Lisa Kudrow says Matt LeBlanc made her feel ‘relaxed’ while filming 'Friends'

Lisa Kudrow has reflected on how Matt LeBlanc played a crucial role in helping her manage anxiety about her role as Phoebe Buffay on Friends. 

During a recent Sirius XM appearance on July 31, Kudrow shared that it took her nearly two seasons to fully grasp her character. "If you’re getting hysterical, someone slaps you back," Kudrow explained, describing how LeBlanc's straightforward approach helped ground her. 

She admitted to co-host Ted Danson that she struggled with Phoebe’s character initially, feeling overwhelmed by her outrageous lines. Kudrow noted that she put significant effort into understanding Phoebe but began to feel she was not performing up to her own standards by the second or third season.

LeBlanc’s intervention was pivotal; he reassured Kudrow that she had a solid grasp of Phoebe and didn't need to overwork the character. "No, you know who the character is now. You don’t need to do the work you did. You got it," LeBlanc told Kudrow. 

This reassurance helped her feel "relaxed," as Kudrow put it. Earlier this month, Kudrow also revealed on Conan O'Brien's podcast that she has begun re-watching Friends after initially struggling to do so following the death of her co-star Matthew Perry in October 2023. 

She admitted that while she had avoided watching the show, she has recently found comfort in viewing it again.