Lisa Kudrow Is Rewatching Friends for Matthew Perry

Lisa Kudrow is opening up about rewatching Friends and seeing it in a whole new way in the wake of her co-star Matthew Perry's passing. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress—who starred in the beloved sitcom for 10 years as Phoebe Buffay—explained that she generally finds it difficult to watch herself, but she's soaking up all the good memories and celebrating her pal. Thankfully, it's been a great experience for her, with the Emmy Award-winning star saying that she's often "laughing out loud."

“I wasn’t able to watch it because it’s too embarrassing to watch yourself. But if I make it about Matthew, then that’s okay,” she said. “It’s just celebrating how hilarious he was—and that is what I want to remember [about him].”

"Everyone is hilarious," she added "Matthew, obviously, is just uniquely hilarious. No one ever knew that cadence or comedic rhythm before him."

She mentioned that she would sometimes watch the show to celebrate big anniversaries and milestones (the series debuted on Sept. 22, 1994, and is coming up on its 30th anniversary this fall).

“I mean, that’s my own little way of celebrating [the anniversaries], just watching it,” she shared. “But it’s embarrassing. At home, if anyone walks in the room and I’m watching Friends, that’s a horrible look, I think, don’t you?”

Previously, Kudrow said she tried not to watch herself, telling Entertainment Tonight, “I don't watch it if it's on. I might not like myself [on the show], so I'd rather not risk that.”

After Perry's passing in October 2023, Kudrow shared a touching statement on Instagram: "Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY. Thank you for showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant."

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qrrSrbClnV6YvK57y6KqmmWbqr%2Blvs6wZKudp5bBpLSMn6minZ6ZwG65wK2roZ2nYr2mvtGyZHFuZ2WDdH8%3D