Lisa Kudrow, the beloved Phoebe Buffay from ‘Friends’, recently opened up about the wave of 90s nostalgia sweeping through pop culture. While she welcomes renewed interest from younger audiences discovering Friends, Kudrow cautions against overly polished retellings of the era that launched her career. At 62, she shared candid thoughts during an interview at the premiere of ‘The Comeback’ season 3 on March 15 in Austin, Texas.
How Lisa Kudrow appreciates the younger generation
Lisa Kudrow appreciates how younger generations are discovering the era that launched her fame, but she warns against romanticizing it too much. “Oh, well, the first part, that younger people are interested, I mean it happens every 20 to 30 years anyway, so yeah, it’s time,” she told PEOPLE.She quickly added a note of caution about how history gets rewritten. “But it also reminds me of the misinterpretation or the interpretation of history, it’s really, it’s not reliable reporting, and I think it should remind us that unless you were there, you don’t, you don’t really know,” Kudrow said.
Lisa Kudrow’s imagined future
Kudrow also mused on what her quirky character Phoebe might be up to today. She envisions a grounded, creative life for the singer-guitarist who once smelly-cat-ed her way into hearts worldwide. Phoebe “is living in Connecticut with Mike (Paul Rudd) and their kids, and she’s in charge of the arts program for the school,” and “the advocate for her kids because they’re different like she was,” Kudrow shared.
‘Friends’ cast and their enduring bond
The actress fondly recalled reuniting with her Friends co-stars including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and the late Matthew Perry, for the 2021 HBO Max special. “It’s funny, when we do get together, it’s like no time has passed,” LeBlanc once told PEOPLE, a sentiment Kudrow echoed as “Yeah, emotional.”These gatherings highlight the lasting friendships forged on set, even amid the show’s massive success and occasional backlash. Kudrow noted early hate from critics, but the cast powered through by focusing on their work.
Return in ‘The Comeback’
Kudrow’s latest role revives Valerie Cherish in The Comeback season 3, tackling modern Hollywood woes like social media and the 2023 strikes. The show nods to Friends, filmed on the same stage, with Valerie quipping about being stage 24’s next hit.She views this as the trilogy’s finale. “We need to say ‘third and final’. I don’t know if I’ll want to do it again in 10 years, so let’s be done; that way, no one is asking what’s next or whether we will even want to do more. The most respectful thing we can do for the audience and for the character is make it a three-part story. It’s a trilogy, and this is the end,” Kudrow told The Hollywood Reporter.Kudrow’s insights blend humor, wisdom, and a touch of wariness, inviting us to cherish the 90s without rewriting its realities. Her career evolution from Phoebe to Valerie shows an artist still evolving, true to her roots.
