Lisa Kudrow Reveals Fan Requests and Emotional Return to Friends Set
Lisa Kudrow, the beloved actress known for her iconic role as Phoebe Buffay in the hit sitcom Friends, recently opened up about the fan requests that continue to follow her. The 62-year-old star shared her thoughts during an appearance on This Morning, where she discussed the emotional journey of returning to the set of the legendary show.
During the interview with hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, Lisa revealed that one particular fan request often irritates her. It’s the repeated demand for her to sing Phoebe’s famous song, “Smelly Cat.” Although she has performed it many times over the years, she admitted that at times, it can be a bit annoying.
Alison, ever the playful host, persuaded Lisa to perform a duet of the song live on the ITV programme. When asked if she was tired of singing it, Lisa responded: “They sometimes do. To me, though, not here, but just in life, at a restaurant, demanding that I sing it, it irritates me a little bit.”
Returning to the Friends Set
Lisa also spoke about her recent return to the iconic soundstage where Friends was filmed. This came about while filming the third season of her HBO sitcom The Comeback. She described the experience as emotionally overwhelming, especially since the set holds so much significance for her.
“I spent nine years there, first year we were on another stage, and said goodbye to Friends. And then the reunion was shot there. And now the end of The Comeback,” she explained.
She also mentioned how her son, Julian, makes an appearance in the show. “He was there, and he was a baby till five, you know, visiting. And there he is acting in it. It was a little overwhelming.” Lisa added that she barely got through shooting the last scene and had to step out for a walk around the set.
A Nostalgic Moment
During the shoot, Lisa snapped a photo of Jimmy Burrows, the prolific TV director who helmed many episodes of Friends, and sent it to her fellow cast members. She laughed when Jennifer Aniston replied, “Oh, what’s my call time?”
This nostalgic moment was just one of many highlights from her appearance on This Morning. Lisa also discussed the third season of The Comeback, which launched in 2005, with the second season in 2014 and the third debuting this month. She admitted that getting back into the role was challenging, as her character, Valerie, becomes 10 years older each season.
“I get the wig on, and we’re on the set, and I think ‘I don’t know if I know how to do this’… because she is 10 years older every time – but I got in the swing of it!” she said.
A Surprising Guest Appearance
In an unexpected twist, Lisa and Jamie Dornan were stunned when a beloved The Traitors star gatecrashed The Claudia Winkleman Show. The Emmy-winning Friends legend and Fifty Shades of Grey actor joined Jimmy Carr and Chase Infiniti on the show.
During the conversation, Lisa talked about the third season of The Comeback and how a storyline for her character was influenced by fan favourite The Traitors UK star, Linda Rands. However, she was soon surprised by Linda herself, who made an appearance in the studio.
Jamie praised the show, saying, “It’s the only thing [The Traitors] that my wife, my three kids and the dog genuinely watch together. It’s incredible, I think it is the best thing on TV!” Lisa agreed: “Me too!”
Linda, the retired opera singer, was well-known for her iconic head turn when Claudia said the word “Traitors,” which was caught by eventual winner Jake Brown. Despite an early misstep, Linda progressed through the game until eventually being banished from the castle.
