Lisa Kudrow revealed that "Friends" writers would fantasize about the cast and engage in "brutal" behavior behind the scenes of the NBC sitcom.
In a recent interview with The Times of London, the 62-year-old actor, who starred as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom, shared that the atmosphere in the writers' room was often fueled by a "dark side" and "mean stuff" that targeted the lead female actors during the show's decade-long run.
The hostility reportedly boiled over during live tapings, which were filmed in front of 400 people. Kudrow noted that the writers, who were almost entirely men, would lash out if their scripts weren't delivered perfectly.
"Don't forget we were recording in front of a live audience of 400, and if you messed up one of these writers' lines or it didn't get the perfect response, they could be like, 'Can't the bitch f---ing read? She's not even trying. She f---ed up my line,'" Kudrow said.
She added that while the cast was working, the writing staff would stay up until 3 a.m. discussing "sexual fantasies about Jennifer [Aniston] and Courteney [Cox]."
This behavior was previously the subject of a high-profile legal battle. In 1999, a writers' assistant named Amaani Lyle sued three male writers, the studio, and the network for sexual harassment, People reported.
Lyle's claims mirrored Kudrow's account, alleging she was forced to listen to staff discuss their fantasies about Aniston and Cox. However, the California Supreme Court eventually ruled in favor of the defendants, stating that while the sexual speech did occur, it was a "necessary part of the creative process" and wasn't directed at Lyle personally.
Kudrow eventually used these experiences as inspiration for her TV series "The Comeback," which she co-created with Michael Patrick King.
King, who also wrote for "Sex and the City," told The Guardian in 2019 that many writers' rooms are built on a "sophomoric madness" where "TV writers perceived any woman over 40 as not f---able."
Kudrow explained that she and King "encouraged each other to explore the dark side a little bit" when writing the series, the final season of which is airing this spring.
Despite the intensity of the writers’ room, Kudrow said she tried to maintain a thick skin while working alongside David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, the late Matthew Perry, Aniston, and Cox.
Regarding the writers' comments, she noted, "My attitude was, 'Say what you like about me behind my back because then it doesn't matter.'"
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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