Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow

Birthday: July 30
Birthplace: Encino, CA

Known to millions as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, Lisa Kudrow is an Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning actress, writer, and producer.

Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, Kudrow originally intended to research headaches, the same career as her physician father. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Vassar College, and worked as part of her father's staff for eight years. During that time, actor Jon Lovitz, a friend of her brother, encouraged Kudrow to try out for the improv troupe the Groundlings.

Known to millions as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, Lisa Kudrow is an Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning actress, writer, and producer.

Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, Kudrow originally intended to research headaches, the same career as her physician father. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Vassar College, and worked as part of her father's staff for eight years. During that time, actor Jon Lovitz, a friend of her brother, encouraged Kudrow to try out for the improv troupe the Groundlings.

In 1993, Kudrow was cast as Roz in Frasier, but ended up getting replaced before the show debuted. Months later, she was cast as Ursuala Buffay on Mad About You, and in 1994 came the show Kudrow is best known for today: Friends. She played Phoebe for ten years (and also reprised her role as Ursula, Phoebe's twin sister, for a handful of episodes), picking up the 1998 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. During the run of Friends, Kudrow starred in perhaps her most famous film role to date, playing Michele in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.

After Friends ended, Kudrow appeared in films including P.S. I Love You and Easy A. She also did voiceover work for shows like The Simpsons and American Dad. In 2005, Kudrow starred as Valerie Cherish on the HBO series The Comeback. She was also a co-creator, writer, and executive producer of the show. The series returned to HBO for a second season in 2014. Kudrow is also the co-creator and star of the long running improvised series Web Therapy. She plays Fiona Wallace, a therapist who sees patients for three minutes at a time via web cam. Originally online-only, the show won several Webby awards before being picked up for a television version by Showtime. 

In addition to serving as an executive producer for Web Therapy and The Comeback, Kudrow is also an executive producer of Who Do You Think You Are?, a show which traces the ancestry of celebrities. She has also found time to continue making guest appearances on television shows such as Cougar Town, which reunited her with Friends costar Courteney Cox, and Scandal, a show which also featured Dan Bucatinsky, who produces Web Therapy, The Comeback, and Who Do You Think You Are? along with Kudrow.

Kudrow has been married to advertising executive Michel Stern since 1995, and has one child - a pregnancy which was written into Friends.

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Awards & Nominations

15 Nominations | 1 Emmy
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) - 2021
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, Executive Producer
  • Friends: The Reunion
  • HBO Max
  • Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Bright, Kauffman, Crane, Fulwell 73 Productions and Warner Horizon for HBO Max
Outstanding Structured Reality Program - 2019
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, Executive Producer
  • Who Do You Think You Are?
  • TLC
  • Shed Media in association with Is Or Isn't Entertainment
Outstanding Structured Reality Program - 2018
Outstanding Structured Reality Program - 2017
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - 2015
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, as Valerie Cherish
  • The Comeback
  • HBO
  • HBO Entertainment in association with Michael Patrick King Productions, Is or Isn't Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television
Outstanding Reality Program - 2012
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, Executive Producer
  • Who Do You Think You Are?
  • NBC
  • Is or Isn't Entertainment, Shed Media US, Wall to Wall Media Ltd.
Outstanding Special Class - Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs - 2012
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, Executive Producer
  • Web Therapy
  • lstudio.com
  • An Is or Isn't Entertainment production in association with Intelligent Life Productions for LStudio
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - 2006
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 2001
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, as Phoebe Buffay
  • Friends
  • NBC
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 2000
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, as Phoebe Buffay
  • Friends
  • NBC
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 1999
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, as Phoebe Buffay
  • Friends
  • NBC
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 1998
  • Winner
  • Lisa Kudrow, as Phoebe Buffay
  • Friends
  • NBC
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 1997
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, as Phoebe Buffay
  • Friends
  • NBC
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 1995
  • Nominee
  • Lisa Kudrow, as Phoebe Buffay
  • Friends
  • NBC

The Television Academy database lists prime-time Emmy information. Click here to learn more

Jimmy Kimmel, right, speaks with Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox during the 72nd Emmy Awards.
Lisa Kudrow on stage at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys.
Lisa Kudrow on the Red Carpet at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys.
Lisa Kudrow, David Alan Grier and Ellen Kuras
Lisa Kudrow and David Alan Grier
Dan Bucatinsky and Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow on the red carpet at the 67th Emmy Awards.
Lisa Kudrow presents an award at the 2014 Primetime Creative Arts Emmys.
g-CA-2012-Backstage-0027
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Fill 1
Fill 1
Jimmy Kimmel, right, speaks with Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox during the 72nd Emmy Awards.
Camera

Jimmy Kimmel, right, speaks with Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox during the 72nd Emmy Awards. 

Invision/AP
Lisa Kudrow on stage at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys.
Camera

Lisa Kudrow on stage at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys.

Invision/AP
Lisa Kudrow on the Red Carpet at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys.
Camera

Lisa Kudrow on the Red Carpet at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys. 

Invision/AP
Lisa Kudrow, David Alan Grier and Ellen Kuras
Camera

Lisa Kudrow and David Alan Grier present an award to Ellen Kuras at the 2018 Creative Arts Emmys.

Invision/AP
Lisa Kudrow and David Alan Grier
Camera

Lisa Kudrow and David Alan Grier present an award at the 2018 Creative Arts Emmys.

Invision/AP
Dan Bucatinsky and Lisa Kudrow
Camera

Dan Bucatinsky and Lisa Kudrow on the red carpet at the 2018 Creative Arts Emmys.

Invision/AP
Lisa Kudrow
Camera

Lisa Kudrow on the red carpet at the 2018 Creative Arts Emmys.

Invision/ AP
Lisa Kudrow on the red carpet at the 67th Emmy Awards.
Camera

Lisa Kudrow on the red carpet at the 67th Emmy Awards.

Invision/AP
Lisa Kudrow presents an award at the 2014 Primetime Creative Arts Emmys.
Camera

Lisa Kudrow presents an award at the 2014 Primetime Creative Arts Emmys.

Invision/AP
g-CA-2012-Backstage-0027
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
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