Friends icon Lisa Kudrow has candidly revealed the one fan request that genuinely "irritates" her, while simultaneously discussing the powerful emotions stirred by returning to the legendary soundstage where the iconic sitcom was filmed. The celebrated actress, now 62, portrayed the beloved character Phoebe Buffay throughout all ten seasons of the globally adored television series.
This Morning Interview Revelations
Appearing on the April 3rd episode of ITV's This Morning alongside hosts Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond, Kudrow opened up about her experiences with persistent fan interactions. The conversation took an amusing turn when Alison Hammond, 51, persuaded the actress to perform a live duet of Phoebe's quirky anthem "Smelly Cat" right there in the studio.
Hammond inquired directly: "Are you sick of singing it? Do people say that to you all the time when they come up to you?" To which Kudrow responded with characteristic honesty: "They sometimes do. To me, though, not here, but just in life, at a restaurant, demanding that I sing it, it irritates me a little bit."
Emotional Returns to Familiar Ground
Elsewhere in the revealing interview, Kudrow discussed the profound experience of returning to the actual soundstage where Friends was originally filmed. This occurred during production for her HBO sitcom The Comeback, which recently launched its third series after previous seasons in 2005 and 2014.
"Because that is where, you know, I spent nine years," Kudrow explained, noting that the first Friends season was filmed on a different stage. "And said goodbye to Friends. And then the reunion was shot there. And now the end of The Comeback."
The actress became visibly emotional as she continued: "And my son is there," referencing 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."
Behind-the-Scenes Emotional Moments
Kudrow told O'Leary and Hammond that she "barely got through shooting the last scene" and "had to step out and take a walk around" to compose herself. In a touching moment of nostalgia, she snapped a photograph of prolific television director Jimmy Burrows, who helmed numerous Friends episodes, and shared it with her former castmates.
"Jennifer wrote back, 'Oh, what's my call time?'" Kudrow recalled with laughter, referring to Jennifer Aniston's humorous response.
The Comeback and Traitors Connection
The conversation also covered Kudrow's return for the third season of The Comeback, where she plays character Valerie Cherish. "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!" she confessed.
Interestingly, Kudrow revealed how a storyline for her character was influenced by fan-favorite The Traitors UK star Linda Rands. During the Claudia Winkleman Show appearance alongside Jamie Dornan, Jimmy Carr, and Chase Infiniti, Kudrow was surprised when Linda herself made an unexpected appearance in the studio.
Dornan enthusiastically praised The Traitors during the segment: "It's the only thing that my wife, my three kids and the dog genuinely watch together. It's incredible, I think it is the best thing on TV!" Kudrow immediately agreed: "Me too!"
Linda Rands, the retired opera singer who competed in series three of the hit BBC show, is particularly remembered for her iconic head turn when host Claudia Winkleman said the word "Traitors" - a moment captured by eventual winner Jake Brown. Despite this early misstep, Linda progressed through the game until eventually being banished from the castle.
