Lisa Kudrow explains why she struggled with an ‘irritating’ Friends detail

Lisa Kudrow recently clarified a claim made by her Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston regarding their time on the popular sitcom. Earlier this year, Aniston had a conversation with Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson for Variety’s Actors on Actors interview series. During the discussion, Aniston reflected on her time playing Rachel Green and mentioned that Kudrow “hated when the audience laughed.”

Phoebe Buffay actor Kudrow, who has previously admitted that she has never watched all of Friends, addressed Aniston’s comment in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. Kudrow clarified, “No, that’s not exactly… no, no. It irritated me if they would laugh for too long.” This statement provides a more nuanced perspective on her feelings during live audience recordings.

In 2021, Kudrow revealed that she was the only main cast member who had never watched the entire Friends series. During a reunion special with Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and the late Matthew Perry, Kudrow shared her thoughts on seeing herself on screen, describing the experience as “traumatising.” She candidly admitted, “There are seasons I’ve never seen.”

In response, both Aniston and LeBlanc mentioned that they had seen all the episodes, while Cox added that she imagined she had seen them all as well. Kudrow elaborated on her viewing habits, stating, “Michel [Stern, Kudrow’s husband] and I started watching some of season four, which I thought I had watched.” However, when Perry asked if she enjoyed watching the episodes, Kudrow replied, “He enjoys them more than I do ‘cause I’m mortified with myself.” Aniston, surprised, responded with, “Why?! You’re so good.”

Schwimmer chimed in, revealing that it took him 17 years to watch the series, which he eventually did with his daughter. “It kinda sucked me into it,” he said.

One of the most significant moments from the reunion was when Aniston and Schwimmer admitted to having real-life feelings for each other during the show’s filming. Schwimmer confessed, “The first season I had a major crush on Jen – we were both crushing hard on one another, but it was like two ships passing ‘cause one of us was always in a relationship and we never crossed that boundary.” Aniston confirmed that those feelings were mutual, and the pair would often “spoon and fall asleep on the couch” together during rehearsals.

Aniston also recalled telling Schwimmer that it would be disappointing if their first kiss happened on national television rather than in real life. This indeed turned out to be the case, as Ross and Rachel shared their first kiss in Central Perk during the season two episode, “The One Where Ross Finds Out.”

Source: Variety, Entertainment Tonight