Lisa Kudrow: From Friends to Funny Girl

Lisa Kudrow is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay on the NBC sitcom Friends (1994–2004), for which she received an Emmy Award in 1998. Kudrow has also starred in films such as Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Analyze This (1999), The Opposite of Sex (1998), Wonderland (2003), and P.S. I Love You (2007).

In 2005, Kudrow created and starred in the HBO comedy series The Comeback, which was canceled after one season but later revived in 2014. She has also appeared in several other television shows, including Web Therapy, Who Do You Think You Are?, and Grace and Frankie.

Kudrow was born in Encino, California, to Nedra and Lee N. Kudrow. Her father is a physician and her mother is a travel agent. She has an older sister, Helen, and a younger brother, David. Kudrow's family is Jewish, and she was raised in a Conservative Jewish household.

Kudrow attended Portola Middle School and Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California. She later studied biology at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she graduated in 1985.

After graduating from college, Kudrow worked as a waitress and a medical researcher before pursuing a career in acting. She made her television debut in 1989 on the NBC sitcom Cheers. She went on to appear in several other television shows, including Mad About You, Seinfeld, and Frasier.

In 1994, Kudrow landed her breakout role as Phoebe Buffay on the NBC sitcom Friends. The show was a huge success, and Kudrow's character became one of the most popular characters on television. Kudrow was nominated for six Emmy Awards for her role on Friends, and she won in 1998.

After Friends ended in 2004, Kudrow continued to act in films and television. She has starred in films such as Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Analyze This (1999), The Opposite of Sex (1998), Wonderland (2003), and P.S. I Love You (2007). She has also appeared in several other television shows, including Web Therapy, Who Do You Think You Are?, and Grace and Frankie.

Kudrow is married to Michel Stern, a French advertising executive. They have one son, Julian, who was born in 2005.