The Poster Memorabilia blog

A Secret Reunion with Old Friends

Five friends on one soundstage, a sixth signed years later, and a poster that took eight years to finish.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

It's really good to have friends. Even more so when those same friends can get you into rooms with the best people in the world; that's what my best friend of 20 years did for me way back in 2016. He brought me along as his guest to the filming of NBC's tribute special honoring director James Burrows.

My buddy and I both loved watching Friends growing up, so when he heard the cast would reunite for the special, he snagged me a seat. The audience was mostly industry people and folks who'd actually worked with James Burrows, so getting me in there was really something.

That's why I say it was a “secret” reunion. The event itself was public and televised, but what nobody knew was the rolled-up poster in my bag. I almost felt guilty about my little plan to get the Friends cast's autographs when I got there. I was sure I was about to embarrass my friend in front of his colleagues.

Little did I know that he actually had the same idea. That was half the reason he brought me in the first place. He wanted a Friends poster signed by the cast too, but he didn't want to be the guy asking, so he sent me in with mine. What a friend, right?

Well, I guess I can't complain. I never would've met Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc if not for him. These were the guys we watched growing up. They're practically family to us. If seeing them in person meant humiliating myself for asking for their autographs, then so be it.

“These were the guys we watched growing up. They're practically family to us.”

I talked a big game, but in truth, I was scared. I really didn't want to embarrass myself in front of my favorite celebrities. But as the saying goes, you gotta do what you gotta do. And boy, did I ever do it!

Right after their segment, as they left the set, I worked up the nerve and asked them to sign the poster. Luckily, I wasn't the only one. It turned out plenty of other guests had brought something along too, and I fell right into line with them.

So in the end, I was terrified for nothing. There were other, non-industry people there who also asked them to sign all sorts of stuff, and they gave them to everybody. Including me. However, they were so quick at it that I could hardly call them celebrity encounters. They just signed my poster and moved on.

I never imagined meeting the cast of Friends would be that abrupt, but I can't blame them. It was a working night for them, and I'm sure they didn't expect a crowd of fans asking for their autographs, either. I'm just grateful they signed my poster at all.

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As you can see, though, one person was absent: Matthew Perry. He was in London doing a play at the time, so he could only join by taped message. How ironic that he's also now the only person in the main cast who's actually gone. These are just levels of grief that we Friends fans had to contend with since the actor passed away in 2023.

Luckily for me, I still got to meet him at the GQ Men of the Year Party in West Hollywood in 2022. There, I finally got him to sign the same poster, thereby completing all six of these iconic friends. And when I heard about his passing a year later, I stared at his autograph for hours.

I'm sad that we will no longer be able to see all six of these actors together again, but I'm glad the show lives on in streaming platforms and online. I think I've binged the entire series about three times since 2023, and it brings me great comfort every time.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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