In a new interview, Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay on the series, reveals that she initially struggled to fully understand her character and deliver authentic performances.
- August 1, 2024
AceShowbiz - During an appearance on the "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" podcast, Lisa Kudrow opened up about her early struggles portraying Phoebe Buffay. She admitted that it took her several seasons to feel comfortable in the role.
"The things Phoebe said were so outrageously illogical," Kudrow explained. "It took a lot of work to figure out how I could justify and rationalize her statements."
In her second or third season, Kudrow began to slack off and grew frustrated with her performances. She confided in Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribbiani, about her concerns.
"He said, 'What's going on with you? You know who the character is now. You don't need to do the work you did before,' " Kudrow recalled. "That was enough to make me realize I had fallen into a complacent mindset."
LeBlanc's advice helped Kudrow relax and trust her instincts. She finally felt like she could fully embrace the character of Phoebe Buffay.
Ted Danson, who hosted the podcast, empathized with Kudrow's experience. He shared that it took him about a year and a half to fully understand his own signature role as Sam Malone on "Cheers". "I realized that I couldn't please everyone," Danson said. "So I stopped caring what others thought and focused on my own performance. That's when I finally found my rhythm."
Kudrow revealed that she recently started rewatching "Friends" following the death of Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing. She explained that she had previously been unable to watch the show due to her grief, but now she found solace in revisiting the memories of her time with her castmates.
