Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay on Friends, has revealed why she was sacked from Frasier before earning her breakout role.

In the popular Cheers spin-off, the actress was scheduled to play Roz Doyle, Frasier Crane’s radio producer. Peri Gilpin was eventually cast in the role.

Lisa said on the Howard Stern Show with Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox that she was sacked from the role of Roz Doyle three days into filming the pilot episode of the smash-hit comedy, mainly due to director James Burrows.

“I wasn’t right for the part [or] for the chemistry of the group. So that wasn’t working but I did think, ‘Oh, I am not this guy’s cup of tea,’ “the 57-year-old Comeback alumna added of Burrows.

Lisa’s role as Phoebe on Friends might have been jeopardized as a result. During her interview with Howard Stern, she admitted that she was “the only one of the six of us who had to go in and audition for Jimmy,” who would also be directing Friends episodes, according to People.

She went on to say, “I had to audition just for James Burrows. I did it and he went, ‘No notes’. I left going, ‘Well that either means she’s beyond help and hopeless just like I always knew, or it’s perfect and I have no notes.’”

Despite landing the part of the sweet masseuse, Lisa admitted that she didn’t hit it off with the rest of the ensemble right away.

“Shooting the pilot that week I was like, ‘All right, here we go,’ ” she recounted of shooting the pilot that week. “And Phoebe was not the character that was part of this group really, that easily. There was a struggle.”

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In a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair, she admitted that the first week of filming Friends with Burrows was “terrifying” for her.

“He would say, ‘Why are they friends with her?’ Meaning [Phoebe]. We have to figure that out. She doesn’t fit,’ ” she said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, my God. Here we go again. Well, if everyone just acts like they like me ….’ ”

Burrows “wasn’t wrong about Frasier,” Lisa claimed, and she “wasn’t right.”

Despite the fact that Frasier was named after a single character, it was more of an ensemble effort, similar to Friends and Cheers. The spinoff’s events began with Frasier’s personal tale, but it also focused on every individual in the core ensemble throughout the duration of its run.

There’s even a case to be made that its usually well-rounded plotlines were the reason it was so good. Given that every character on the show, even Roz, was probably as essential as Frasier, it’s understandable that Burrows would want to find someone who would be a good fit for the part.

Whatever the situation may have been, it all worked out in the end. It’s tough to envision anybody else playing Phoebe than Kudrow, and she may have missed out on the role if she was working on another movie at the time.

Lisa Kudrow is best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay on the popular sitcom “Friends,” which ran from 1994 to 2004.

She received widespread recognition and critical acclaim for her performance on the show, and she won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1998.

Kudrow was born on July 30, 1963, in Encino, California. She grew up in a Jewish family and attended Portola Middle School and Taft High School.

She later attended Vassar College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. After college, she pursued a career in acting and began appearing in small roles on television and in film.

In 1994, Kudrow was cast as Phoebe Buffay on “Friends,” which became a massive hit and made her a household name. She played the character for all 10 seasons of the show and received widespread recognition and critical acclaim for her performance.

In addition to her Emmy win, she was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and six Screen Actors Guild Awards for her work on the show.

After “Friends” ended in 2004, Kudrow continued to act in television and film. She starred in the short-lived HBO series “The Comeback” in 2005 and then reprised her role as Valerie Cherish in the show’s revival in 2014.

She also starred in the Showtime series “Web Therapy” from 2011 to 2015 and provided the voice of Erica in the Netflix animated series “The Boss Baby: Back in Business” from 2018 to 2020.

In addition to her work on television, Kudrow has also appeared in a number of films. She had supporting roles in movies such as “Analyze This” (1999), “Dr. Dolittle 2” (2001), and “Happy Endings” (2005), and she had a leading role in the romantic comedy “P.S. I Love You” (2007).

Kudrow is also a talented musician and has played the piano and guitar since she was a child. She has performed at various events and in some of her film and television roles, and she has said that music is one of her passions.

There have been no known controversies or scandals involving Lisa Kudrow during her career. She is known for her talent and professionalism as an actress, and she has generally maintained a positive reputation in the entertainment industry.

Kudrow has been in the public eye for over 25 years, and she has managed to avoid any major scandals or controversies. She has not been involved in any public feuds or legal issues, and she has generally maintained a private and low-key personal life.