- 3 minutes ago
Lisa Kudrow takes a walk down memory lane as she rewatches scenes from her classic works including 'Friends,' 'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion,' 'Clockwatchers,' 'Easy A' and more.
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00:00Parker had done already a million of these.
00:02I remember her even saying, like, telling the DP,
00:06you can't use that shot.
00:07It's not, why are you shooting this?
00:09It doesn't match.
00:10You can't.
00:11It's not going to work.
00:13I was like, well, I think it will.
00:15It's not, it's not going to work.
00:17And she was 100% right.
00:19Hi, I'm Lisa Kudrow, and we're going to look at scenes from things I've been in.
00:47Thank God for Mad About You, which was my favorite show on TV.
00:52I mean, I thought that was such a great show.
00:56It was a quality multi-camera show.
00:59Paul Reiser's phenomenal.
01:00Helen Hunt is phenomenal.
01:02It was, yeah, I was really proud to be able to have a role on Mad About You.
01:09So I thought, honestly, when I shot the pilot of Friends,
01:12I thought, yeah, I mean, this is a good show.
01:15But good shows don't get picked up all the time.
01:18If there's any hope of me being able to stay on Mad About You
01:22after the pilot doesn't get picked up,
01:24or they pick it up for, you know, 12 more episodes and then that's it.
01:29Like, after this fails.
01:33Because there's no telling what's going to happen.
01:37Something can be great and still it gets canceled.
01:41I have Mad About You.
01:42I was preserving Mad About You for myself.
01:45Friends found that they had to justify why this same face and voice
01:53is going to be on at 8 o'clock on Mad About You once in a while
01:58and then there she is at 8.30 on Friends.
02:00Do you want some chicken?
02:03No, no, no food with a face.
02:06You have not changed.
02:08Yeah, you too.
02:10They had to cope with that and incorporate Ursula into Friends.
02:16And, I mean, look, they're good writers.
02:19So if you're a good writer, there are no problems.
02:21There's just, you know, really interesting things that come out of adapting.
02:27But I was thrilled, you know, that I could still be Ursula.
02:38Smelly cat, smelly cat.
02:42Smelly cat, smelly cat.
02:50Ugh, outfit.
02:52A terrible dress.
02:54But that is really funny.
02:56That was a funny show.
02:57They're all so good, too.
02:59I mean, that's the thing.
03:01They're so good.
03:03Courtney, David, Jennifer, Matthew, Matt.
03:08They're just naming the cast.
03:09Oh, my God.
03:10I know.
03:11I sound amazing.
03:14And then I just, I'm sorry I love Phoebe.
03:17Just thinking, yeah, I sound great.
03:19That's me.
03:20Someone said it was me, so it is.
03:22Ha!
03:23Yeah.
03:24If you have the option of loving yourself or being disappointed in yourself, why not choose
03:31love?
03:32Well, with the songs, with Phoebe and the songs at first, you know, I took a guitar lesson
03:38or two and then realized I don't like playing guitar, number one.
03:43And my brother's a phenomenal guitar player and there's real musical talent in my family, but not with me.
03:53And I also just felt like the point of this character, though, is that she thinks she's great and she
04:00loves doing it.
04:01It doesn't mean that she's talented, and I think it's even funnier and more worthwhile if, yeah, she just sort
04:10of knows some chords, doesn't really play them well.
04:13But it turned out it was going to be easier, and they were fine with it.
04:17Marta Kaufman and David Crane, they were fine with that, because then I would have to work on the songs,
04:22you know, during the week.
04:23Because you rehearse on a multi-camera show, you rehearse all week and then shoot it on one night.
04:28And I thought it'll be easier if I can come up with the tune of the Diddy, because I thought,
04:34yeah, they can't be too good.
04:36I thought some of the other Phoebe songs were so much funnier.
04:40When she's at this nursery school or, like, this kids' program and singing these songs that are so inappropriate.
04:46Your dog is dead, grandma is too, you know.
04:50Right.
04:52Those things were really funny.
04:53They were so inappropriate.
04:55Now grandma's a person who everyone likes.
04:58She brought you a train and a bright, shiny bike.
05:01But lately she hasn't been coming to dinner.
05:04And last time you saw her, she looked so much thinner.
05:09After 9-11, I understood how important entertainment really is.
05:16And how important comedies are.
05:20And how important Friends was to people, because we do need that escape.
05:25I would drive home from the set, you know, from Friends and, you know, people, you're at a stoplight and
05:32the car next to you,
05:33someone would look over and go, ah.
05:36After 9-11, it still gets me a little emotional.
05:40I have to say, someone would look over and just go, thank you.
05:45Like, about to cry and just say thank you.
05:48And I fully understood what they meant.
05:50And that's when I think I really took it in, you know, what these shows do mean to us.
06:00So, and felt very proud to be contributing to a break for people.
06:13So, you must be, like, the most successful person in our entire graduating class.
06:19Well, I guess that depends on how you define success.
06:23If to you, success means having a house in Aspen, one in Acapulco.
06:28Can we stop for one second?
06:30Because Alan Cumming, come on.
06:32He's such a force.
06:34I was so thrilled that he was going to be in Romeo and Michelle.
06:38He was so good.
06:40And then getting to meet him and he's so fun and light.
06:46So down to earth, but still, like a little bit of that, ah, what is it?
06:54I don't know, joie de vivre.
06:56It's like Parker Posey.
06:58It's like they're an event, you know, in and of themselves.
07:04And it's just so thrilling to be around them and to watch them and everything.
07:10So I was nervous about dramatic actors.
07:14Now I'm doing Romeo and Michelle.
07:16Mira Sorvino had won an Oscar.
07:19And I'm working and Alan Cumming was in these very cool Miramax movies.
07:25And I was a little like, all right, well, let's see.
07:29Shit.
07:30Just on multi-camera.
07:32And it was a TV actor, not a movie actor.
07:35And it was sort of getting better, but not really.
07:39It really didn't feel like we're the same at all.
07:46And some people made that transition.
07:49Good for them.
07:50They won't think much of me.
07:52And how's this going to go?
07:54And Mira was great and super smart.
07:57Oh, my God.
07:58You know, she went to Harvard, studied Chinese.
08:01What?
08:02Come on.
08:03Janine, a little nervous.
08:05Garofalo, who stand-up, hilarious and in movies and great.
08:11And then Alan was just so thrilled and delighted.
08:16And he's nice and happy and friendly.
08:19And I went, oh, okay, I'm being accepted.
08:21That's great.
08:22Okay, good.
08:23This is good.
08:24And not only that, but I'm really getting along with these people and they like me.
08:28And then all of that, just a sitcom on a sitcom, it went away.
08:32Suitcase of memories, time after, sometimes you'll picture me.
08:41Choreographer Smith-Wards.
08:43Thank God.
08:44Thank God for her because I don't dance.
08:48And suggested, maybe it's just funny, if Michelle poses and thinks she's dancing.
08:56And Smith went, yep, that's great, and she incorporated it in while Mira's just, like, flying around and doing too
09:05much.
09:05It's hilarious.
09:06Oh, my God.
09:07So good.
09:08I think we did it 40 times.
09:14And you might be laughing, thinking I'm exaggerating.
09:18I think every setup was at least 15, 20 takes.
09:25Yeah, I learned a lot doing that movie.
09:29And it was still fun, believe it or not.
09:31But it was hard.
09:32Where I'm telling you Romy and Michelle is, is my fingers are crossed that they want to do, because I
09:38read a script that's hilarious, if I'm even allowed to say that.
09:42Oh, my God.
09:43It's really funny.
09:45Yeah.
09:46And I know everyone wants to do it, so that's great, too.
10:03I give up.
10:04It's fair.
10:06Okay, pause, please.
10:10That's so bad.
10:11It's so funny.
10:12I mean, she's supposed to be.
10:14I mean, like, yeah, I did a good job.
10:16Got my stage name.
10:17I'll figure it out, too.
10:18Camille Laplante.
10:20You look beautiful.
10:21Thanks.
10:23Ah, the picture.
10:25She changed her name to Camille Laplante.
10:28It's so funny.
10:29Ah.
10:30Oh, this was such a good movie.
10:32Toni Collette is so great.
10:34Duh.
10:34We all know, right?
10:36But, oh, my God.
10:39Look at her, just, like, so supportive and just feeling like this is her actor friend.
10:46And how exciting.
10:47She has an actor friend, and she's guessing all the emotions right.
10:51I mean, taking a little while to figure them out.
10:53But, oh, my God.
10:57Toni's so good.
10:59This character I decided to play for this part was, oh, in the Groundlings, I did this
11:07actress on a talk show thing.
11:09So maybe it's somewhere in that world.
11:11And, of course, that Groundlings character got developed into Valerie Cherish, like, actually
11:19wore a red wig at the Groundlings for that person.
11:23But, so this is sort of, like, a glimpse into a version of that.
11:28But I loved this movie so much.
11:31I shot this during a friend's hiatus.
11:34And it was after, like, the second season, first or second season.
11:37And I did Romy and Michelle.
11:39I also got sent Clock Watchers and went, oh, this is so good.
11:47You're reading the script.
11:48What's catching your eye?
11:51Yeah, that's a good question.
11:52Why haven't I ever been asked that ever before?
11:55What I loved about it, I mean, yes, of course, it's all women and they're all temps.
12:00And you don't have a real place in the world.
12:03They weren't fully part of the society, of this workplace.
12:09And they could feel it and it becomes the only thing they want, turn on a dime on each
12:15other if they feel like they're about to be cast out.
12:18Because you're cast out, you don't exist anymore.
12:21That is how things work in the world, in society.
12:28I mean, we're social animals and we need each other to survive and exist.
12:33I liked that whole thing.
12:35I liked that whole aspect of it.
12:37And who's in it?
12:38Toni Collette.
12:39Yes.
12:40Parker Posey?
12:41Who's saying no?
12:43How am I saying no?
12:45What?
12:45And of course, that's the thing to do.
12:48I'm on a sitcom and I'm doing this fun, you know, ditzy girl movie, Romeo and Michelle,
12:54which is funny.
12:55But this is what I need to do.
12:59How fantastic I get to do this.
13:01So right after Romeo and Michelle, I did Clock Watchers.
13:05And going from this, Romeo and Michelle was a long shoot and it's, you know, like take
13:13after take after take after take.
13:15So luxurious that way.
13:17And then into Clock Watchers, which is, okay, we get two takes and then we have to move
13:25on and, you know, and it was so fun and fast.
13:28I loved both.
13:30What a fantastic hiatus that was.
13:41I've been rehearsing for two weeks.
13:43Haven't met my cast yet.
13:45So excited for them to, for me to meet them.
13:48You hit the door.
13:49Yep.
13:49That's okay.
13:50Careful walking backwards, right?
13:51This was the first thing Michael and I wrote for season three.
13:56We had talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and kept talking and kept refining.
14:00Like, okay, and then this has to happen when, what episode would that be?
14:05And at some point we just went, we better start writing.
14:11It's okay.
14:12Right now, let's do it right now.
14:13And so we wrote that.
14:17It hasn't changed.
14:19I feel like I'm indentured.
14:21No, you're not.
14:22No, no, you're, you're paying me back by the work you're doing.
14:27Yeah.
14:27That's what indentured means.
14:29Jane doesn't want to be there.
14:30Clearly she had money problems.
14:33Val loaned her money.
14:36And I just really loved that Jane said, I just feel indentured.
14:39Like, I don't want to be, I feel indentured.
14:41And Valerie just, she keep, Jane keeps saying, all right, this is uncomfortable.
14:46No, it's not.
14:47You're just paying me back by doing work.
14:50That's what indentured means.
14:51Like Val just won't have it.
14:53This is the thing about Valerie.
14:55She's not economical.
14:56The whole point of her from season one, she doesn't need the money.
15:02She's signing up for all this.
15:04She doesn't need to, to put a roof over her head or food on the table.
15:11There are no kids to provide for.
15:13She doesn't have to do any of this.
15:17So here too, she's got a social media person that she's paying.
15:21You know, and this young person's just like, all right, it's not a bad job.
15:26I got flown to New York.
15:28Okay.
15:29I'll just like point a phone at this middle-aged woman.
15:33All right.
15:34I say middle-aged.
15:35This feels like the doc we were doing 10 years ago.
15:38It's not new.
15:39Okay.
15:40Well, I'll tell you what's new.
15:43I've never been on stage before.
15:45Michael, we always talk about what would we do, you know, and it just wasn't the right
15:50vehicle.
15:51Wasn't the right, wasn't an event, enough of an event.
15:54And Michael was playing around with, you know, we talked about what Valerie would be doing
15:59during the strike.
15:59That was in 2023 and what she'd be doing during COVID.
16:03We were talking about all these things, but it wasn't the event.
16:06And then Michael just went, okay, he said the premise of the, of this season.
16:13Valerie's offered a leading role in a sitcom, in a multi-camera show, but it's written by
16:19AI.
16:20So what happens when there is no writer?
16:23There is no poly-G to be the problem.
16:27Then like, what is the problem?
16:31It's AI and I don't know.
16:33It was so fantastic.
16:35And then we just started exploring from there.
16:37In season one, when we started this, it was about the beginning of reality TV.
16:43And it felt like, well, that's the end of scripted television.
16:47Because, and we could see writers weren't getting overall deals as much.
16:52And it really, there was, yeah, there was fear and panic.
16:57Like, reality TV, this is the end.
16:59It's the end of culture.
17:01It's the end of anything good.
17:04Because why spend the money on scripted television?
17:08It's so much cheaper.
17:09And no unions at that time.
17:11Barely any kind of regulations, health and safety, you know.
17:17No one's concerned about anyone's mental health.
17:20I mean, it was brutal.
17:23We got through it.
17:24Ten years later, we came back and a 15-person writer's room was reduced to six people.
17:31Because now it's all premium cable.
17:33No one's doing multicams.
17:35There is, there weren't like much of the 24, 22 episode shows.
17:42So you don't need as many writers cut in half.
17:44And now it's halved again.
17:47And now there's a threat that AI could be writing shows.
17:52So it's a trilogy.
17:59Oh, oh, wait a minute, where are you going?
18:00Don't touch me.
18:01Oh, how could you do that?
18:04Another country heard from.
18:06You gotta go.
18:07Honey, maybe you should wait downstairs.
18:08Why, why, are they going to throw me off the balcony too?
18:10Bup, bup, bup, bup, you're upset and you're upsetting me.
18:14Well, of course I'm upset.
18:16My wedding is ruined because you've got problems.
18:18What drew your initial interest to the project?
18:21Well, Billy Crystal, Robert De Niro.
18:24There was only one thing that when I heard about it, I had just given birth 10 days before.
18:31And went, oh, so I guess not happening.
18:35It's like, well, my agent said, you're not shooting it, you know, till July.
18:39It's May.
18:39And I went, oh, yeah, I might be okay by then.
18:42Yeah, so just go meet with Billy and Harold Ramis.
18:46No big deal.
18:47And I go in and I meet with them and Billy's like, so you seemed okay, but you just gave
18:52birth.
18:53Are you going to be okay, really, to do this?
18:54And I said, well, yeah, I think so.
18:57Should be fine because July.
18:59He said, all right, well, we start Thursday.
19:01And I went, oh, you do?
19:03Wow.
19:03Okay.
19:04Like, that's soon for you.
19:06I don't start till, I didn't say it.
19:08I'm thinking, well, all right, I don't start till July.
19:10So, okay.
19:12And then I go home.
19:13My agent says, okay, great.
19:14So you're going to do it.
19:16I went, all right.
19:17So you need to get on a plane tomorrow.
19:18What?
19:19And my hormones are like, I can't think clearly.
19:22And everyone around me, my parents, my husband's parents, my husband, there's a baby nurse.
19:28Thank God.
19:28They all went, it's okay.
19:30No, you should do this.
19:32How's that for, just for context, when there's an opportunity and you're deciding between work
19:43and life and everyone's saying, work, choose the work, choose the work.
19:51And I just went, uh.
19:55So, baby nurse and my two-week-old and I got on a plane and went to New York.
20:04You got problems?
20:06All right.
20:07All right.
20:08I'm going downstairs to pack.
20:10And then I'm going to New York.
20:11And I am getting married, with you or without you.
20:14Robert De Niro is really sweet.
20:15And we're at a restaurant.
20:16There's a cast dinner.
20:18And I'm leaving.
20:19And I'm right behind.
20:21Robert De Niro is leaving.
20:22So, walking out of the restaurant, he leaves.
20:25And I'm walking out.
20:27And paparazzi pick up cameras and start shooting.
20:31And I just, and I went.
20:32And I just thought, Robert De Niro just walked out.
20:35And you didn't see him?
20:38Like, why didn't they see Robert De Niro?
20:40He's kind of magic.
20:43He can turn energy off.
20:45And he disappears.
20:48And then cameras on him.
20:51And he turns it on.
20:53And it is magnificent.
21:00I messed up, okay?
21:02I just goddamn shit.
21:04Goddamn messed up.
21:06Really goddamn shit bad.
21:09Goddamn shit goddamn.
21:11Emma's phenomenally talented.
21:14And she was then.
21:15And I had done an, like a smaller movie called Paper Man.
21:20That's when I first met Emma.
21:22And she was even younger.
21:24And I was going through this period of, it lasted like five years, where I couldn't cry.
21:32There were no tears coming.
21:33And in this scene in particular, I was feeling devastated.
21:39I mean, everything there.
21:41And I was crying.
21:43But no tears were coming out.
21:46But I was crying.
21:48It's just there were no tears.
21:50Just dry.
21:51I don't know what.
21:52It was the craziest thing.
21:54And all I could think was, Emma Stone must think I'm, like, the worst actress on the planet.
21:59I mean, that's because it happened in Paper Man 2, in a scene where I was supposed to be.
22:04They cut the scene.
22:05It was a good cut.
22:06And there was a scene where I was supposed to be crying, talking to her.
22:10And it just wasn't happening.
22:13And then in this, I was crying and no tears.
22:16And Will Gluck went, yeah, you are crying.
22:21But there are no tears.
22:22I've never seen that before in my whole life.
22:25What the hell is happening?
22:26So, yeah, I didn't love that.
22:29I didn't love that.
22:30Now I cry like a tick.
22:33To quote Terry Garr in Tootsie.
22:40Well, thanks for watching.
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