Lisa Kudrow shares 'insane' decision made during Friends filming: 'It's wrong'

Lydia Davies
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:33:14 +0000

Lisa Kudrow has opened up about what she now describes as an “insane” decision she made during the height of Friends.

The 62-year-old actress revealed she returned to work just 10 days after giving birth to her son Julian in 1998.

Speaking with CBS, Ms Kudrow said: "I'm looking back, and I had given birth to my son, and 10 days later I was at a meeting... for Analyze This."

The actress had been cast in Analyze This alongside Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro, initially believing production would not begin until later in the summer.

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However, she was told during that meeting that filming would begin almost immediately, forcing her to travel to New York far sooner than expected.

Despite her concerns about leaving her newborn, those around her encouraged her to go ahead, reassuring her that a baby nurse would accompany her.

Ms Kudrow admitted: “It’s insane,” adding that she would never repeat it.

Friends, which ran for a decade, became one of television’s most iconic sitcoms.

The actress, who portrayed Phoebe Buffay, also spoke about the intense filming schedule behind the scenes.

Episodes often took six hours or more to shoot, with filming regularly continuing into the early hours of the morning.

"I was 30, 31 when we started. And I was pregnant during that, and I was tired, and we're shooting till two in the morning," she recalled.

When asked how such lengthy shoots complied with union regulations, Ms Kudrow admitted she was unsure.

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"Well, that's an excellent question. How did that happen?" she said.

She noted that crew members would arrive at 10am, suggesting they were likely compensated with overtime, though she did not clarify the exact arrangements.

Elsewhere, the TV star revealed that her now 27-year-old son Julian never developed much interest in watching the hit sitcom that made her a household name.

Speaking on the Table Manners podcast, she said he only watched the show during school because his classmates were talking about it.

"He watched it in junior high because the other kids were talking about it, and he wasn't that interested. He watched it so he knows what they're talking about, but he hasn't seen all of it!" she explained.

"He genuinely wasn't interested. He really wasn't,” Ms Kudrow added.

She also noted that Julian’s long-term girlfriend has never watched the series either, having little interest in 1990s sitcoms.

Despite that, the sitcom star has spoken fondly about her time on the show, particularly the close bond between the cast in its early years.

"Us girls had lunch every single day. And sometimes, you know, the guys would join, but we were all close, and especially in the beginning.

"We were like puppies just climbing all over each other and playing," she said.

Ms Kudrow is currently appearing in the third series of HBO’s The Comeback, reprising her role as Valerie Cherish.

The latest series holds special significance for the actress, as her son Julian has secured a recurring role, marking his HBO debut.