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Lisa Kudrow Details How She Landed Role In Friends As Phoebe Buffay After Getting Fired From Fraiser
Lisa Kudrow reflects on how she was once fired from Frasier as she details landing in the role of Phoebe Buffay for Friends.
Phoebe Buffay was one of the favorite characters from the American sitcom Friends. But did you know how she got the iconic role in the popular series? Lisa Kudrow, who played the role of Phoebe, recently talked about how getting fired from one show led her to Friends.
Recalling the experience as devastating, the actress detailed how she was dropped from the hit NBC sitcom Fraiser even before a single scene was shot. However, her removal from the show changed her life forever.
The Romy and Michele's High School Reunion actress will be next seen in Time Bandits, an AppleTV+ series. During the promotion of the same, she recently appeared on the Smartless podcast, where she spilled the beans about her career and more. Talking to hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, The Comeback actress let out a few secrets.
At first, Lisa Kudrow stated that she had met James “Jimmy” Burrows, the Emmy-winning TV director, on the set of Cheers when she guest starred for the series back in 1989. Jimmy, in the future, would be the director of the pilot episodes of both Frasier and Friends.
Listening to that, Arnett asked Kudrow if Jimmy was familiar with her and loved her acting already.
To the host's surprise, the actress replied, “Well, he was familiar enough that, you know, I got fired from the last thing.”
Talking about getting fired from Frasier, the actress stated that she was devastated after being let go. Recalling the time, Kudrow went on to explain that the whole thing was not working for Jimmy. She further added that the casting directors might have made a mistake in choosing her.
Peri Gilpin was later chosen to play the role of no-nonsense producer in the show. It was the character of Roz, a role that Kudrow was supposed to play.
However, she added that Gilpin was the perfect actress to play Roz.
Later, Kudrow landed the role of Ursula on NBC’s Mad About You, and as per the actress, it changed everything for her. While talking to the hosts, Kudrow explained that Jeffrey Klarik, who was the writer of Mad About You, suggested her for the role of Phoebe Buffay, looking at her acting skills as Ursula.
However, she also explained that she was the only Friends actor who had to give an audition for James Jimmy Burrows, as she was previously fired from Frasier.
Kudrow still landed the role of Phoebe, for which she later earned six Emmy nominations and one award.
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