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Lisa Kudrow is known by millions for her role as Phoebe Buffay in Friends. It’s easy to assume that the recognition means you feel validated at all times. Apparently, the opposite was true for Kudrow. The famed actor just opened up about her time on the show, and while she values what Friends allowed her to achieve, it didn’t always feel great. Kudrow revealed she often felt like no one cared about her when she compared herself to her wildly popular costars.

Lisa Kudrow says no one in her talent agency really ‘cared’ about her during ‘Friends’

Lisa Kudrow just let the whole world in on a little secret. You can be on a wildly successful TV series, and still be wildly underestimated and underappreciated. During a chat with The Independent, Kudrow opened up about her career and how she got from Friends to The Comeback. In an incredibly vulnerable moment, the actor revealed that she spent years feeling like the odd man out in the Friends cast.

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She told the outlet that her talent agency had no vision for her career beyond Friends. She said she was sometimes just referred to as “the sixth Friend” and felt as though no one really cared about her. Kudrow quipped that some people surely thought she had been lucky to land on the hit NBC sitcom. While that might sound a bit sad, Kudrow insists that it had some bright points, too. She noted that she was pretty much free to pick and choose what she wanted to do. Because there was no “vision” for her, she wasn’t pushed in any one direction. Kudrow noted that she could turn down roles that she didn’t think suited her. For example, she argued that she didn’t see herself in romantic comedies because she wasn’t “adorable,” so she didn’t do them. It all worked out in the end.

Kudrow’s second act is pretty amazing, though

Lisa Kudrow didn’t always feel like an important actor when compared to her Friends costars. Still, the series certainly helped launch her career. In fact, it has led to a pretty substantial second act for the famed actor. Following Friends, Kudrow has added numerous credits to her list, but fans know her best as Valerie in The Comeback.

The Comeback is an HBO comedy series created by Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow. It follows Valerie Cherish, a once-popular sitcom actress, trying to revive her career in Hollywood, while a film crew follows along. The series, much like Kudrow, is a bit unconventional. It’s had a very nontraditional journey to success. Still, it is a successful show. The show’s third season, airing now, has enchanted its viewers so much that everybody is wondering what comes next for Kudrow.

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