Lisa Kudrow on Her Nose Job, Anti-Semitism and Conan O'Brien in Tell-All Interview
Lisa Kudrow opened up about personal subjects in a tell-all interview recently, discussing her nose job, experiencing anti-Semitism, meeting Conan O'Brien in the earliest stages of his career and the small role that led to her Emmy-winning performances on "Friends." Kudrow, 50, is currently acting on two shows: "Web Therapy" as self-professed therapist and "Scandal" as a congresswoman gunning for the presidency.
Lisa Kudrow revealed in her interview with The Saturday Evening Post that she got a nose job while transferring from one high school to another- something she called a "life-altering experience."
"I went from, in my mind, hideous, to not hideous. I did it the summer before going to a new high school. So there were plenty of people who wouldn't know how hideous I looked before. That was a good, good, good change," she said of her decision at 16.
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Kudrow also revealed that her time at Vassar College was the first time she experienced anti-Semitism firsthand, even being shunned by a friend because of her heritage.
"In college there was more anti-Semitism than before college, because there were people who never met a Jew before," Kudrow recounted. "A friend of mine, when she found out I was Jewish, said, 'Really? Oh, I don't like Jews.'"
When she was younger, Kudrow intended on following her father and brother to medical school, and even started down the path of medical research. However, she always wanted to try acting, and took the chance with the Groundlings improvisation class after college, where she met Conan O'Brien. He has credited her with pushing him to pursue late-night television.
"I remember saying, 'If Letterman's leaving his late-night show, he's irreplaceable. So better it be someone we don't know at all.' So I thought he should look into it," she told The Saturday Evening Post, adding that she was "very encouraging."
Groundlings influenced her to take more roles, even one her agent advised her against- a waitress on "Mad About You," which led to her being cast in her most famous role as Phoebe Buffay in "Friends."
"Though it wasn't bad advice. He said, 'You did the Frasier pilot, you don't say OK to do a character who doesn't have a name and only two lines.' But I felt I wasn't in the position to be highfalutin' about anything. I needed money; it was a great show, so I did it," Kudrow explained.
Friends ended up being one of the most successful sitcoms ever, with the actresses being paid $1 million per episode in seasons nine and 10. Even after numerous other roles, most fans remember her as the ditzy blonde hippie from the show, and some even call her Phoebe when they see her.
"Yes, they do, [still call me Phoebe]," Kudrow said. "I don't turn around. I never turn around. If someone's in front of me, I'll smile and try to be nice. But I don't like taking pictures. Autographs are fine."
