Lisa Kudrow recalls being labelled ‘the sixth friend’ on 'Friends'
Lisa Kudrow openly admitted she isn’t the most loved character on 'Friends'
Lisa Kudrow openly admitted she isn’t the most loved character on “Friends.”
The star opened up about her unforgettable role as Phoebe Buffay in the beloved show, which also featured Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and the late Matthew Perry.
“Nobody was interested in me,” she expressed in an interview with the Independent published Saturday. “Certain people in [my talent agency] used to call me ‘the sixth Friend.'”
Though Kudrow clinched an Emmy in 1998 for best supporting actress in a comedy series as the delightful Phoebe, she noted that many doubted she would have a lasting career in Hollywood.
“There wasn’t any vision for me, and no hopes for the type of career I might pursue,” she remembered. “It was more like, ‘wow, she’s fortunate she landed that gig.'”
“Friends” aired over 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. She also reflected on portraying the cherished character in a recent Q&A with Lily Tomlin for Interview magazine — pointing out how different she is from Phoebe in reality.
“Initially, Phoebe felt very distant from who I am,” she explained. “It required a lot to rationalize her actions and words. Not in a bad way — it was quite enjoyable.”
“Over a decade, a piece of her merged with me,” she went on, “I became a bit more relaxed and read some books on spirituality and such to get a better grasp on her.”
Kudrow stood firm that Phoebe wasn’t just a “ditzy” personality, which was a label some assigned her.
“At that time, it was like, ‘She’s such a ditz. Why do you only portray ditzes?’ And I thought, Is she truly a ditz? To me, she wasn’t,” she shared.
“In 1994, it was like, ‘I adore her. She’s such a ditz.’ And it’s like, yeah, sure, that was our idea of a ditz. Someone not sticking to the norm.”
Kudrow, 62, has been promoting the third and conclusive season of “The Comeback,” and she’s been candid about aging in the entertainment industry.
The actress mentioned to the Hollywood Reporter she hadn’t tried Botox until reaching 60, but she's “probably done with it.”
“I worry about reaching a point where I resemble my grandmother, but I’m eager to take on older roles,” she explained.