TV first cast photos vs. reunion year later: how TV's biggest ensembles changed

Fans were delighted when members of the Happy Days cast reunited in October 2025 at a fan event in Utah.

Henry Winkler (Fonzie), Anson Williams (Potsie) and Donny Most (Ralph Malph) took photos with a trio of fans dressed in their '50s best, and shared on social media how special the moment was for them. "So much fun when fans get dressed up for the photo ops. These ladies looked fantastic," wrote Anson.

The sitcom ran from 1974 to 1984 and made stars of its main cast, including Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham. It followed Richie, his family and his friends in Milwaukee, and was set during the '50s. It spawned several spinoffs and has cemented itself as one of the 20th century's most iconic shows.

While the cast has reunited various times over the years, Ron and Henry joined forces for a special Happy Days moment at the 2024 Emmy Awards to celebrate its 50-year anniversary.  

The cast of the cult classic 1985 film, directed by Steven Spielberg, reunited to support Ke Huy Quan for his hand-and-footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in LA in February. The actor has enjoyed a career resurgence in recent years after his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once won him an Oscar in 2023, following a decades-long break from the industry.

In attendance at the ceremony were Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Kerri Green, Corey Feldman, and screenwriter Chris Columbus. Josh read a touching message from Steven at the event, which read: "I'm proud of you for your meteoric rise as a child. And then your second meteoric rise as a grown-up, and believe me, very few of us get two bites of that apple."

Josh added: "I could not be happier for you. I know we all are, all us Goonies here for an honor that is not only totally deserved but celebrates all that is right in this industry."

Ke Huy, who played Data in the film, shared with TooFab that he "couldn't control [his] emotions" at the ceremony, and added that he would love to sign on for a reboot. "Honestly, I love that movie so much. It's one of the greatest adventures of my life," he said. "I would be so happy to revisit that character and, of course, go on another Goonies adventure with my fellow Goonies; that would be amazing!"

Friends: The Reunion aired in 2021 and saw the six main actors return to the set of the show, which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry sat down and shared memories from their time together, in what would be Matthew's final on-screen appearance before his tragic death in 2023.

"I was flooded with 10 years of irreplaceable memories," Courteney told People of returning to the set. Her co-star Matt added, "It's funny, when we do get together, it's like no time has passed. We pick up right where we left off." The group chatted about their close bond with each other, and hypothesized about what their characters would be doing today.

Fans were blessed with a Charlie's Angels reunion in 2019 when Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz came to support Lucy Liu at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. The trio starred in the first film in 2000, followed by its sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, in 2003. "Charlie's Angels reunion!!! 20 years ago we were forming an elite crime fighting team. Thanks to @DrewBarrymore and @CameronDiaz for always being my angels!" Lucy shared on social media, alongside a photo of the acclaimed actresses.

"20 years of this tripod!!!!!!! We love each other and support each other. Always will. Congratulations to our girl and her star on the walk of fame," wrote Drew in a separate post, while Cameron commented, "CONGRATS LUCY!! YOU TRULY ARE A [star emoji]... LOVED HONORING YOU TODAY.... ANGELS FOREVER."

For the show's 30th anniversary celebration, the cast of the '90s sitcom reunited for a special which aired on HBO. Cast members Daphne Reid, Karyn Parsons, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana M. Ali, Joseph Marcell and DJ Jazzy Jeff returned to the set and reminisced on the good old days in Bel-Air. 

"You cannot buy or fake chemistry. When people vibe, when people are in sync and in tune and in harmony, you can't fake that. And when you have it, it creates magic," Will said of the stellar cast. "I think we could all sense that something special was bubbling." The series ran for six seasons from 1990 to 1996, and followed Will's character moving to Bel-Air to live with his extended family. The cast also paid tribute to James Avery, who played Philip Banks on the show. The veteran actor passed away in 2013.