“Who do you play?”: Lisa Kudrow Almost Couldn’t Convince a Government Official That She’s Famous

Lisa Kudrow's popularity on FRIENDS was questioned when a government official didn't recognize.

“Who do you play?”: Lisa Kudrow Almost Couldn't Convince a Government Official That She's Famous

SUMMARY

  • Lisa Kudrow worked on FRIENDS for a decade, but still a government official failed to recognize her.
  • Kudrow was trying to get a green card for her French husband, whom she married in 1995.
  • Kudrow ultimately succeeded in convincing the government official after back-and-forth questioning.
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Lisa Kudrow’s depiction of Phoebe Buffay in the popular sitcom FRIENDS has received nothing but love over the years. In fact, many know Kudrow because of her character on the TV show.

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Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay on FRIENDS
Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay on FRIENDS

FRIENDS is regarded as one of the biggest TV shows of all time in the sitcom genre. Evidently, the cast is well-known around the globe due to their contributions to the success of the series.

However, Lisa Kudrow once faced a difficult situation with a government official who couldn’t recognize the popular actress.

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Also Read: “It was quite disrespectful”: Friends Star Felt Uncomfortable on the Show After Being Asked To Do a “Greasy Guy” Scene With Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow’s Nervous Story About Not Being Recognized For FRIENDS

Lisa Kudrow was part of Marta Kauffman and David Crane’s brainchild for a decade. Throughout her time on the show, Kudrow did a convincing job of portraying the eccentric Phoebe Buffay.

Keeping that in mind, Kudrow must never face an awkward situation where a stranger doesn’t recognize her, right? Well, in an interview with Jay Leno (via OutstandingScreenplays on YouTube), Kudrow revealed a government official couldn’t recognize her when she wanted to obtain a green card for her husband, Michel Stern.

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We had the hardest time when we got married and when we went in to get his green card. Thay guy was staring at us. He’d say like, ‘You don’t have the same mailing address? And you are an actress, and you’ve kept your name?’ Well yeah, because I’m an actress. He’s like, ‘Oh really?’

Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay on FRIENDS
Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay on FRIENDS

Considering Kudrow gave 10 years of her life to FRIENDS, it must have been hard for the actress to not be recognized for her work on the show. However, a key reason behind it could be the fact that Lis Kudrow got married in 1995.

At the time, FRIENDS was just in its second season. Although it had started to gain momentum among fans, it was still a relatively new show out there. Either way, it was a shock for Kudrow, and it took some convincing to finally make the government official believe her.

Also Read: “I had played dumb girls, it wasn’t really me”: One FRIENDS Star Stopped A Frustrated Lisa Kudrow Quitting From The Show

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Lisa Kudrow Ultimately Convinced the Government Official About Her Identity

The government official continued his interrogation of Lisa Kudrow during her appeal to get a green card for her husband.

Kudrow was asked for more details about her occupation as revealed by the veteran actress in the same interview with Jay Leno.

‘Have you been in anything that I would have seen?’ I started getting nervous and I said, ‘Well, I’m on a TV show.’ He said, ‘Oh, really? Well, what’s that called? I said, ‘Well, it’s called FRIENDS.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, really? You’re on FRIENDS? And who do you play?’ Well, I play Phoebe Buffay. And he went, ‘Oh!’

Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay on FRIENDS
Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay on FRIENDS

Despite getting nervous during the conversation, it all worked well for Kudrow, who has been happily married to her husband since 1995. The couple also have a son, Julian, whom they welcomed in 1998.

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Although Stern is married to one of the biggest TV show stars of all time, he has maintained a somewhat low profile over the years.

You can stream FRIENDS in 2023 with the help of a subscription to streaming giant Netflix and Amazon Prime Video (in some regions).

Aikansh Chaudhary

Written by Aikansh Chaudhary

Articles Published: 165

Aikansh Chaudhary is an Entertainment/Anime writer for FandomWire with over five years of experience covering the latest movies, TV shows, and sports buzz. In his free time you can find him playing basketball, soccer, watching anime, or asleep. Throughout his career as a writer, he has published more than 5000 articles.

Aikansh's work has been featured on numerous reputed websites such as CBR, Sportskeeda, Essentially Sports, Fadeaway World, and more.