Back in 1994, the six stars of Friends were still up-and-coming actors trying to get their big break in the entertainment business. They did exactly that, and now, 30 years later, Friends is one of the best sitcoms of all time, and Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and the late Matthew Perry are recognized around the world (sometimes in the wildest of places). A lot has been said of how close the stars actually were, and Kudrow confirmed that as she revealed another aspect of the show’s success that she found “really fulfilling.”
Lisa Kudrow, whose ensemble series No Good Deed recently hit the Netflix schedule, looked back fondly on her time on Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004 and skyrocketed its stars to fame. She couldn’t speak highly enough of the production and the bond she formed with her co-stars, telling TODAY.com:
I won a lottery being on Friends. Anything else I got to do was icing. … We loved each other. Going to work every day was heaven. It was too good to be true, but it really was.
It truly sounds like the best of all worlds, as Lisa Kudrow said her goal had simply been to be able to support herself as an actor. Friends went above and beyond her expectations, because in addition to people loving the sitcom, she loved the people she got to work with.
After Season 10 concluded, the Central Perk six went their separate ways (but remained close in real life — as evidenced by the sweet birthday posts the Friends send each other every year). It was then that Lisa Kudrow was able to take advantage of another perk. She explained:
Because I was on 'Friends,' I got to create my own shows that didn't have to be as big as 'Friends,' so I could do something like 'The Comeback' or 'Web Therapy,' and that was really fulfilling.
Lisa Kudrow was financially stable enough and probably had enough clout to do what she wanted without the stress of her next project needing to be as successful as Friends. We, as fans, are lucky she did, because she has since gifted us with amazing projects like The Comeback, which totally changes the way you see Kudrow as an actress.
As much as we all love Valerie Cherish and the other characters she’s taken on over the years, it’s a foregone conclusion that Lisa Kudrow will always be remembered for her role on Friends as the hilariously off-beat Phoebe Buffay. The actress knows that she is “lucky,” “privileged” and “fortunate” to have had that experience and meet her co-stars who became her lifelong friends.
It’s just, as she put it, icing on the cake that the NBC sitcom allowed Lisa Kudrow the opportunity to then pursue other fulfilling and creative outlets. You can continue to enjoy her and the rest of the gang on Friends, which is streaming with a Max subscription — as is The Comeback — or catch her on her latest series No Good Deed with Ray Romano, which is available with a Netflix subscription.
