To the world, Friends is comfort TV at its finest—an iconic show that still draws new fans with every binge. But behind the laughter, Lisa Kudrow reveals that playing the beloved Phoebe Buffay wasn’t as effortless as it seemed.

In a candid chat with actor Parker Posey, Kudrow spoke about the challenges of embodying the quirky masseuse-musician on the hit sitcom. The two actors first worked together on the 1997 indie film Clockwatchers. At the time, Posey was a darling of the indie film scene, while Kudrow was already a household name thanks to Friends.

Posey asked whether the show’s fast-paced rhythm felt like a sport. Kudrow admitted, “It became fun. It was fun the whole time because the cast had fun. But Phoebe was so far from who I was as a human being—it was work. I needed to justify everything she was saying in my head so it felt real to her.”

She also recalled feeling overwhelmed during the show’s early seasons. “I remember Season 2 or 3, I went, ‘Oh my God, I’m not doing the work.’ And [Matt] LeBlanc said, ‘What’s the matter with you? You’re her. You don’t have to.’”

While her performance as Phoebe often came across as spontaneous and breezy, Kudrow emphasized the mental effort it took to make the character believable. That commitment to character still drives her today. In her latest role in No Good Deed, Kudrow plays Lydia Morgan, a grieving mother who believes her late son is communicating with her through flickering lights.

Though Phoebe may have felt like second nature to fans, Kudrow’s reflections reveal the behind-the-scenes dedication that made the character timeless.