Lisa Kudrow Shares Her Feelings on Singing ‘Smelly Cat’ and Returning to the Friends Set
Lisa Kudrow, the iconic actress best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the beloved sitcom Friends, recently opened up about a fan request that has started to bother her. The 62-year-old star shared her thoughts during an appearance on This Morning, where she was joined by hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond.
During the interview, Lisa revealed that one particular fan request has become a bit of a nuisance. “They sometimes do [ask me to sing ‘Smelly Cat’],” she said. “To me, though, not here, but just in life, at a restaurant, demanding that I sing it, it irritates me a little bit.” Despite this, she did take the opportunity to perform a live duet of the song with Alison Hammond on the ITV programme, showing her willingness to engage with fans.
A Nostalgic Return to the Friends Set
Lisa also spoke about her emotional return to the legendary soundstage where Friends was filmed. This came about while she was shooting the third season of her HBO sitcom The Comeback, which recently began its run. “Because that is where, you know, I spent nine years, first year we were on another stage, and said goodbye to Friends,” she explained. “And then the reunion was shot there. And now the end of The Comeback.”
She added, “And my son is there,” noting how her son Julian makes an appearance in The Comeback. “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 described how the experience of returning to the set was emotionally taxing, even going so far as to step out for a walk after finishing the last scene.
A Special Moment with Jimmy Burrows
Lisa also shared a heartwarming moment from the set when she snapped a photo of TV director Jimmy Burrows, who directed many episodes of Friends. She sent the photo to her fellow cast members, and Jennifer Aniston responded with a humorous message: “Oh, what’s my call time?” Lisa laughed at the memory, highlighting the close-knit bond among the Friends cast.
A Surprise Guest on the Claudia Winkleman Show
In another exciting development, Lisa Kudrow and Jamie Dornan were surprised when a beloved The Traitors star made an unexpected appearance on the Claudia Winkleman Show. The Emmy-winning actress and Fifty Shades of Grey star joined Jimmy Carr and Chase Infiniti on the show, where they discussed her return for the third season of The Comeback.
The show, which originally launched in 2005, returned for its second season in 2014 and debuted its third season this month. Lisa admitted that returning to the set was a challenge. “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!”
A Storyline Inspired by Linda Rands
Lisa also revealed that a storyline for her character Valerie in The Comeback 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 Dornan joked, “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, saying, “Me too!”
Linda Rands’ Journey on The Traitors
Linda Rands, the retired opera singer, competed in series three of The Traitors, where she was selected by Claudia as a Traitor. She became well-known for her iconic head turn when Claudia said the word “Traitors,” which was captured by eventual winner Jake Brown. Despite an early misstep, Linda continued through the game until she was eventually banished from the castle.
