Lisa Kudrow has weighed in on one of the most contentious storylines from Friends, the long-running debate over whether Ross and Rachel were on a break. The 62-year-old actress, who portrayed Phoebe Buffay on the beloved sitcom, shared her scathing opinion during Monday's episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
When Fallon asked for her take on whether the couple was on a break, Kudrow replied, 'Well, no. But it's beyond that. It's beyond break or not. He was a bad boyfriend.' She elaborated, stating, 'She shouldn't have gotten back with him because he was horrible.' The audience applauded her response, surprising Kudrow, who expressed relief that fans agreed.
Kudrow recalled the Friends reunion five years ago, where the cast initially believed Ross and Rachel were on a break. However, she now feels differently, emphasizing that Ross's reaction to Rachel's work crisis was unacceptable. 'I don't care if he slept with three other women or no other women. You had a crisis at work, so you weren't available for a few nights, and he flipped out. And you're like, "Wow!"' she said.
Her co-stars have differing views. David Schwimmer, who played Ross, told Fallon in 2020, 'It's not even a question. They were on a break.' Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston asserted in a 2022 ad, 'For the record... we were so not on a break.'
Kudrow also recently revealed that the show's predominantly male writing team would openly discuss sexual fantasies about her female co-stars, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox. She described a tense behind-the-scenes atmosphere, where writers could be harsh if lines were flubbed. 'There was definitely mean stuff going on behind the scenes,' she told The Times.
Despite feeling like the 'sixth Friend' during the show's run, Kudrow has since found success with roles like her HBO series The Comeback. She played Phoebe throughout Friends' ten-season run from 1994 to 2004.
