Lisa Kudrow Is Rewatching Friends For A Heart-Wrenching Reason

Audiences love to rewatch every season of "Friends" over and over again. Surprisingly, one of the sitcom's stars has joined their number. Lisa Kudrow admits she's been rewatching the show lately, and it's for a very moving reason — she wants to think of her late colleague Matthew Perry and celebrate his career and life.  And she's even willing to ignore her discomfort and embarrassment over watching her own performance in the program.

"Honestly, I wasn't able to watch it because it's too embarrassing to watch yourself. But if I make it about Matthew, then that's OK. And it's just celebrating how hilarious he was — and that is what I want to remember [about him]," she told The Hollywood Reporter. It's clear that while she may not have adopted his (non-existent) dog after his passing, Perry is still a big part of Kudrow's life.

But now when she rewatches the show, she admits she keeps her eyes on every single member of the cast. "I'm laughing out loud, and everyone is hilarious." She admitted to being impressed anew by the talents of Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston. "Matthew, obviously, is just uniquely hilarious. No one ever knew that cadence or comedic rhythm before him." She then praised her other two male co-stars, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, for their humor. Wryly, she added, "sometimes I even laugh at what I've done." 

It turns out that Kudrow's embarked upon her journey through the past for a special additional reason. 

Lisa Kudrow told The Hollywood Reporter that when she did sit down and finally watched the show through again, she came to realize how much she truly found the program to be funny. That was a sentiment she echoed during the "Friends" reunion special.

And she's also rewatching the sitcom for another, special reason. "That's my own little way of celebrating [the anniversaries], just watching it." But then, in the sort of knowing pragmatic self-snark that gave Kudrow the foundation to channel Phoebe's quirkiness, she added, "but it's embarrassing. At home, if anyone walks in the room and I'm watching Friends, that's a horrible look, I think, don't you?"

Horrible look or not, 2024 happens to be the year "Friends" turns 30, and whenever any show marks 30 years that's definitely a cause worthy of celebrating.  It's understandable that Kudrow wants to look back now — as an act of tribute, or even just to laugh at herself for awhile.