WhenFriendsdebuted in the fall of 1994, its six lead performers were largely unknown. Headlining a popular sitcom, however, can do wonders for one’s exposure, and it wasn’t long before each member ofFriends’main cast became a household name in entertainment. Interestingly, many of the show’s cast almost didn’t land their iconic roles for one reason or the other. For instance,Matthew Perrywas initially committed tothe pilot of another sitcom calledLAX 2194, but when the pilot fell through, he was able to try out forFriends.
Also among the newcomers to the primetime big leagues wasLisa Kudrowas the series' quirky and aloofmusician and massage therapist, Phoebe Buffay. Winning audiences over with youthful innocence and often surreal musings on life and relationships, Kudrow’s defining character and performance led to a prolific decades-long career in television and film. But her big break came on the heels of misfortune, and who knows what might have been had she not been in the right place at the right time?
Ross Geller, Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing, and Phoebe Buffay are six twenty-somethings living in New York City. Over 10 years and seasons, these friends go through life lessons, family, love, drama, friendship, and comedy.
Before ‘Friends,’ Lisa Kudrow Was Set to Star in ‘Frasier'
A year beforeFriendshit TV screens,Frasierpremiered on NBC. A spin-off ofCheersrevolving around the titular radio psychiatrist (Kelsey Grammer),Frasierwas a huge successwith viewers and critics alike, capping its 11-year run with an impressive 264 episodes and a slew of awards. Acting alongside Grammer wereJane Leeves,David Hyde Pierce,John Mahoney, andPeri Gilpin, but Gilpin didn’t enter the picture as Frasier Crane’s producer, Roz Doyle, until after production on the series pilot commenced.Originally occupying the role was Lisa Kudrow, who ultimately worked on the show for only three days.According to People, the actress was fired at the behest of directorJames Burrows. “I wasn’t right for the part for the chemistry of the group,” she remembers. “So that wasn’t working but I did think, ‘Oh, I am not this guy’s cup of tea.'”
While the right performative vibe between actors on any set is crucial, the tonal nature of a sitcom lives and dies throughthe comedic energy of everyone involved, individually and as a group. Kudrow may not have been right for Roz Doyle, but series creator and executive producerPeter Caseyultimately sang her praises despite her firing.Per Vulture, Casey wrote in his memoir, “Her quirkiness made lines that weren’t intended as jokes hilarious.” While losing a job on a series that Kudrow assumed “would run forever and be very well written” must have stung at the time, her temporary setback soon segued into the opportunity of a lifetime. But that opportunity would be one she’d have to work hard for, as the major obstacle in her way would once again be James Burrows, one of the most prolific sitcom directors of his or any era.
What the Hell Does ‘Frasier’s Theme Song Even Mean?
Tossed salad and scrambled eggs?! Huh?
Since directing his first sitcomwith a 1974 episode ofThe Mary Tyler Moore Show, James Burrows has cultivated a legendary status in television history. His seemingly endless list of credits includes work onTaxi,Cheers,Frasier, andWill and Grace, for which he directed the pilot episodes, as well asFriends,The Big Bang Theory,Two and a Half Men, andMike and Molly. With more than 1,000 television episodes and numerous accolades under his belt, the veteran director would no doubt be an intimidating figure for any up-and-coming performer hoping to make a mark on a ruthless and highly competitive industry. After Burrows decided to remove Lisa Kudrow fromFrasier, neither the director nor actress likely had any idea that their paths would cross again so soon. But the following year, as the new television season was ramping up and hopefuls took their shot atscoring roles in pilots, Burrows and Kudrow found themselves collaborating on a project that would be a game changer.
Being Fired From ‘Frasier’ Led Lisa Kudrow to ‘Friends’
According to Vulture, not longafter her firing fromFrasier, Lisa Kudrow was struggling to secure work after having a recurring role as Ursula Buffay onMad About You, a character who’d ultimately cross over intoFriendsas Phoebe’s twin sister. In a 2010 commencement speech for her alma mater, Vassar College, Kudrow revealed she was urged to “come in to read for his new show about six twenty-somethings who lived in New York and hung out at a coffee house.” Among a slew of other performers, Kudrow auditioned for and, though she’d ultimately land a role and be the second person cast in the series,she’d also be the only cast member who’d have to audition specifically for the man tapped to direct the pilot: James Burrows. “I did it and he went, ‘No notes,'” she remembers. “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.'”
Nabbing the role of Phoebe but in a state of anxiety over how things would go once production on the pilot commenced, Lisa Kudrow was “terrified"during her first week onFriends. She said of the experience, “Shooting the pilot that week I was like, ‘All right, here we go.’ And Phoebe was not the character that was part of this group really, that easily. There was a struggle.” As the director, Burrows was vocal about his concerns regarding how Phoebe fit into the group of titular friends, no doubt a concern that would make any performer uneasy about what lay ahead in the coming days. “And I was like, ‘Oh, my God. Here we go again,'” Kudrow said of the fear of losing another role. But the actress’ performance and comedic sensibilities quickly proved a perfect fit for the character.
Lisa Kudrow Was Perfect For Phoebe Buffay
A massively popular sitcom likeFriendssimply can’t and won’t work if each individual in the ensemble cast doesn’t bring something unique and singular to the table, and Lisa Kudrow was no exception. According to the actress, however, playing Phoebe wasn’t without complications, and bringing the character to life wasn’t nearly as assured a process as one might imagine while watching her performance over ten years. “I had played dumb girls before but it wasn’t really me,“Kudrow said. “I feel like, ‘Shit, I tricked them in the audition.’ I was the only one who could cope with the audition process and that’s how I got it, I think. So I had to work hard at being Phoebe.”
Her struggles with finding the character continued through the show’s third season when, thanks to some consoling words fromco-starMatt LeBlanc, Kudrow was able to more comfortably settle into the role. “I said ‘I don’t think I have it. I don’t know what I’m doing,'” she admitted. “And he went, ‘You’re her, relax, you got it. You’re working too hard, that’s your problem. You don’t need to work this hard, relax.’ He was right.” Kudrow’s revelation regarding her initial uncertainty only further affirms her strong and consistent performative instincts and likely, albeit inadvertently, contributed to the character’s endearingly quirky sensibilities.
In considering the role she was fired fromafter only three days of work onFrasier,Kudrow’s memorable turn onFriendsprovides viewers with a stark contrast with what might have been had she ultimately played Roz. While, like Phoebe, Roz often and easily steals scenes, the two characters–and the actresses who played them–approach getting laughs in different ways. Cynical, witty, and sarcastic to a tee, Roz’s humor strikes with the sharpness of a serrated knife in comparison toPhoebe’s aloof, ethereal, and esoteric nature. In hindsight, Roz is the sort of character that thrived on an irreverent and abrasive comedic touch that was a far cry from the character that would ultimately make Kudrow a household name.Frasiercreator Peter Casey acknowledged as much when he said of Kudrow’s short-lived performance as Roz, “Lisa didn’t exactly fit the mold of what we were looking for in terms of a strong-willed character, but she was really funny.”
It’s nearly impossible to imagine anyone else playing Phoebe Buffay, and it’s not lost on Lisa Kudrow that she nearly lost out on the role of a lifetime. In her speech at Vassar College, she remembered James Burrows acknowledging, “‘Well, it’s a good thing you got fired or you wouldn’t have been on this show.’ He was right. And it was a good thing I didn’t getSaturday Night Liveand that theRomy and Michelepilot didn’t work out and every other disappointment that happened…they were like guide posts that kept me on my path.” And the rest, of course, is history. If anything can be learned from Lisa Kudrow’s sudden transition from losing a role to landing a life-changing one, it’s proof that crushing defeat can serve as a mere prelude to enormous success.
