Lisa Kudrow Struggled Playing Phoebe She Credits Friends Costar For Giving Her A Much Needed Pep Talk

Source NBC via YouTube

Lisa Kudrow is revealing she struggled with playing Phoebe Buffay on Friends. The actress made it look so easy and was beyond convincing as the fun, dizzy character.

However, at one point during her decade long stint on the NBC show, Kudrow was not feeling the role of Phoebe. It became apparent to one of her Friends cast members that not all was right with the actress. She got candid about the experience when she stopped by YouTube web series Hiking With Kevin on Thursday.

The 25th anniversary of the iconic sitcom, of course, was discussed, which is what led Kudrow to reveal her secret Phoebe struggle. Part of the problem was the extremely smart actress, who graduated from Vassar College, where she majored in Biology could not connect with her alter ego at times.

“I had played dumb girls, sure. But it wasn’t really me. I feel like s#$t. I tricked them. At 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, you know,” she shared with host Kevin Nealon.

A few seasons into playing Phoebe, her costar Matt LeBlanc, who fans know as Joey Tribbiani noticed something was not right with Kudrow. He then gave her a pep talk that changed her perspective and she was able to overcome the struggle she had been facing.

“And then like the third season in, I was struggling so much. And Leblanc was like, ‘What’s going on with you?’ And I said, ‘I can’t, I don’t think I have it, I mean, I don’t know what I’m doing.’ And he went, ‘You’re her, relax, you got it. You’ve been doing this f*&king character for three years. You’re working too hard. That’s your problem. You don’t need to work this hard. Relax.’ He was right,” Kudrow admitted.

It is hard to image Lisa Kudrow, struggling to play Phoebe. She was born to play the character. The fact the actress struggled further cements that Kudrow is one talented lady.

Fans knew the cast of Friends was close and stuck together during its run. Kudrow’s story is another sweet example of how even if not now, back then, the group was there to help each other out.

Are you surprised to find out Kudrow when through a problematic period playing Phoebe?