Lisa Kudrow wanted 'Friends' to have longer run than it did
May 20, 2021
Washington [US], May 20 : Hollywood star Lisa Kudrow, prior to the debut of the 'Friends' reunion trailer, explained why she was certain the iconic sitcom would last for many more years than its actual 10 season run.
As per E! News, while appearing as a guest during the Wednesday episode of 'The Late Show', the 57-year-old Emmy-winning actor and host Stephen Colbert discussed the beloved NBC comedy ahead of its highly anticipated May 27 reunion on HBO Max.
While chatting Stephen revealed that years ago as a fledgling actor, he once auditioned for a tiny role on a single episode of 'Friends' but didn't get the part. This led him to ask his guest whether she fears, as he has, that when she's not working, it's possible she may never get another gig again.
To this Lisa agreed and said, "Oh, yeah. I always feel like, 'Well, I will never work again.' And then I do, like a miracle." Recalling working on 'Friends', she added "But I was going to say--no, while I was on Friends, I thought, 'I will always be working because there's no end in sight for this show.'"
Stephen then pointed out that it was indeed on for quite a while, given that it premiered in September 1994 and signed off in May 2004 while still ranking among the most highly rated shows on TV at the time. Replying to Stephen, the 'Booksmart' performer said, "Yeah, it was on for 10 years. But I just thought, 'This could go on forever.'"
As for the taping of the reunion, Lisa shared, "It was thrilling and a little emotional." She further recalled once taking an online quiz that claimed to reveal which Friends character she is, and she humorously did not get Phoebe. Instead, the quiz informed her she's actually Rachel.
Talking about the quiz, Lisa said, "I thought I was answering questions that would bring me to Phoebe, you know, 'Favorite color? Yellow! And it said, Rachel."
This then led her to explain that when she first read the script for the 'Friends' pilot to audition for the show, she indeed saw herself as better suited for playing the character that would ultimately be brought to life by Jennifer Aniston.
Recalling the time, she continued, "When I first read the script, and I was going to be auditioning for Phoebe, I saw the pages for Rachel, and I just went, 'Oh, that's like a Long Island JAP--that could be hilarious. I can identify with that more.' But they said, 'No, no. Phoebe'."
Ultimately, Lisa kind of did get her initial wish, as the show to date continues to live on in fans' hearts, even if new episodes aren't on the horizon. Clearly, the star took the words "I'll be there for you" from the show's opening track quite seriously.
