Lisa Kudrow says connecting with friends ‘takes some work’

Lisa Kudrow
oe Scarnici/Getty Images for NetflixGetting to know your coworkers can be one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of starting a new job—but when Lisa Kudrow Join for the first time friendsand her cast makes it surprisingly easy.
The 61-year-old actress took on the role of the eccentric Phoebe Buffay in the landmark sitcom in 1994 when she was nervous about being accepted by the cast and crew. However, in an interview on Monday, December 9 Dax Shepard Speaking on his “Armchair Expert” podcast, she said her co-stars worked hard to connect and quickly became as close as the iconic characters they played.
“It’s great, we really get along,” she said. “We also worked very hard to be friends. This six-way relationship took some work, and we did it.
Kudrow said it was helpful that some of her co-stars were already communication experts, citing Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc Being the glue that holds this group together, there is always discussion to diffuse tension.
“If someone says something or does something, it doesn’t get too big because it’s, ‘Can I talk to you?’ — usually not me, because I have to learn, ‘Can I talk to you?’ ? “Because I never knew that was allowed!” she said. “But I see Courteney, Jennifer and Matt modeling it really well. Respectful communication.”
Kudrow also revealed on the podcast that when she first shot the pilot for the award-winning sitcom, she felt paranoid about the director James Burrows Not actually wanting her character to work. “One of the problems with this character was, how do we let the audience know why they’re friends with her, because she’s so different!” she recalls.
In the end, of course, Phoebe was a huge success, both on set and among the cast and millions of viewers—in fact, the show was more successful than Kudrow could have imagined. “That’s a poor judge of the success of a show,” she laughs. “I was like, ‘Is this cute?’ I’m so happy it’s on NBC!
Kudrow added that she doesn’t mind talking about friends As one would inevitably hope she would, as she is extremely “grateful” for the experience of being a key part of one of the biggest shows in history.
During the interview, Kudrow also briefly addressed the death of her beloved co-star Matthew Perry 2023. What makes me even happier is that he was happy the day he died,” she admitted. “He had to die happy. For me, it was a gift.