Lisa Kudrow As Phoebe Buffay & 9 Other Best Performances

Friends is one of the most popular sitcoms of all time – even if some of the gags written in the 1990s now seem a little less than politically correct. The stars of the show were set for life after their time in Friends, but they have all continued to enjoy Hollywood success – although some have been more successful than others.

Most people only know Lisa Kudrow from her role on Friends as kooky singer Phoebe Buffay, but the actress revealed that she has never watched an episode of the sitcom, preferring instead to focus on her own small screen projects in recent years.

10 Phoebe Buffay – Friends

It is difficult to imagine anyone but Lisa Kudrow playing the eccentric Phoebe. The actress even co-wrote the tune for her character’s most famous song, Smelly Cat, with Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Kudrow’s performance was that unlike the other Friends stars she actually had to play two roles; Phoebe and her problematic twin sister, Ursula. There were even times when the twins were the only two characters on screen, and Kudrow ended up essentially having to act with herself!

9 Ursula – Friends and Mad About You

Ursula was very different from upbeat Phoebe, but what many Friends fans might not realize is that the Ursula character started life in a different sitcom, Mad About You.

The actress was cast in both programs at around the same time, and both aired on the same network, so it was decided to make Phoebe and Ursula twins. Kudrow played Ursula brilliantly as a stroppy waitress in Mad About You, and those character traits were carried over to Friends when she made guest appearances on the show.

8 Valerie Cherish – The Comeback

Lisa Kudrow created, wrote, and starred in the successful HBO series The Comeback, playing former soap star Valerie Cherish, who was trying to resurrect her career.

This was a satirical look behind the scenes of the TV industry, and Kudrow really got to show off her comedy skills in this role and was even nominated twice for an Emmy. Although the show only lasted for two seasons, Kudrow and her team still hope that they might be able to make a third season of the sitcom.

7 Lori-Ann Schmidt – The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Kudrow has made some impressive and scene-stealing guest performances in recent years, including her role as the roller-coaster obsessed Lori-Ann Schmidt in the Netflix series The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She only appeared in two episodes of the show, and yet she still managed to become one of the series’ most popular characters!

Kudrow and Ellie Kemper, who plays the eponymous Kimmy, made a very convincing mother-daughter duo on screen, and fans were delighted to see Kudrow make a return in the fourth and final season.

6 Denise Hennessy – P.S. I Love You

Hollywood’s weepy P.S. I Love You was released in 2007, starring Hilary Swank as a widow who finds out that her late husband (Gerard Butler) has arranged for several messages of love to be delivered after his death.

This could easily have ended up in depressing melodrama territory if it wasn’t for Kudrow’s performance as Swank’s friend Denise Hennessy, which provided some much-needed comic relief. Kudrow also got the chance to show off her straight acting skills in this uncomplicated chick flick, and she is also set to appear in the planned sequel.

5 Maggie Naird – Space Force

Kudrow returned to sitcom territory this year when she starred as Maggie Naird in the Netflix sci-fi sitcom Space Force. She plays the wife of Steve Carrell’s character, General Mark Naird, the head of the United States Space Force.

It may not be the most challenging role for the actress – Maggie has many character traits that will remind viewers of Phoebe – but a sci-fi role is something new for Kudrow, and she shows that she can more than hold her own against Hollywood giants like Carrell and John Malkovich.

4 Fiona Wallice – Web Therapy

She may have become famous in the 90s, but Lisa Kudrow is not above using 21st-century technology to show off her creative talent. In 2008 she launched an improvised online series called Web Therapy, later picked up by Showtime, in which she plays analyst Fiona Wallice opposite Hollywood guest stars as her clients, including former Friends actors Courtney Cox and David Schwimmer.

The show has won Kudrow several Webby awards, thanks to her quick-witted improvisational skills, and the repartee she enjoys with her weekly guest stars.

3 Leslie – Kabluey

Kudrow’s character in the unusual 2007 comedy Kabluey was a world away from her carefree role as the bohemian Phoebe Buffay, but it did demonstrate that there is more to her acting skills than playing kooky oddballs.

Writer-director Scott Prendergast described getting Kudrow to appear in his film as like winning the lottery, as her name immediately ensured support from the studio and helped to make the film a modesty success and a cult hit. Kabluey may not be to everyone’s taste, but Kudrow clearly enjoys pushing her boundaries.

2 Laura MacNamara – Analyze This

There were plenty of opportunities for Kudrow to cash in on her Friends fame during the 90s when she appeared in several major Hollywood movies. She was cast alongside Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal in the 1999 film Analyze This, playing Crystal’s wife.

It may have been an early movie role in Kudrow’s career, but you would never know from the assured way that she handles herself alongside some very big Hollywood stars. The only problem is that Kudrow was only on screen for a short time, and the film would have benefitted from giving her a bigger role.

1 Michele Weinberger – Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion

Aside from a few supporting roles, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion was Kudrow’s first foray into Hollywood, and what a debut it was! The movie has become a cult classic since its release in 1997 and made both Kudrow and co-star Mira Sorvino into established leading ladies.

Kudrow and Sorvino played two ditzy friends who decide to reinvent themselves for their high school reunion to perfection. Both actresses manage to avoid straying into caricature and they succeed in making two awkward and difficult characters seem lovable and charming.