This is from Mr showbiz.com http://mrshowbiz.go.com/news/Todays_Stories/504/friendsnegotiate050400.html
May 4, 2000
Friends Demand $1 Million Each
Foreheads are beading up with sweat in the offices of NBC and Warner Bros. as the cast members of Friends threaten to walk if they aren't given a sizeable and collective raise.
Despite actor David Schwimmer's earlier denial that nobody on the cast is asking for a hefty $1 million per episode, USA Today confirms that all six stars are indeed demanding seven figures in an all-or-nothing negotiation. As talks continue, NBC and its production company, Warner Bros., are considering whether the fresh-faced Friends — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox Arquette, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and Schwimmer — are worth eight times their current salary.
So far, the studio and network have put half a mil on the table for the cast, but no one's jumping to grab it. Only 11 days remain until NBC must announce its fall lineup; without Friends, which steadily snags more than 20 million viewers per season, the peacock network's Thursday night "Must-See TV" lineup would have only ER in the late 10 p.m. slot to sustain its viewership.
But the cast of the coffeehouse comedy has its own obvious weaknesses. Though the actors all hope to hop over to the big screen using Friends as a springboard, it's not a rock-solid plan. Of the sextet, only Kudrow (Opposite of Sex, Analyze This) and Cox Arquette (the Scream trilogy) have managed to cause a slight stir at the box office. Schwimmer's beyond-atrocious turn in The Pallbearer and Perry's inability to alter his Friends mannerisms on film (The Whole Nine Yards, Three to Tango) make for a poor argument to leave their cushy Manhattan, N.Y., digs.
Still, as witnessed by the overdue end of Beverly Hills, 90210, youth-oriented shows can't go on forever. It's difficult for viewers to suspend their disbelief when Ross and Rachel have grown crow's feet and are still hanging out at the java shop in midday. Already, Friends has lost a portion of its younger audience to the WB and UPN, networks that specialize in the finicky interests of teens.
However, the network and studio know Friends' cutie-pie factor will hold viewership for a few more seasons, and they can afford neither to lose the $1 billion in syndication dollars, nor the vicious punch to the gut of its Thursday night lineup. The cast is well aware of its value. As Kudrow tells USA Today, "It's either all of us doing it or not; that's what we have to decide."
In related news, stoic Friends actor Perry (Chandler) has been hospitalized with severe flu and stomach pains, reports gossip columnist Liz Smith. Perry's rep called the writer to dispel any substance abuse myths before the media learned of his sickness. The actor entered rehab last year for an addiction to prescription pills.
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