Lisa Kudrow opens up about shocking ‘Friends’ snub

Lisa Kudrow has revealed she was snubbed from the role of Rachel Green on Friends, despite hoping to land the part.

The 63-year-old actress, was part of the famous six that appeared in the iconic sitcom, and won an Emmy for her role as Phoebe Buffay.

But Lisa has now shared that she originally had hopes of playing the “Jewish American Princess” that Jennifer Aniston would eventually go on to play, but didn't realise that Rachel was set to be a romantic lead.

Discussing the audition process, Lisa said, “Idiot that I am, I went, '’Oh, but you know what? I got to say, Rachel is Jewish. And boy, I love doing a Jewish American Princess. I think I could make that really funny.''

“Not even clocking that, ‘Oh no, this is the romantic lead to Ross'. Right? I told my agents, 'I can do Jewish American Princess and make that really funny.’”

“And so, they said, 'Uh-huh. All right. Well, we'll tell them [the show's creators].”

Lisa then told The Hollywood Reporter, “They [later] went, 'No, no. It's so hard for them to find Phoebe. They're not messing with that'. So that was the sweet way of saying, 'Yeah, you are not the romantic interest.’”

The actress admitted that at the time she didn't “look like women who were getting cast as series regulars on sitcoms,” and was bluntly told by casting agents she “wasn't gorgeous.”

After her role on Friends, Lisa co-created, wrote and starred in the HBO comedy The Comeback, which sees her play a former sitcom star.

Her role in the show has earned her critical acclaim, and she has been nominated for an Emmy after each season of the show aired, in 2006, 2015 and 2026.