There Was Only One Friends Actress Who Had to Audition Twice

Summary:

• Friends was one of the most popular TV shows in the 90s, focused on the lives of six young adults in New York.
• Lisa Kudrow portrayed the most eccentric friend of the group, Phoebe Buffay.
• The actress didn’t get the role after the first audition and was invited to read again.

If you were around in the 90s and spent enough time on the Internet these days, there's no chance you don't at least know what Friends is. However, being aware of it could never beat the joy of watching and re-watching it year after year to find comfort in the relatable characters and brilliant humor.

Of course, like any other show from the past, Friends isn't always careful with its words and can occasionally throw out an offensive line that will make your eyebrows arch. But that does not erase the cultural impact the sitcom once had and continues to have on audiences.

From famously hilarious moments that have been turned into memes and reaction gifs, to the constant praise of fan-favorite couples, to actual coffee shops around the world named in honor of the show, Friends has left so much impact and continues to do so even 19 years after the grand finale.

It's hard to imagine that nearly three decades ago, it was just an idea in the minds of the producers. It is also hard to imagine the stars of the show, who quickly became celebrities after the show aired, struggling with their auditions. But it was all very real back then, at least for some of them.

Lisa Kudrow’s Friends Audition

As it turns out, while some actors didn't have to audition at all for their roles, and others were saved from failing careers, Lisa Kudrow faced her own struggle. The actress, who portrayed Phoebe Buffay on the show, admitted in an interview on the Today show that she had to redo her audition after the first one:

“I didn’t even realize until recently [that] I had a special audition for Jim Burrows because he was directing it. And I assumed all the actors did. And then I found out – like, I don’t know, four years ago – I was the only one. I found out that I was the only one who had to audition for him,” she shared.

Luckily, the effort paid off. Not only did Lisa Kudrow get the role that launched her career and opened many new doors for her, but she also gave viewers some of the funniest and most thoughtful moments of the entire show.

Besides, as far as Hollywood audition horror stories go, this one isn't even in the top 100, so Lisa Kudrow should definitely just be proud that she got the role, no matter what difficulties she had to overcome.

If you want to watch Friends again, you can stream the show on MAX. And if you are interested in Lisa Kudrow's latest work, you can stream the TV show Feel Good, in which the actress plays Linda, on Netflix.

Source: Today