Lisa Kudrow, best known for playing Phoebe Buffay on the beloved sitcom ‘Friends’, has clarified her comments on Ross Geller after her “bad boyfriend” remarks went viral online.Appearing on ‘The View’ on Thursday, to promote the final stretch of her series ‘The Comeback’, Kudrow was asked to weigh in on one of the most debated questions in television history, whether Ross and Rachel were truly on a break when he slept with Chloe in Season 3. Her original remarks on the subject had been made during a previous appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, but on The View, she was ready to set the record straight.
Lisa Kudrow amends her comments on Ross Geller
“OK, can I say more about that? Because that wasn’t the complete thought,” Kudrow told the panel.She had previously weighed in on the issue on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ and absolutely railed on Ross for his behaviour in the memorable two-parter, particularly his reaction to Rachel having to work instead of enjoying the anniversary dinner they had planned.She also clarified, “He wasn’t a good boyfriend at that moment, and then he got better by the end, and he was sending her off, like, ‘Yes, go to Paris. Don’t think twice. It’s a great opportunity.’ But in that season where, you know, ‘we were on a break,’ to me, it didn’t matter that he cheated. It was way after the fact that he was completely unsupportive and dismissive of her career and her job and her dedication to it. Like, ‘Well, I haven’t seen you in three nights because you got a crisis.’ And, yeah, that’s what bothered me.”Kudrow also acknowledged that the couple’s story ultimately had a happy ending, agreeing that their ending was a positive one. “She loves him. They have a child together. No, she’s not going to Paris, yeah,” she said.
A fond memory of Matthew Perry on the ‘Friends’ set
Kudrow, who recently completed a full rewatch of ‘Friends’, was also asked to share a behind-the-scenes memory that stood out to her. She pointed to Season 8’s ‘The One With the Halloween Party’, which brought back a particularly fond recollection involving the late Matthew Perry.She revealed that she, Matt LeBlanc, and Perry had a habit of ambush tickling each other on set. “Just to sort of relax and lighten up, Matt, Matthew, and I would like ambush tickle each other,” she said. “It’s terrifying, but someone would be lurking. They’d walk by. You just went like that. And so we’re doing the Halloween episode, and we’re all dressed in costumes, and Sean Penn was on it, and he walked by Matthew Perry, who was in a giant pink bunny outfit, and he walked by Matthew, and Matthew went, ‘Whoa.‘ And then came over and said, ‘Just thought Sean Penn was going to try to tickle me!’ We laughed so hard. Of course, Sean Penn wasn’t going to tickle him. It was just so funny.”It was a light and affectionate tribute to Perry, who passed away in October 2023, and a reminder of the warmth and humour that clearly defined life behind the scenes of one of television’s most beloved shows.
