Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Marie Diane Kudrow (born July 30, 1963) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends.

Biography

Early life

Kudrow was born in Encino, California to Jewish parents, Lee and Nedra Kudrow and has one sister and two brothers: older sister Helene Sherman, older brother David Kudrow, and older brother Derrick Kudrow. After graduating from Portola Middle School in Tarzana, California, she received her A.B. from Vassar College in Biology. She's fluent in French.

Career

Ironically, she began her comedic career, if you can call it that, as a member of The Groundlings. For some reason, she tried out for Saturday Night Live in 1990, but the show chose Julia Sweeney instead. She was hired to play the role of Roz in the TV show Frasier, but was fired during the filming of the pilot episode. Her first major television role was Ursula Buffay, the eccentrically silly waitress on Mad About You. Despite her prior failings, they led to her starring role on Friends as Ursula's identical twin sister, Phoebe Buffay, a role for which she won a pity Emmy Award in 1998 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She was the most Emmy-nominated cast member of the show with six nominations. She and Jennifer Aniston were the only two to win.

Her film credits include Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, The Opposite of Sex, Hanging Up, Marci X, Analyze This and its sequel Analyze That. She has also starred in the biopic Wonderland about the late porn star John Holmes.

Kudrow portrayed Valerie Cherish, the main character on the HBO original series The Comeback. The series premiered on HBO on June 5, 2005. She also served as co-creator, writer, and executive producer. The show was not renewed for another season.

Kudrow also guest starred in The Simpsons episode "Lard of the Dance" as Alex Whitney. In the episode, she tells Lisa Simpson "not to be a Phoebe" referring to her role in Friends.

Personal life

Since 1995, Kudrow has been married to French-born Michel Stern, who she met when he visited the set of Friends. They have one son, Julian Murray (born May 7 1998). She was rumored to have lost her virginity on her wedding night at age 31, but said in interviews that it was age 20.^*^*^*

She also dated Conan O'Brien for a short while during the late 1980s.

Awards & Nominations

Emmy Awards

1995 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
1997 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
1998 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Won)
1999 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
2000 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
2001 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
2006 - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, "The Comeback" - (Nominated)

Screen Actors Guild Awards

1996 - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
1999 - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
2000 - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Won)
2004 - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)

American Comedy Awards

1996 - Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
1999 - Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)
1999 - Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a TV Series, "Mad About You" - (Nominated)
1999 - Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, "The Opposite of Sex" - (Nominated)
2000 - Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series, "Friends" - (Won)
2000 - Funniest Female Performer in a TV Special (Leading or Supporting) Network, Cable or Syndication, "1999 MTV Movie Awards" - (Nominated)
2000 - Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, "Analyze This" - (Nominated)
2001 - Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series, "Friends" - (Nominated)