Lisa Kudrow Shares Her 'Friends' Frustration Over Live Studio Laughter: 'Ruining the Timing'

While those of us at home enjoyed the laughs that Friends gave us episode after episode, Phoebe Buffay portrayer Lisa Kudrow has her own opinion on the giggles spurred on by the show. On July 22, the 60-year-old actress appeared as a guest on Conan O’Brien’s podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and dropped a fascinating take on filming the hit show. 

Kudrow revealed that oftentimes, she’d get frustrated during filming of the hit New York City-based series due to the disruption that the live studio audience would cause with their laughter. When it went on for too long, the actress expressed that the pauses they would have to take in the midst of the scene lasted for quite a while. 

“It wasn’t that funny…It wasn’t an honest response and that irritated me,” she explained on the podcast of the NBC sitcom. “Now you’re just ruining the timing of the rest of the show. There are other lines. Sometimes I would just look out if they’d been laughing too long, and go, ‘Come on.’ Really angry.”

One of the aspects Kudrow elaborated on during the podcast was that Friends, despite being filmed in front of a live studio audience, wasn’t really geared toward those in the crowd but rather for those watching from their homes once it hit the small screen. 

“A TV show is not for the studio audience,” the star who popularized “Smelly Cat” said. “It is made for the TV viewers at home. That’s who we are in service to. If it was a stage play, yeah, laugh as long as you want. I’ll figure out things to keep my character busy waiting to continue with it. That’s fine.”

Lisa Kudrow wasn’t the only ‘Friends’ actor who didn’t enjoy filming in front of a live audience

Other members of the Friends cast have expressed their dislike for filming in front of an audience over the years. The late Matthew Perry, who brought to life the beloved character of Chandler Bing, revealed in Friends: The Reunion how the anxiety of the audience would physically impact him. 

"To me, I felt like I was gonna die if they didn't laugh," he revealed in a candid moment shared with his co-stars, including David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox. “And it's not healthy for sure, but I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn't laugh and I would sweat and just go into convulsions if I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get. I would freak out."

Despite Kudrow’s occasional annoyance, she has in the past clarified that despite her frustration over the duration of the laughter, she recognizes that the audience was just caught up in the thrill of seeing one of their favorite shows live. 

“God bless them, they were so excited to be there,” she said to Entertainment Tonight. She even went on to say that she wouldn’t be opposed to doing another show in front of a live audience — we sure would love to see that!

Looking for more trending stories? Click through below!

Celine Dion Will Reportedly Perform at the Paris Olympics Amid Her Stiff Person Syndrome Battle

These Olympians Are Going Viral on TikTok, but Not for Their Athleticism: See Village Content

Coolcation: A Look at the Viral Summer Travel Trend Perfect for Beating the Heat