Nearly three decades after Friends became a television phenomenon, Lisa Kudrow, who plays Phoebe Buffay for 10 seasons (1994-2004), is revisiting what the atmosphere behind the scenes was really like.
The actress recently reflected on the sitcom’s workplace culture, describing a set largely shaped by male writers and producers, where certain comments and conversations would not be accepted so easily today.
What did Lisa Kudrow say about Friends’ set?
Lisa Kudrow said the environment behind could be “brutal” at times, especially because the writers’ room was “mostly men”. In an interview with The Times, she explained that there were around 12 to 15 writers working on the sitcom and that the pressure during live tapings often created a tense atmosphere behind the scenes.
Kudrow recalled that if a joke failed in front of the live audience or an actor missed the rhythm of a line, some writers reacted harshly backstage. She said writers would insult cast members behind their backs, especially after scenes that did not get the expected laughs.
“Don’t forget we were recording in front of a live audience of 400, and if you messed up one of these writers’ lines or it didn’t get the perfect response they could be like, ‘Can’t she read? She’s not even trying. She f*cked up my line’“.
One of the most talked-about revelations involved inappropriate conversations inside the writers’ room. She said some male writers would stay late discussing fantasies about co-stars and she described the atmosphere as “intense”, while also acknowledging that the writers were under enormous pressure to deliver episodes every week.
The 62-year-old actress also referenced the old harassment lawsuit filed by former writers’ assistant Amaani Lyle, who accused the show’s writing staff of inappropriate comments during brainstorming sessions.
The case eventually reached the California Supreme Court and was dismissed, but her recent comments have brought renewed attention to those allegations and to how television writers’ rooms operated during the 1990s.
Despite everything, Kudrow made clear that she still respects the show and its legacy. She praised the cast’s bond throughout the series and spoke affectionately about late co-star Matthew Perry, calling him a comedic “genius”.
