As the 25th anniversary of the iconic Friends premiere approaches, fans are getting a fresh look behind the scenes, including how Matt LeBlanc helped save Lisa Kudrow's character, Phoebe Buffay. It’s a story of camaraderie and support that reminds us why Friends remains one of the most beloved shows of all time.
Struggles with Playing Phoebe Buffay
During an appearance on comedian Kevin Nealon's YouTube series Hiking With Kevin, Lisa Kudrow, now 56, opened up about the challenges of portraying her iconic role as Phoebe Buffay. "I had played dumb girls before, but it wasn’t really me," she confessed. "I felt like I tricked them during the audition. I was the only one who could handle the audition process, and that's how I landed the role. But the truth is, I had to work hard to be Phoebe because it didn’t come naturally to me."
A Breakthrough Moment
Things took a turn for Lisa when Matt LeBlanc, known for his role as Joey Tribbiani, stepped in during the third season of the show. "I was struggling so much," Lisa recalled. "Matt noticed and asked me, 'What's going on with you?' I told him, 'I don’t think I have it. I don’t know what I’m doing.' And he said, 'You’re her, relax, you’ve got this. You’ve been playing this character for three years. You’re working too hard. That’s your problem. You don’t need to try so hard. Just relax.' And he was absolutely right."
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Lisa and Matt were part of an all-star cast alongside Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Perry. This wasn’t the first time Lisa opened up about personal moments from her time on Friends. In the past, she revealed her struggles with body image during the show's peak years.
Overcoming Body Image Issues
“You see yourself on TV, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, I’m just this big mountain of a girl,’” Lisa admitted during an interview with stand-up comedian Marc Maron on his WTF podcast. She also confessed to comparing herself to her fellow female castmates. “I’m already bigger than them — bigger, like my bones feel bigger. I just felt like this mountain of a woman next to them.”
Today, Lisa has learned to embrace herself more positively. “I have this ongoing battle in my head,” she explained. “But eventually, I come to terms with it. 'So what? Okay, you're older. That’s a good thing. Why is that a bad thing?'”
