What Do The 'Friends' Look Like Now?

It's totally OK to admit that you were psyched to see (most of) the cast of Friends to reunite in a two hour special on Sunday, Feb. 21, even if the special itself isn't particularly Friends-centric. You can only marathon watch all of Friends so many times before you get starved for new content, you know, and right now this is as good as we'll get to a true reunion. But I don't know, guys, it's been over 20 years... and while we've seen them in their own projects here and there, seeing what the cast of Friends looks like now together in one room is quite the shock to the system.

I'm not saying people can't age — what am I, a monster? — it's just that sheer fact of aging is that people are going to look different after that many years. So I peeked in on the 1996 episode "The One With The Lesbian Wedding" to see how the cast looks like a full two decades later. Everyone looks pretty amazing now, but they definitely don't look like early twentysomethings just trying to make it in New York, like they once did.

So, without any delay, here is a quick comparison of what the cast of Friends looked like in 1996 vs. now.

Matt LeBlanc: 1996

So, by Friends' second season, Joey had ditched that voluminous side part and opted for a gel intensive flipped-up bangs look. I'm sure you remember the flipped-up bangs look; the hottest boy in second grade had it.

Matt LeBlanc: 2016

How you doin'? You have to admit that LeBlanc is certainly a lot grayer these days, but, if you squint real close, you can totally see a hint of the bang-flip, don't you think?

Courteney Cox: 1996

I have mixed feels about Cox's bob. In certain angles, it looks chic, and, in others, it looks like, well, kind of mom-ish considering that Season 2 era Friends are ballpark my age. Impeccable side eye game, though.

Courteney Cox: 2016

Hot damn. That is an updated bob that takes you from zero to gorgeous, if you understand what I'm saying (the red dress helps). Those eyes still pierce, too.

Matthew Perry: 1996

Peak Friends conjures up images of everyone in fanciful vests and peacoats. Also, a lighter bang flip for Chandler right here.

Matthew Perry: 2016

Perry definitely went the way of LeBlanc, in that his hair isn't that dark black anymore (as is what happens with age, it's fine), and look, a sprinkling of stubble. I do appreciate that his hair is slicked back now, though.

Lisa Kudrow: 1996

At one point during this episode, Phoebe wears a scrunchie and gets possessed by a dead woman she was massaging. So there's that.

Lisa Kudrow: 2016

The weird thing is that the haircut isn't all that different. The weirder thing is that Kudrow looks practically conservative next to Central Perks' resident runaway hippie.

David Schwimmer: 1996

Ross isn't only the president of the Hair Gel Club for men, he's a member. Also, his professor-wear was always so brown.

David Schwimmer: 2016

Schwimmer actually cleaned up well here, and that suit is far, far more debonair than all his old tweed standards.

Jennifer Aniston: 1996

She is perpetually sporting her signature layers, and a micro-mini that was almost criminal to consider as appropriate work attire.

Jennifer Aniston: 2016

Yeah, so the only difference between Aniston now and Aniston then is that, at some point, she invested in a hair straightener and some lipstick in another color besides brown.

Everyone else can go home.

Images: Warner Bros. Television (7)