Scoring a role on a hit TV show is something any performer would be lucky to achieve. These opportunities are few and far between, and Lisa Kudrow made sure to capitalize on hers when she got the role of Phoebe on Friends.
The show changed her life, and she has had a wonderful career in entertainment. Kudrow might not remember filming the show, but there's plenty about her time in entertainment that she does remember. In fact, she's opened up about being fired from a sitcom before getting the role of a lifetime on Friends.
Let's take a look at Lisa Kudrow and learn about the popular sitcom that sent her packing decades ago.
'Friends' Was A Powerhouse Show For Lisa Kudrow
During the 1990s, NBC had a lineup of shows that other networks struggled to keep up with. As if having Seinfeld wasn't impressive enough, the network also laid claim to having Friends, which remains one of the biggest and most popular shows in the world.
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry, the series about a group of friends living in New York was everything that audiences were looking for during that time.
The writing on the show was solid, the acting was fantastic, and over the course of its legendary run on NBC, this sitcom was able to consistently stand out from the rest of the shows airing at the same time.
Similarly to other popular shows, any minor tweaks could have had a drastic impact on how the final product turned out, and this is especially true for the show's cast. Each performer fit their character well, but few were a better fit for their character than Lisa Kudrow.
Lisa Kudrow Was Exceptional As Phoebe
To say that Lisa Kudrow playing Phoebe Buffay is a picture-perfect match is an understatement. It's almost as if the actress was always destined to end up as the character on the beloved sitcom.
Kudrow actually had her eyes on another role before her audition.
"When I first read the script, and I was going to be auditioning for Phoebe, I saw 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,'” the actress said.
Once she was in her career-defining role, the actress would spend years making audiences laugh on the show. She was brilliant while she was on screen, and she was showered with praise and acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
Things could not have worked out better for the actress, and it's a good thing that they did, because before she was on Friends, she was fired from another sitcom that was hugely popular during the 1990s.
Before 'Friends', Kudrow Was Fired From Frasier
So, which famous sitcom was Lisa Kudrow fired from before landing the role of Phoebe Buffay on Friends? Shockingly, Kudrow was fired from Frasier before that show became a smash hit in its own right.
According to People, when speaking with Howard Stern, Kudrow opened up about her time on Frasier and how she was viewed by director James Burrows.
"I wasn't right for the part [or] for the chemistry of the group. So that wasn't working but I did think, 'Oh, I am not this guy's cup of tea,'" the actress said.
In an interesting turn of events, Kudrow would then have to audition for the role of Phoebe in front of, you guess it, director James Burrows.
"I had one extra audition just for James Burrows. I did it and he went, 'No notes.' I left going, 'That either means she's beyond help and helpless, just like I always knew,' or 'Yeah, it's perfect. I have no notes,'" Kudrow said of the audition.
Fortunately, she was an undeniably great fit for the character, and she was cast as Phoebe on Friends.
Once production began, however, things would get tough for the actress. In fact, she once revealed that she was legitimately afraid of being fired from Friends, too.
"He would say, 'Why are they friends with her?' Meaning [Phoebe]. We have to figure that out. She doesn't fit.' And I was like, 'Oh, my God. Here we go again. Well, if everyone just acts like they like me ...'" Kudrow said.
Eventually, things smoothed out, Kudrow received widespread acclaim for her time as Phoebe, and the rest is history.
