Lisa Kudrow

In her three-hour interview, Lisa Kudrow talks about growing up with the hopes of becoming a biomedical engineer and how her goals shifted to acting. She discusses her work with the improv group The Groundlings and with acting coach Cynthia Sigetti. She speaks of getting her first break from Aaron Spelling, who cast her in the play Ladies Room and chronicles several early guest actor roles on Cheers, Newhart and Mad About You before getting a chance to audition for a new pilot created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. Kudrow then details how she got the role of "Phoebe" on Friends and discusses developing the character and some of the songs on the show. She explains how the idea for "Ursula" ("Phoebe's" twin sister) came about and talks of working with the cast and the many guest actors on the program. She speaks of The Comeback, which she co-created with producer Michael Patrick King and describes coming up with the character "Fiona Wallice" for her Showtime series Web Therapy. Karen Herman conducted the interview on December 22, 2012 in Los Angeles, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

Lisa Kudrow on being apprehensive about auditioning for James Burrows for Friends: "no notes"

04:05

Lisa Kudrow on her proudest professional achievement with Web Therapy

00:55

Lisa Kudrow on advice to aspiring actors "as long as it's not porn, do it"

00:37

Lisa Kudrow on her audition for Mad About You

00:54

Lisa Kudrow on what she learned about acting from her work at The Groundlings Improv group

02:01

Lisa Kudrow on shooting the final episode of Friends and the one item she has from the set, given to her by Matthew Perry

02:48

Lisa Kudrow on the origin of her next big series, The Comeback, which she co-created with Michael Patrick King

Lisa Kudrow on how The Amazing Race inspired her show The Comeback as well as other reality shows

Lisa Kudrow on creating her Comeback character "Valerie Cherish" and the rest of the cast on the show

Lisa Kudrow on working with HBO on The Comeback and why it only lasted one season

Lisa Kudrow on her proudest professional achievement with The Comeback

00:34

Lisa Kudrow on being initially cast as "Roz" on Frasier, then being subsequently let go after the pilot was shot

Lisa Kudrow on hearing about the Friends script and auditioning for the role of "Phoebe"

Lisa Kudrow on her audition for "Phoebe" on Friends; on meeting James Burrows a second time

Lisa Kudrow on how her Mad About You guest-role contributed to creating "Phoebe's" twin sister "Ursula" on Friends; on the difference between the roles

Lisa Kudrow on getting a TV Guide "Cheers" for her "Ursula" character on Friends  

Lisa Kudrow on how Friends was first described to her; on the casts' first table read

Lisa Kudrow on creating "Phoebe" as a character on Friends

Lisa Kudrow on casting Friends; on Matthew Perry being the last actor cast

Lisa Kudrow on how she would describe "Phoebe" on Friends; on her strengths and weaknesses

Lisa Kudrow on "Smelly Cat" and other popular Friends songs her character sang

Lisa Kudrow on how the production worked around shooting her "twin" on Friends

Lisa Kudrow on the evolution of her Friends' character "Phoebe"; on how her own pregnancy was handled on the show

05:45

Lisa Kudrow on working with Teri Garr on Friends as her mother on the show

Lisa Kudrow on shooting the Halloween episode of Friends right after 9/11

Lisa Kudrow on Phoebe's wedding on Friends; on working with Paul Rudd

Lisa Kudrow on the finale of Friends

Lisa Kudrow on shooting the final episode of Friends and the one item she has from the set, given to her by Matthew Perry - a cookie jar

02:48

Lisa Kudrow on her favorite episodes of Friends; on the flashback episodes

Lisa Kudrow on the Friends episode where "Phoebe" seduces "Chandler"; on whether there could be a reunion

Lisa Kudrow on whether there could be a Friends reunion; on where "Phoebe" would be today

Lisa Kudrow on the legacy of Friends and the message of the show

00:49

Lisa Kudrow on guest-starring on Mad About You and meeting Richard Kind

Lisa Kudrow on working with Helen Hunt on Mad About You; on what she learned from her

Lisa Kudrow on watching TV after 9/11 and finding solace in a "world where there's no such thing as 9/11"

02:46

Lisa Kudrow on developing her character on Web Therapy; on the premise of the show; on her character's voice

Lisa Kudrow on developing the character "Fiona Wallice" on Web Therapy

01:25

Lisa Kudrow on working with the many guest-stars on Web Therapy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lily Tomlin, Conan O'Brien, and David Schwimmer

Lisa Kudrow on her proudest professional achievement with Web Therapy

00:55

Lisa Kudrow on becoming involved with the NBC series Who Do You Think You Are? and her role as executive producer

Lisa Kudrow on big-name stars signing on to participate on Who Do You Think You Are? and why she feels the show is important

Lisa Kudrow on shooting the Halloween episode of Friends right after 9/11

Lisa Kudrow on watching TV after 9/11 and finding solace in a "world where there's no such thing as 9/11"

02:46

Lisa Kudrow on the sudden popularity of Friends and the cast's appearance on Oprah Winfrey's show

04:06

Lisa Kudrow on how fame affected the cast members of Friends; on not being able to go out in public after their success hit

02:24

Lisa Kudrow on the "overexposure" of the cast of Friends

01:10

Lisa Kudrow on the sudden popularity of Friends and the cast's appearance on Oprah Winfrey's show

04:06

Lisa Kudrow on how fame affected the cast members of Friends; on not being able to go out in public after their success hit

02:24

Lisa Kudrow on the "overexposure" of the cast of Friends

01:10

Lisa Kudrow on realizing there was no "mystical truth" to becoming a working actor after seeing her brother's friend, Jon Lovitz, land a gig on Saturday Night Live

01:39

Lisa Kudrow on what she learned about acting from her work at The Groundlings Improv group and how invaluable the character monologues were

Lisa Kudrow on her first-ever performance in front of an audience

03:21

Lisa Kudrow on some realities of working in television and the expectations and challenges of coming in as guest-star on a long-running sitcom

04:18

Lisa Kudrow on the challenges of performing the same character for so many years, as on Friends with "Phoebe"

02:08

Lisa Kudrow on advice to aspiring actors "as long as it's not porn, do it"

01:09

Lisa Kudrow on realizing there was no "mystical truth" to becoming a working actor after seeing her brother's friend, Jon Lovitz, land a gig on Saturday Night Live

01:39

Lisa Kudrow on what she learned about acting from her work at The Groundlings Improv group and how invaluable the character monologues were

Lisa Kudrow on her first-ever performance in front of an audience

03:21

Lisa Kudrow on some realities of working in television and the expectations and challenges of coming in as guest-star on a long-running sitcom

04:18

Lisa Kudrow on the challenges of performing the same character for so many years, as on Friends with "Phoebe"

02:08

Lisa Kudrow on advice to aspiring actors "as long as it's not porn, do it"

01:09

Lisa Kudrow on meeting Conan O'Brien at The Groundlings when they were both struggling actors; and how he impressed her in their acting classes

02:08

Lisa Kudrow on working with Conan O'Brien on Web Therapy

00:44

Lisa Kudrow on her audition for "Phoebe" on Friends; on meeting James Burrows, who had directed her on Cheers, for the second time

Lisa Kudrow on working with James Burrows on Friends; on pitching her ideas