Courteney Cox Says "Monica Is Alive and Well" But a 'Friends' Reboot Is Out of the Question

"Are you kidding?"

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow on the set of the sitcom 'Friends'
(Image credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

It's hard to believe that Friends came out 30 years ago. In honor of the sitcom's 30th anniversary, Courteney Cox has been reflecting on the hit TV show, which continues to find new fans in 2024.

Cox spoke to People at a Rock4EB event on Saturday, September 21, where she marveled at the success of Friends.

"It's just insane to me because it feels like time, it goes so fast and I don't realize it," she said of the fact the TV show launched three decades ago on September 22, 1994. "We used to say, 'Oh, I can't wait for this month,' or 'God, it feels like forever.' I would never say that line anymore."

Cox also discussed where her beloved character, Monica Geller, would be today. "Monica is alive and well," the actress told People. "Are you kidding?"

While Friends remains a cultural touchstone, Cox doesn't revisit old episodes all that often. "But whenever I do come across it, I can't help but [watch]," she told the outlet.

Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow on the set of Friends on November 8, 1994

Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow on the set of Friends on November 8, 1994.

(Image credit: Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

Like viewers all over the globe, Cox remains grateful that Friends continues to entertain new fans.

"That show is incredible," she told the outlet. "Every joke holds up, all the characters are just so amazing, and we [had] the best writers in the world. I'm lucky that it continues on through all the generations. And that's very fortunate."

Sadly, however, the Cougar Town star isn't convinced that a Friends reboot would work.

"It’s hard to try to redo anything," she told People. "Anything with 're' in front of it with this group... I think it's so special."

While a reboot is off the table, the cast did reunite for Friends: The Reunion in 2021. Many of the cast members have also remained close since filming ended, with Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow sometimes sharing photos from evenings they've spent together.

Unfortunately, the cast lost one of their own in October 2023. Friends fans all over the world mourned the death of Matthew Perry, who played Cox's love interest, Chandler Bing, on the hit show.

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.