohol – announced her engagement to Molly, 29, in November. A source said The sun: “Matthew is fine. Molly is very supportive and he has a strong team around him.

Last year, fans expressed concern over his scrambled words when he recorded greetings on celebrity website Cameo.

The same problem arose in the Friends meeting promo.

Insiders insist he did not fall off the wagon and that any speech problems are likely to be linked to his years of drug addiction.

Matthew admitted he was so “beside himself” for Friends series three to six, he couldn’t remember.

After not appearing in a movie for over a decade, Matthew will be back in Netflix’s next black comedy Don’t look up, with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Courteney Cox: agony of IVF and seven miscarriages

The family-loving actress wanted to have multiple children, but fertility issues meant she only had her 16-year-old daughter Coco, whom she shares with her former husband David Arquette.

Cox, 56, spoke of his struggles with IVF and the misery of having suffered seven miscarriages.

Recalling having worked on Friends in a scene alongside Jennifer’s character, she said, “I remember one time I just had a miscarriage and Rachel was giving birth. It was like the same time. Oh my God, it was terrible to be funny.

She’s going out now Snow patrol guitarist Johnny McDaid, 44, whom she met seven years ago through mutual friend Ed Sheeran.

The couple spent much of the pandemic apart because Cox lives in Los Angeles and Johnny in London. This month she moved to the UK to be with him. They briefly separated in late 2015 when they called off their engagement before reuniting.

Cox remains good friends with her ex-husband and Scream co-star Arquette, 49, who struggled with alcohol problems during their four-year marriage.

The pair will be back onscreen together in the horror franchise early next year, when Scream 5 hits cinemas.

Jennifer Aniston: divorced twice but no reunion with ex Brad

There was a glimmer of anticipation on another much-hoped-for reunion when Jennifer’s ex-husband Brad Pitt was seen grabbing her hand at an awards show last year.

The A-listers have both been single since their second marriage ended in divorce.

Aniston, 52, split from actor Justin Theroux in 2017 after just two years together as a man and woman, while Pitt, now 57, ended his marriage to his compatriot Angelina Jolie the previous year.

But it looks like the couple are nothing more than good friends, and there are rumors that Aniston is now dating someone else. Over the years, there has been no end to speculation about whether or not she will have children.

She responded to this five years ago by writing that women “are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child.”

Of all the big names on the show, Jennifer has had the most commercial solo success.

According to Forbes, worth $ 250 million in 2017, she can command up to $ 15 million per film role, having appeared in box office hits such as Horrible bosses and Marley and I.

His most recent project was the Apple TV + series The morning show, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.

Friends: The Reunion will air on BINGE at 5:02 p.m. EST on May 27, live from the United States. To watch the special or the 236 other episodes of Friends, visit Binge.com.au

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This article was originally published on The sun and has been reproduced with permission