Lisa Kudrow reveals 'extra audition' to land Friends role

Lisa Kudrow had to do an extra audition for ‘Friends’.

The 58-year-old actress – who played Phoebe Buffay in the clas sitcom between 1994 and 2004 – admitted her path to the role was more difficult than her co-stars’ because director James Burrows wasn’t immediately convinced by her.

Explaining that Burrows had previously fired her from the role of Roz in ‘Frasier’ after the pilot episode wrapped in 1993, Lisa said: “I was cast in ‘Frasier’ as Roz, mistakenly cast.

“I didn’t know that at the time. I knew that Jim clocked that I was wrong from the table read and so I thought ‘Oh he doesn’t like me or what I do.’

“So then we’re doing ‘Friends’ and I had to do a special audition for Jim Burrows. You have to do auditions for producers and studio, network but in between all of that, I had to go in and read for Jim Burrows.

“I thought maybe everyone had to do it but I found out a few years ago that I was the only one. Just to make sure that it was all ok with Jimmy that I played Phoebe.

“So [on set for the pilot] I said ‘ugh, f****** Jimmy Burrows is directing this. It was more like in defeat than anger.”

Lisa revealed she had some issues with Burrows’ stage directions but they ultimately cleared the air.

Appearing on ‘Jess Cagle Podcast with Julia Cunnigham, she added: “We were getting ready to do a run-through and I have to do my Phoebe monologue and he’s like ‘Lisa, sit under the table to read the monologue, do it under the table, she’s out there.’

“And I just went, ‘My God, I can’t connect with anyone. If you need to demonstrate how much my character doesn’t belong with these people… I did the best I could and then after the run-through David Crane [‘Friends’ co-creator] says ‘Lisa, it’s fun that you’re under the table’, as if it was my idea, ‘But I’m not sure that it works’.

“And I just went ‘OK, yeah’ but Jimmy admitted it was his idea and then I knew I could trust him.”