Lisa Kudrow reflects on feeling undervalued during ‘Friends’ fame

Lisa Kudrow may have become a household name as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, but the actress says her experience behind the scenes felt far less prominent.

In a recent interview with The Independent, Kudrow revealed that she often felt overlooked during the height of the show’s success. “Nobody cared about me,” she said, recalling, “There were certain parts of [my talent agency] that just referred to me as ‘the sixth Friend.’ ”

The 62-year-old actress explained that, at the time, there were few expectations placed on her career. “There was no vision for me,” she said. “It was just, ‘Boy, is she lucky she got on that show.’”

Despite the lack of industry attention, Kudrow said the experience ultimately gave her a sense of freedom. Without being boxed into a specific career path, she was able to explore a range of roles in films such as Mother (1996), Clockwatchers (1997) and Analyze This (1999). The latter marked a turning point, she noted, when industry interest in her began to grow.

Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004, followed six friends navigating life in New York City and became one of television’s most iconic sitcoms.

Alongside Kudrow, the cast included Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and the late Matthew Perry. Kudrow earned critical acclaim for her role, winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1998.