Lisa Kudrow Moves On

kudrow 3Everyone knows Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, from the hit  show “Friends”, which aired for ten wildly successful years on NBC, and earned her an Emmy Award.   After “Friends”, she produced and starred as Valerie Cherish in the short-lived, critically loved HBO show, “The Comeback.”  She also produces the celebrity genealogy show “Who Do You Think You Are” and is the creator of and star of the web-based series “Web Therapy” which is now airing on Showtime.  And of course, she also has had quite a few memorable movie roles and a long list of tv guest roles.  This week, Lisa sat down with Ron Bennington to tape a one hour episode of “Unmasked” in front of a live audience at the SiriusXM studios in New York City.  They talked about the massive success of “Friends”, the difficulty of dealing with an acclaimed show that doesn’t make it, and the great work she’s doing now on her newest projects.  

 

 Creating “The Comeback” And Her Character Valerie Cherish

Lisa’s described her character, Valerie Cherish, as “one of the toughest people” but with misguided priorities, that America might not have been quite ready to deal with her personality.  She and co-creator Patrick King would sometimes say that what they were doing may have been  a little too ahead of the curve.

“I mean, look, this was also maybe too early. Because it was only the second season of “Amazing Race”. And there were no Real Housewives, maybe of Orange County, but I don’t think. Everyone’s laughing. Right. Who cared about them? And so, we hadn’t seen that kind of horrible behavior.”   She continued,  “there’s just like no decorum, there are no values, there’s anything goes. That’s the end of society. So, I thought that might be too scary. But at least, if it’s an actress signing up for it, like throwing her pride out the window like all of these people seem to be doing. Then at least with an actress, you don’t feel as sorry for her. You’re not going to pity her.

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Lisa Talks About Feeling Paralyzed When “The Comeback” Was Not Renewed

Lisa talked candidly about  how difficult it was to get back into the game after  she learned  that HBO was not renewing  The Comeback.   “Um..well,” Lisa said, “I didn’t get back in the game.  I kind of still haven’t gotten back in the game.” She continued,   “…for a long time, I was in denial. I just went, ‘That’s okay! It was really good!'” And even thought creative people always told her how great the show was, and reaffirmed her own belief that HBO had made the mistake, the executives would tell  her all the things that they felt she did wrong:

“…the business people were – ‘Well, that didn’t work’.  And so maybe, you don’t work. And it might have just been in my head, but it made me terrified to even go near any network, premium cable, cable, network TV, anywhere. Because like well, that was just about the best that I can do. So, if that was the best that I could do – what would they do with less than…I don’t know. I was sort of paralyzed to be honest.”

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Lisa Talks About Tracing Her Roots on “Who Do You Think You Are?”

Lisa took an emotional trip back to Poland to trace her own family tree for the series premier of Who Do You Think You Are?

That was really hard. I have to say. That was really tough.  And I still haven’t processed it. Yeah. Not fully.  Not fully. I haven’t. Because it was a Holocaust story. And that was hard. And then I feel like a baby for saying – (whining voice) “That was hard for me”. Yes, I was visiting the mass grave of every Jew in the village that got stripped and shot and then burned. And it was hard for ME….to have to see it. “

While in Europe, she met relatives that had never even heard of the name “Kudrow,” including a cousin that she had thought was dead, but was actually okay and living in Poland.

” …that was incredible. That was like a miracle. I thought I was going to go and try to find out, when I was in Poland – okay so, let’s see how he died. Was he killed by anti-Semites? Which is what happened a lot after World War II in Poland. He was found out that he was Jewish and got killed. What document is exactly going to tell me that? I wonder. Like I was already embittered. “

The miracle came at a welcome time, when she had been feeling dark and somewhat depressed about her quest:

“Well, I also, by the way, I landed in Poland. And a really sweet driver was driving me to the hotel and said – “This is a very nice hotel. It’s where Mr. Hitler stayed.” (audience laughs)  I’m like – “It’s what?? What did you just say?”  She goes – “Yes, where Mr. Hitler stayed”.  It’s like – I’m in a country where he’s “Mr. Hitler”. With respect. Oh my God! I don’t know what to do with that. So, I was just not in a good mood. And thought – well so, now here I am and now I’m going to find out like nothing. What am I going to find out? Nothing! I’m exhausted. This is just so depressing. This world is so dark. It’s a horrible planet. Oh my God, wouldn’t it be nice? Why can’t he just like have nothing happen to him? He was alive, okay. And they missed that. He was alive and then he got married and he had a kid and he has grand kids, but nothing ever happened to him. That would be great. That’s what I thought and then I just like came back down to Earth. And went – but that’s not how it happens on this planet, so just brace yourself. It’s another day. But sure enough, it was that like lofty little dream from the night before. That was exactly right. Nothing happened to him. He got married and he had a kid and a grandson. It was great. It was like a miracle to me. “

 

Lisa Talks About the Amazing Guests Coming Up on Web Therapy

Lisa’s latest project, Web Therapy, has one of the best guest list of any series airing today, and all of them playing unexpected parts.  Steve Carrell, for example, will be in an episode. “I think he’s really sexy. Like I got girly there with him. And yeah, he’s hilarious.” Megan Mullally is also appearing,  playing a Broadway composer, “so we get to make fun of Broadway composers” says Kudrow.   Also on the list, Meg Ryan playing a happy hoarder, Matt LeBlanc as a gambling addict, and  Mae Whitman and Darren Criss 

“[Mae and Darren]  came to us with this phenomenal idea that they have been in a relationship for two years that’s existed solely online. They’ve never been in the same room. That was so much fun. It was a great idea and they were fantastic.”  

But that isn’t the most unusual guest role.  Chelsea Handler, who Lisa describes as “fantastic” will be playing Lisa’s character’s first husband. Billy Crystal and Lily Tomlin will also be making guest appearances.

New episodes of Web Therapy air on Showtime, Tuesdays at 11pm

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Unmasked with Lisa Kudrow will premier, in its entirety on Sirius 206 and XM 103 (the Opie and Anthony Channel) on Friday at 2pm ET, as well as  Saturday at 4am and 5am, Sunday at 10 am ET & midnight ET.  You can also listen on SiriusXM on demand.