Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox Were Close Co-Stars — Are They Related?
'Friends' co-stars and former Mr. and Mrs. Bing Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox have always been close. Now, fans wonder are they related? Here's what we know.
May 26 2021, Published 3:29 p.m. ET
In eager anticipation of the upcoming Friends reunion, fans have been scouring the internet for all details involving the fabulous five co-stars. Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox remained close since they portrayed Chandler Bing and Monica Geller.
But could the two actors be related? Here's everything we know about Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox potentially sharing family ties.
A new genealogical study by MyHeritage revealed how Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox are related.
Geneology experts with the company MyHeritage told CNN that a recent study revealed that Matthew and Courteney are 11th cousins. The experts discovered that Matthew and Courteney's shared relatives were named William Osbern Haskell III and Ellen Haskell, and they lived in England during the 1600s.
One of their sons, Roger Haskell, is Courteney's ancestor, and another son, William, is Matthew's ancestor. MyHeritage made this discovery by tracing the ancestry of Courteney's mother, Courteney Copeland, and Matthew's father, John Bennett Perry.
The CEO of MyHeritage told CNN, "We went into this line very deeply. We checked every name. We found a lot of records that support it, and we have confidence that they are related."
While it's unclear if this study was initiated by the actors themselves or if pure curiosity on the part of the company was behind this inquiry, the discovery of a genetic link between the two actors is a surprise to anyone who eagerly anticipated their coupling-up on Friends.
The pair played Chandler Bing and Monica Geller, who eventually married after a fling during Ross's (David Schwimmer) wedding in London. Both actors have discussed how well they get along and said that they have kept in touch over the years.
Matthew and Courteney are also related to another famous actress: Lady Gaga.
Anyone who has played the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game knows that all of Hollywood is intertwined somehow! MyHeritage also revealed that Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox aren't just 11th cousins with each other — they are also distantly related to Lady Gaga.
Ironically, Lady Gaga will perform the song "Smelly Cat" on Friends: The Reunion with actress Lisa Kudrow, who originally sang the song as her character, Phoebe, on the show. It looks like the Friends reunion might be a family reunion as well!
Variety spoke to Friends: The Reunion director Ben Winston, who revealed that Gaga jumped at the chance to perform on the special.
Ben said, "I said to Lisa, ‘Would you be prepared to sing [Smelly Cat]?' And she was like, ‘Yeah, that would be fun.' We went through a few names, and we both agreed that Gaga, if we could get her, would be the ultimate one because she associates with and feels close to Phoebe in so many ways, as Gaga says on the show. That was a really beautiful moment. And Lady Gaga jumped at the chance to do it."
Fans will have to wait and see the rest of the fun reunion antics on Friends: The Reunion (alternately titled, The One Where They Get Back Together) when it airs on May 27, 2021, exclusively on HBO Max.
