Friends star Lisa Kudrow has revealed she was the only cast member obliged to audition for director Jimmy Burrows, who had recently fired her from Frasier. Krudow told podcasters she learned this was the case when the cast got together for a recent reunion. Kudrow also stated that she was “probably” only cast as Phoebe Buffay because Burrows felt sorry for her.
Immediately before Friends casting began, Kudrow was sacked from the role of Roz Doyle on Frasier, another 90s sitcom smash. Burrows was ultimately responsible for firing the actress, saying she did not have the right chemistry with the other actors.
During the podcast, Kudrow explained that her casting as Phoebe happened because the show’s co-creator David Crane was in a relationship with Jeffrey Klarik, who wrote the comedy Mad About You, in which Kudrow appeared as a hapless waitress, Ursula. Crane noted to Klarik that the Ursula actress could “make a good Phoebe,” and things progressed from there. Kudrow would later introduce Ursula to Friends as her character’s wayward twin sister.
Friends premiered on NBC in 1994 and became an instant smash hit, elevating its actors to superstardom. The show focuses on six New York-based friends navigating city life as 20-somethings in the 1990s. The prominent cast members were Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer.
After ten popular years, the series finale was broadcast to more than 52 million American viewers in 2004. Throughout its run, Friends was nominated for 62 Emmy Awards and broke records as the most-watched TV show of the 2000s.
After the show ended, most of the cast continued to enjoy successful careers and remain some of the biggest stars in the world. Jennifer Aniston starred in several hits, while Courtney Cox became a central character in the Scream horror franchise. David Schwimmer revived his love of theater, and Matt Le Blanc tried a Friends spin-off named Joey, but this was ultimately unsuccessful. Matthew Perry enjoyed movie success until he died in his home in 2023 – he had struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for decades.