Entertainment
Lisa Kudrow’s Son Was Confused By The Friends Finale
“He never knew what the show was called.”
Lisa Kudrow is reflecting on the Friends finale 20 years later. On the July 16 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actor discussed the hit sitcom, which aired for 10 seasons (1994–2004).
Kudrow played the eccentric masseuse Phoebe Buffay, starring on the show alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and the late Matthew Perry.
Looking back at its 2004 finale, she revealed she became emotional when production on the show ended, much to the bemusement of her son, Julian.
“I was crying in the kitchen,” she said. “My son was five and he wanted to know why I was crying, and my husband said, ‘She’s sad because Friends is done.’” Kudrow added that a confused Julian then said, “But she can see her friends… she can just call them.”
The actor went on to reveal that her son, who she shares with husband Michael Stern, “never knew what the show was called,” adding, “He just knew that I worked on a show.”
Aptly titled “The Last One,” the Friends finale aired on May 6, 2004, and was watched by 52.5 million viewers. The episode saw the six central characters move on to their next chapters, with Monica and Chandler leaving New York City with their newborn twins, and Ross and Rachel finally getting back together.
Although Kudrow hasn’t played the character of Phoebe Buffay for two decades, she said that fans still call her by the character’s name, including Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock.
“How often do people call you Phoebe?” guest host Anthony Anderson asked. “I was at a party and I was talking to Sandra Bullock,” Kudrow said. “We were talking and she’s like, ‘Well, I guess you’ll just have to talk to yourself, Phoebe.’” The actor clarified that Bullock eventually “caught herself,” adding, “She went, ‘What’d I just do?’”
Kudrow Is Rewatching Friends, Too
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kudrow shared that she’s been rewatching the hit sitcom in memory of her late co-star, Perry.
“I wasn’t able to watch it because it’s too embarrassing to watch yourself. But if I make it about Matthew, then that’s OK,” she confessed. “And it’s just celebrating how hilarious he was — and that is what I want to remember [about him].”
