Lisa Kudrow has revealed how Courteney Cox’s knowledge of the inner workings of Seinfeld helped create a more productive working environment on the set of Friends.
Both Seinfeld and Friends were two of the most popular US sitcoms of the 1990s, both of which revolved around a group of friends living in New York City.
Seinfeld began in 1989 and quickly became one of the most-watched television shows in US history, with its controversial finale in 1998 attracting more than 76 million viewers. Friends began in 1994 and, by that point, Cox had already had a small role on Seinfeld.
Cox played Meryl, a woman who dated Jerry Seinfeld in the season five episode “The Wife”. Although it was her only appearance on the show, it was enough to give her insight into what made Seinfeld so successful.
Speaking on Dana Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast, Kudrow championed Cox as being “so smart” and would share what she briefly learned on Seinfeld to help the rest of the cast.
“She was also the one when we were first shooting the pilot would say: ‘Listen y’all, I did Seinfeld. They help each other all the time. If you think I could be doing something funnier, tell me. You’ve gotta tell me. We need to help each other out.’”
“That set a tone which carried through the whole ten years for us,” Kudrow added.
Previously, Kudrow recalled how comedian Seinfeld had taken some credit for the success of Friends.
Friends first aired on NBC in 1994, initially taking the evening slot after Mad About You.
“The first season our ratings were just fine,” Kudrow explained in a 2022 interview with The Daily Beast. “We held onto enough of Mad About You and started building.”
However, it was only after Friends reruns aired after Seinfeld that the show “exploded”, Kudrow said.
“I remember going to some party and Jerry Seinfeld was there, and I said, ‘Hi,’ and he said, ‘You’re welcome.’”
“I said, ‘Why, thank you… what?’ And he said, ‘You’re on after us in the summer, and you’re welcome.’ And I said, ‘That’s exactly right. Thank you.’”
