Lady Gaga almost made Friends star, Lisa Kudrow, cry by thanking her for playing Phoebe Buffay on the sitcom. The series, telling the story of six 20-something-year olds trying to live their life in New York City ran for ten seasons on NBC, and it came to an end with a finale that drew over 50 million viewers. The show quickly became a phenomenon, thanks to its relatable characters and iconic moments, such as Kudrow’s peculiar yet lovable Phoebe Buffay and her various performances of the “Smelly Cat” song. So naturally, when the Friends Reunion was announced, fans everywhere exploded with excitement.
After many delays due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the unscripted reunion show, titled: “The One Where They Get Back Together” saw all six cast members reunite on the show’s set for the first time in 17 years and take a nostalgia-fueled journey on HBO Max. The reunion was hosted by James Corden, and it also featured the cast re-enacting iconic scenes and various celebrity guest stars, including pop culture icon, Lady Gaga. Unlike some other celebrities who had quick interviews highlighting why Friends is special to them, Gaga’s part in the reunion involved her singing a “Smelly Cat” duet with Kudrow. It was one of the standout moments from the show, and despite Kudrow trying to play her Phoebe character, it was clear the situation made her a little emotional.
After the conclusion of their “Smelly Cat” performance at Central Perk, Gaga took the time to thank Kudrow for playing “the different one or the one that was really herself” on Friends, which Kudrow responded to by telling Gaga, “Thank you for carrying it along.” In an interview with The Ellen Show (via EW), the Friends star discussed the musical performance and how she relearned the chords for Phoebe’s song by using Google. When discussing the heartfelt moment with Gaga after the performance, the actress revealed it “almost made me cry,” which she also acknowledges during the reunion. Read what Kudrow said below:
That really almost made me cry. That blew me away. Also coming from her, because my son was in grade school, all the kids were listening to Lady Gaga and her whole message was everyone be yourself and just be you. That was amazing.
A lot of the celebrity involvement helped shine a light on how the different aspects of Friends helped and meant so much to so many people around the world, and Phoebe, knowingly or unknowingly, embodied the message of “be yourself” for so many. Also, as the Friends: The Reunion director states, Gaga “has some Phoebe spirit in her,” and her message while thanking Kudrow was also a message from millions of people. Kudrow's emotional reaction only added to that moment being so special. Also, it was apropos that the two sang a song about a cat that’s “different” because it was the smelly one. Although this was merely a fun performance driven more by nostalgia, it meant a lot to Gaga and will likely go down as a memorable appearance for her and the millions of fans who watched Friends: The Reunion.
The long-awaited reunion certainly delivered, and the mix of current pop stars and Friends stars has even continued, as Courteney Cox recreated Monica and Ross’ iconic dance with Ed Sheeran. Clearly, the desire to relieve Friends is not dying down anytime soon, and after hearing this story from Kudrow, fans may want to revisit Gaga and the Phoebe Buffay actress' heartfelt moment.
Source: The Ellen Show (via EW)