We never get tired of watching Friends re-runs!
Die-hard fans were delighted when the reunion saw main cast members such as Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox returning to reminisce about the hit series back in 2021 – and we’re still as obsessed with the show as ever – but so much time has passed that the youngsters in the series are all grown up!
The first baby on the Friends scene was Ross’ son Ben whom he shared with his ex-wife Carol. The part of Ben was actually played by four different actors throughout the show. The first, when Ben was born, was Michael Gunderson, before twin toddlers Charles Thomas Allen and John Christopher Allen took over. Finally, perhaps the most notable actor was Cole Sprouse who played an older Ben. Cole went on to have a successful acting career, going on to star in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (alongside his twin Dylan) and Riverdale on Netflix.
Similar to the character’s half-brother, the part of Emma was played by more than one actor. The first set of twins to play her were Elizabeth and Genevieve Davidson, and Alexandra and Athina Conley. Finally, in the later seasons, twins Cali and Noelle Sheldon played toddler Emma, and are now 19! They also continued to act and appeared in the thriller Us in 2019.
After Phoebe’s brother Frank Junior and his partner Alice asked her to carry their baby, they were not expecting triplets! The babies that played Leslie, Chandler and Frank Jr Jr were uncredited, but by season six, the triplets appeared as toddlers when Phoebe, Monica and Chandler tried their hand at babysitting. These triplets were actually played by quadruplets Alexis, Cole, Justin and Paul Cimoch. In season ten, the triplets appeared again with Dante Pastula playing Frank, Sierra Marcoux as Chandler, and Allisyn Ashley Arm (pictured) playing Leslie. Dante Pastula, now 22, went on to star in The Polar Express and Allisyn, now 24, went on to star in children’s TV show Sonny with a Chance and other Disney Channel shows.
She may have had a small role, but Emily Osment appeared as trick-or-treater Lelani Mayolanofavich in season seven and her character has a scene with Rachel. Emily went on to continue acting and appeared alongside Miley Cyrus as her BBF in Disney Channel’s hit show Hannah Montana.
Before Daryl Sabara appeared on Friends as Owen (who awkwardly found out he was adopted thanks to Chandler) he was already a star of the big screen having appeared in Spy Kids. He’s also known nowadays as singer Meghan Trainor’s husband. Small world! Mae Whitman appears in season three in The One Where Rachel Quits. She plays Sarah, a Brown Bird who ends up getting her leg broken accidentally by Ross who then goes on to sell cookies for her. Since appearing in Friends, Mae went on to enjoy success in shows such as Arrested Development and NBC’s Good Girls. She’s also appeared in films like The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Kyla Pratt appeared in season three as Brown Bird Charla Nichols, who gets into a spat with Ross for breaking fellow Brown Bird Sarah’s leg. Since the show, Kyla went on to star in many TV shows such as One on One, The Proud Family and the Dr Dolittle films opposite Eddie Murphy.