Jennifer Aniston & Lisa Kudrow | Actors on Actors - Full Conversation

you see you can really hear me I can hear you really well I heard you whisper well it wasn't staged whispers look I'm running out of air what does that mean I need a test can you smell me yes I can't hear you that well but I can smell you that's great technical you can smell me that that's amazing [Music] hi you I've got a million questions for you I'm a million questions for you I know a lot of them answers cuz we know each other yeah it turns out we know each other so I know things I know we have a little slight but we're gonna pretend that we don't I know what by the way one of the questions that was suggested that I asked is if you can remember any episodes of friends that we did together and when we were in every in every episode together so I just thought that we were funny that's a great question do you remember any episodes we were in together I don't know it's really not I don't think we ever appeared in the same screenshots huh yes yeah we did a lot and I don't know why for some reason I kept thinking about I was thinking about the the one with the the fire learned but I don't even think I was in that one with you the one that were you I don't know anything what you're talking I'm talking about I mean if you said the one with anything after I go yeah that episodes the one with the fire alarm sounds made up it wasn't the title of it it was you know the little does the fire alarm that you could you would it was possessed oh the special will be fine and you couldn't you took the battery out you and then you smashed it you rolled it up in a blanket and then you threw it down the fire and center its incinerator trash yeah dreadful and then the police showed up with it and it says property of Phoebe Buffay I just remember joy looks at naked pictures of us well eats Jenny it's chicken and I didn't get the line right Joey eats chicken he looks at [ __ ] to eat chicken and he looks I don't remember it either let's not do that I remember anyway barely any of my lines yeah well I can't call you flu so they'll be like why am i calling you that Lisa right and I can't tell you jus as well even though it's spelled Jo Oh Jo oh oh oh oh um wait do you actually remember when you first met me yes I do at the table read yeah and you remember what everyone was wearing but I do appropriate Phoebe Buffay like a white linen hippy shirt and you had a bunch of like seashells and necklaces on and you had your hair pulled up in two little clips and you are these little blonde tendrils oh god bless so so so beautiful oh according it on a pink baby to you with the white trim hey Wiz I was trying to get into the character I know you still thought you were auditioning and you actually already had the job well what what did you wear that I don't remember oh I just remember meeting you and oh my god and what okay that's Rachel got it yeah and there was Phoebe it was it wasn't that kind of a magical magical moment the yep because we'd never I mean I admit court obviously and I've known Barry Mathew forever but it was just to sort of hear everybody all together and the voices just having imagined it for so long was just kind of like what's happening yeah everyone was such a surprise I was just just reeling from how surprisingly not surprisingly good it was just everyone's take was Oh didn't see that coming and I think you need that for comedy you actually do because hopefully that's what the audience feels yeah exactly it was really fun and then you did the morning show right after my gut instinct is to bring the news to America myself honestly addressing the truth is the only way to protect our integrity so we will talk to them as members of our family we will grieve with them we will go through this together I just thought that was a good segue it's not great segue abrupt at all yes but it's my favorite show watch stop it all of them the minute we could my husband and I both and we have a hard time finding shows we can both watch together by the way it's just everything about it is great thanks it's really entertaining it's always good and no one and that it's just so well written it's it's about something it's so beautifully performed you blew me away what's your heart thanks money completely you know know when you were Alex levy the Liat levy or levy lavinia leaving levy tomato tomahto I know but the Dan Eugene levees are very levy so you have to be she's levy that's right no but so completely the morning show host that I it wasn't you anymore and that's what was just really thrilling after it was done I would go wait that was Jennifer oh my god you don't understand of course coming from Lisa I'm speaking to this so said audience that is may be watching this but coming from you who literally the amount of the characters that you portray comes consistently over the all of the years of knowing you I it I never see Lisa ever like you have you so this is this is just quite a I'm really moved whenever I get a like a good review from from you it really ah it really hits deeply into my my heart of gratitude and I'd say thank you I really doubt so sweet honey thank you but you did the work it was just really clear like you were this other person and you are poised but it was a different it was a different shade of poise maturity you know oh it was just it was really thrilling you know thank you I've been really fortunate in the last I would say about seven years I met this one this incredible woman who I break scripts down with and just discovered like I feel like I discovered a whole new doorway into what we do into acting that I never in all the years even sort of thought about I mean I've had also I've always had different sort of ways that I would prepare or you know but it was oh I always dreaded it I was every time I'd go to work and there's a lot of actors I know who just hate it's torture for them to write actor you know right know it's like how am I gonna do today I'm like yeah yeah yeah and it's like that for the first time since working with Nancy Nancy Banks is her name that I literally feel like I have a whole new it's like I learned I have like a lude tool belt yeah and it makes it less terrifying and and more exciting and also I think also just being older I have way less to do about nothing you know I miss you and if you do like Jim oh the cornrows oh yeah my roommate did it yeah it's not appropriation when they do it to you oh the the space Wars character the show how did you their big secret around that I just remember hearing a story that you didn't know there was a space where you weren't allowed to know something about space force or sort no not not allowed just [ __ ] didn't know that it was running yeah no no I mean I didn't know and luckily it doesn't matter weren't you so excited to get that job when you heard oh my gosh I get to work with Steve Carell yes yes he's heaven he's so I mean okay he's great he's a human being right yo very much a human being yes and that it was it was really fun I mean I was only there on that show for five days but it was yeah yeah that's how I do things by the way you like it sign me up Thanks thanks Netflix yeah that was like for feel good too it's just like one week but it was awesome you know God good feels so good you're so mean yeah she said you're really it's an incredible help I mean isn't it fun though to play that yeah kara those mean people yes but I get concerned when I really completely understand and sympathize right with the mean person but that's why you laughter you have to you have to sympathize with I did because if my daughter had been an addict and you know we had to kick her out of the house and then I come to fight and she's recovered and come to find that she's not in any you know addict anonymous groups or program with Narcotics Anonymous yeah then yeah I'd be super freaked and angry where she would and angry for all the years that I had to worry don't worry and now you still do and goddammit let me have a glass of wine well I get really pissed off about this yeah and still they instill a little angry yeah so yeah yeah because that's what that character was at the end of the day it's really about them in a way because it's yeah it's my daughter I've raised you what I get it wrong like don't you know all that stuff that I just decided worked and may was really really open and and and just gave me a lot of background for that character which is I think it's loosely based on but her mother's not that person but her mother's not that person yep I got it I don't know I haven't met her well we don't yeah in my drug support group one of the things that they said is that sometimes everybody feels better if they just address the elephant in the room everyone feels better or you feel better well she's always had a very addictive personality I don't know where she gets that from anyway look here's a lot to talk about with morning show so if do you mind if I pivot pivot now I know you've produced before and many things producing this was a series how did you decide that that something you wanted to do Oh was that the idea first or was it nope never I want to be on a series no I was talking to Michael elenberg at it was my Christmas party and I know I've known Michael since he did that he was one of the producers on the leftovers and which was one of Mimi's brilliant you know another extraordinary show that was created and she directed and I said he was talking about so it just sort of came up where I said you know I'm not opposed to going back to television if it's the best if it's a great piece of work you know it's a great part a great idea and he said are you serious and I said yeah and he said I haven't I haven't III I know what it is I know what it is and then he sort of he sort of gave me the outline of cause he had just red top of the morning it just and he just acquired the rights of top of the morning oh it was called top and the more top of the morning which was the book and so not based on like our show as a base it was just so then he went into a leans my managers and pitched the idea and they came to me and I said absolutely and he said also we were and the idea of having you and Rhys come in to do this together would be brilliant and I said that's another extraordinary piece of this yeah I know and also when he explained you know pitch the show it just but you know behind the scenes of the New York morning talk shows and New York media and of course I mean I loved those were that was such a it was such comfort for me growing up watching those I didn't even listen necessarily it was just knowing your mom-and-pop we're up there on the screen and right it felt very comfortable yeah cheering them and once in a while you'd stop and oh my god the world's ending but right they're still there so work yes which I still do to this day me too right just like they're just such a sit like a source it's like such a comfort I'm feeling they're okay and they're if they haven't broken down into tears yet were okay yeah I know sort of like went up when I might irrational fear of fly if I look at this the flight attendant and they're not panicking we're okay right now I agree sense well but anyway so that's how I we got involved and it kind of just took off from there and it was it kind of then wrote itself so right we we had almost the all of the and then of course just acquiring our crew and our cast and you know shaping it and was so interesting cuz there was so much there was so much material to mine and then also write we had at least like three or four of the scripts outlined and then me to happened so oh that's what I was wondering that yeah the chronology of that the timeline right what was it before that then it was it still in doubt you still dealt with like inequality and discrimination sexual harassment and all of that and just the sort of competition between the networks and the cutthroat you know how certain bankers will time each other out though their stories will run long to sort of cut into someone else's segments and be this there was a lot of dark stuff that went behind the scenes but then when when me to happen then we had to stop and refocus and incorporate all of that into the story is well which sadly fit in quite easily what you already had that you've already had sort of the Mitch who was crossing lines yes so to speak yes and so that and the woman in ageism my character you know wanting that someone new because you know after you hit 40 that's it we got to find us a new someone right so there was a lot of things that were really fun and there to play with but then we still yeah we did we had it all there so it was great Wow so now how how long did that take like once you realize we have to address me to now well we pitched we sold the show in 2016 and we didn't get to start shooting it until 2018 oh my god 20 summer of 2016 right and then the then that's when Hart the Harvey Weinstein stuff came out right then the you know Matt Lauer it was like a year a year so it's like two years of to two years and changed so we shot the first episode Wow yeah but you're pretty involved I mean you were all like very involved with the scripts then all of it right like that's what I loved about Carriere in our showrunner and head writer we got recent I both got to sit with her individually and talk about what what what what it's of this character this archetype are we like oh my and I of course bow to Diane Sawyer and I kind of did poise and ease and grace that which she she delivers every single thing even the way she you know reads the phone book which I guess people don't do anymore but right she I just I felt like that's that's who I kind of modeled her after and Greece got to then talk to Carrie about who where she was because there wasn't a note you know because she's kind of plucked out of nowhere to be in this environment in this world she didn't really that was sort of what was fun for Reese cuz she could just define herself she didn't want to be defined by any anybody yeah so that's interesting and then just just being able to to find our you know quarries and chips and Mitch and and Steve was our very first one for Mitch though yeah perfect to our dream and never thought in a million years you would say yes yeah yes so but it's such so smart because you trust him and you love him like no matter what Steve Carrell sorry if he wants to be more sinister s no there's no there's no skeleton you couldn't it's a tough it's because of Steve's inherent goodness and and you know not that he's I can forgive your dad but I guess it is you just felt so comforted you feel comforted by right him he emits decency yes so you know and and sometimes that's that's the unfair thing about certain men yes that's what is so disarming and how so many women well they find themselves you know in those situations and thinking oh this is oh whoa what's happening yeah he's but he's a nice guy everyone respect salmon's yeah yeah yeah they take advantage of that those men yeah he was he did it really really well but it's also because those characters that character has such a sense of these such there's such an narcissism there that he is there is no way it feel it's like it to him he it seems like it would be an honor for this person to have this inner interaction you know there's sort of blissfully unaware like how screwed up they are yeah they do exactly what's wrong with it yeah what I'm doing I'm me and Steve understood every piece of that too it was which was so great or justice but I also really interested swatching it I mean maybe just as a fan how complicated it is for Alex levy who sat next to him every single day how much did she know if she did is that any of her business it's so complicated what's a woman's choice and what's how is she being victimized victimized and also have the women that are complicit who are standing there on the sidelines knowing that it's it's taking place and it's just oh that's what they do it was such a norm it was such a norm it didn't we there was no I don't think any a lot of those women felt that it was an abuse I think they felt it was obviously new Chuong so that's their business it's not my business or right you know is it to be an abuse of power and whatever it is no one's gonna listen to me if I say anything so it doesn't matter right yeah and I just want to you know keep my head down just walk forward do my job and get them all let's try stay relevant yeah right now I mean you're swimming as fast as you can what is today afloat but that was really interesting to watch that grapple and then that last episode was mind blowing perfectly done I thought was a crazy I never know because these are strange writing people watch them it's like the movie and you don't want to tell the end in case nobody has seen it but right now it was just an incredible performance your depiction of Alex's sort of breakdown in that last episode I've never seen anything done like that it it felt so real and not painful because she was sort of out of her body a fella is that what a hundred percent it was just talk how on earth did you approach that I think it's it's it's uh I know I don't really sorry I don't remember that back that far unfortunately but I just remember that it was supposed to be a very it was a it was it was just a boiling point and I think it was just all of the the years and then once Hanna's death happened and then just all all of it kind of boiled and it just and exploded and it happened to happen right when it was yeah when we were on air and I think I just did sort of float out of my body and I didn't give a [ __ ] and it was a little bit like I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore yeah and it felt there's a lot of moments where you just feel I think it's also something about being this age and knowing and having heard these stories over and over over the last year a few years there is such a rage that we as women are carrying and hearing what so many women walked through and had to deal with yeah and it was like this this rage for all women yeah we've all heard stories when they were happening I mean yeah and and you just know oh my god there's no recourse there's no recourse there's nothing to do what do I tell my friend oh my god yeah and it's too big it's too big that man world thing the corporations there's no way what are we gonna do it's gonna be him again his word against mine yeah so it was a it was a quite a fulfilling experience in that sense so it was an expression of that yeah god it was just so great I mean and there were these like moments where it looked like you were sort of completely aware of what was happening of what you were doing but it just was bigger than you and uh I love you blushy really thank you well you don't look sweaty and then what about so with reased and you guys I'm sure because you were both producing this and so you both had talked a lot did you both like talk a lot about I'm just wondering about your characters in their relationship and how this would arc and you know cuz it was also kind of thrilling and and then throwing you off balance that was a fantastic rollercoaster also that relationship yes but for Alex I mean Alex would seem to like okay I'm gonna it felt like Alex didn't have a lot of women in her life there no no no she was she was in the boys club I she reminds me to kind of Shirley MacLaine it was always hanging out with the Rat Pack you know there's yeah I think she was very determined and it was very you know she had her family and she had a work was number one obviously and also that when that when Reese's would Bradley comes in there's such a whoa inferiority but yet she sort of worships her and thinks she's awesome but then she's terrified and intimidated so many it's such a it's such a rollercoaster relationship throughout the whole it's such a love-hate and it really did feel like a love story between two women in a way yes I just love that you all embraced all those the insecurities that fed in but that's what it's based on two and oh yeah cute I'm sorry I interrupted you that was dumb no no no but just again there's there's so many dynamics but women and how women treat each other you know women would have women him pretty hard on women ultimately and it says that's something that you and I had never experienced especially when we had the luxury of shooting our show we were trapped girlfriends were everything yaps so yes but you and I was saying that we don't we never experienced that kind of math wrote behind the scenes of competition on any jobs any set anything me too I never I never understood that and luckily I never I don't think I ever experienced it or I don't see it I just yes see it I know I think I am very I will I won't see it if even if it's there I will pretend it's not happening yeah I love I have if I have never had a glimpse of it I just won't right I scribe to that that kind of behavior right there's no reason on earth we're all doing what we want to do we all know that we are lucky grateful that we get to do what we want to do so where's the complaint like what's there where's the issue there's enough there's abundance we're all here and we're all doing room for everybody but I think in that world of broadcasting is that it is about relevance it's about staying relevant there isn't such a vast you know we have we have way more opportunity than they do yeah and it is all about yeah staying relevant it's like keeping that read it's like the I've got to stay on top I mean you have to have some sort of a driving you do want to wake up at three o'clock in the morning for 25 years of your right right so I don't know what something is really driving those those people I mean I it's um it's accredited crazy professional yeah you did your research for that for sure mm-hmm yeah I got to went to New York I went to the morning American Morning America's I in the morning just such a crazy train that gets going at 5:00 them from 5:00 to 7:00 that's just like a ghost town and they live in these vampire these vampire existences where they're all awake throughout the night digesting awful information and thank god there's a cooking segment so some Liberty can come into the moment firm that you know oh but uh it's it's it's it's it's quite a moving train that that gets to smoke and not going at by seven o'clock somehow you don't even know that there was all that was happening in the background all that was going on revving up to that moment of you know four three two good morning it just yeah seems so effortless and yet it's like in that control room it's like a mad dash everybody's even the you know the producer that the chip character he was like you know I I'm very well much must have a DD but this is my adderall this this schedule is my Admiral he's like oh holy wow totally works for me God yeah he was great too my god yeah yeah lucky we're looking right cares the reading and performing that's it's it's presenting news it's you forget yeah and then catching up all night I don't know ah you know if you go to it I'd see outside a charity event and I'm wondering wait no how don't after what you have to go to bed and ryojun right every time I ever see campaign or or when there's thick the all any award show or any kind of breaking news and they're out there and it's late I don't you are gonna be waiting three hours yeah you gotta get up they don't even sleep some times they just don't go to bed we are doing this my way because frankly I've let you bozos handle this long enough not the apology You're Expecting approach you with space force well I heard from my agents Greg Daniels and I was thrilled because I've known Greg since 1986 because that's when I met Conan and he and Conan like drove out here back east because they're a writing partner so I became oh you're kidding I didn't know yeah yeah and and so yeah and I just there was part of me that was always sort of like huh Greg never wanders if I wanted to do you know that actor thing like I mean I was busy but exam so I was thrilled that you know Greg's doing this show with Steve and you know they want to know if you want to do and then Steve sent me a text saying it'll be fun play my wife and I just said well why on earth would I not let's say oh and I should read it and I read it interesting well this is interesting and yes yes yes yes of course it was five days so that's always healing to me that's always a good yes ma'am I won't that sounds like fun I feel like our life now is kind of like what your character was in a way yes you know I had all these wigs for like different sizes of roots and stuff and yeah but what about the one where you had the cornrows would your when your daughter came to visit you yes I did have cornrows that wasn't a wig but word that was that a win no you know that was my hair by the way you know gorgeous you [ __ ] cornrows look I didn't know not you bo Derek and Courtney Cox's they can pull off cornrows well I bet you'd look great too uh-uh in cornrows I mean it's but no that was incredible so you and and and you see really have no you went you did everything in five days just five days yeah for all of those things both of them take took places its in the cell right yes well the unfortunate thing I think for the very first day was but I'm still not entirely sure about what I'm gonna do and it's the first day and we're shooting the episode where I have the most to do with the conjugal visit yes yes so that was the first day and so that was that was a lot but you know that was the other fantastic thing Steve so great right yes messing up so I feel ok sing up right Greg Daniels and Paul I'm gonna get it wrong but I should know it Lieberstein Lieber from the office he's a phenomenal writer but he played Toby in the office so he's writing on the show and everyone to have who's writing is fantastic but boy they they were so great about yep not feeling exactly right let's let's figure let's figure this out you know let's meeting the scene wasn't feeling exactly right so that they would sort of stop in between takes and then they would kind of workshop it yeah wait and then say let's try this figure it out yeah it was great yes I loved that environment really just creative and everyone focused on the scene the show that not well but I wrote it and that's how we're gonna do it which can happen you know all right but just that they were all just yeah there was no ego about any of that stuff and brilliant fixes to I have to say like that yeah so I love that stuff yeah and was there any improving or was there wizard was it all pretty much sticking to the script mostly sticking to the script yeah it was most not lend itself to a lot of it reading and then when you would say how long you know you figuring out who you were gonna be and you weren't sure in the first day how do you kind of decide which because every single carrot you play has such a completely different person persona person there like to cheer just a completely different Lisa Kudrow I don't need to see you ever like I said before so what how do you decide who she's gonna be and then how she sort of transformed over the series well luckily well I had gone in for like hair makeup tests and Greg Daniels was there and he sat with me for like two hours while we were doing all this he also directs so you know I he approaches a show I think from a lot of different facets so that was really great and yes so we were just talking things through about who she was you know of course I'm asking now why is she imprisoned um he was just so great about me just getting to bounce stuff off of him you know which is safe for me but I don't like about myself is sort of what I'm doing is getting permission to try something from them to do what you want to do to try something really well have you always been like that yes actually I have if someone else has you know written a character and you know I that to me is my biggest flaw is that I'm you know oh I hope this is what you had in mind am i doing it right you know that's just that right away but once I'm in the scene with the person I can't help it and I just do guessing and it just become her my worry is that I do something different on the next take but um cuz to me it feels like it's different and then I would look and it's not it's the same I actually was the same human but yeah something about it though but that's why you give them so many opportunities you have so much for them to cut together and play with it's probably a directors and editors dream yeah I hope so I mean I do yeah that's what I feel like when you're doing something for the first time you need options yeah in case the characters like to pissy or too sweet or too something so I kind of wanted to give them options of she's not flighty she's not that sweet so yeah and then right see what works for the show yeah can I ask you something mom am i needy in general yes why else would my body have expelled you four weeks premature you were literally sapping my resources oh my god I'm Pakman I don't understand that reference um Parkman I'm a hungry empty ghost that's actually very poetic for my book and that would feel good did you did you how did you come up with I mean was that already written it was written yes yes um Martin and Johansson is her writing partner and Mei is a standalone she's like she just 15 16 20 she's I sneak up like a minute over 30 but she looks like she's 17 I don't know whatever she was gonna say I was gonna say okay sure right they asked me to do this and of course it shoots in the UK so my first response is I don't think so oh no okay was this before our after space wars before way before before so you get the call again will you do this and it shoots in the UK and you're like oh no you might and I said oh dear well oh well I'll read it and I went uh-oh these are all the script they were all done these are really really really good well okay now I have to watch some may Martin stand up in interviews and then I was just there was no questions like that I was getting on a plane and I was gonna go to I was gonna go to the yeah no going back whatsoever how stunning is she she's absolutely stunning and I'm so that is one of that is such a beautiful piece of work I just love every character I love your relationship I love you my heart breaks for you even though you were mean but I yeah yeah you have that ability to play these characters that you just you want you shouldn't be kind of cringing at but yet you you have such empathy for them oh good you do that's good yes you really do Lucas plays my husband and it he's just so sweet and dear and nice and he's so good Adrienne Lucas anyway so good yeah and so I mean I think that helps because there's this like profoundly decent sweet man that is this woman so what's going on right what's going terrified yeah she's terrified it's what it is but also yeah she's an impossible woman to write but it's funny I mean luckily it's meant to be funny and I think that's good yeah yeah so over-the-top sort of insensitive or well what am I said I love that so do you like being a part of citizen do you enjoy when I mean cuz you produce you produce so many different different things to be clear neither of these two things Jim's not producing space force or feel good right right just actor for that's my question is how do you do you enjoy being a part of some is it is it you know cuz when you are corroding producing your there from the ground up with you know coming up with the idea and the show and then the scripts and then the crew and then the cast and then so you're sort of a part of this team and then people come in do you find that to be more of a comfortable place to work from other than or do you enjoy going into an already formed family and you're sort of going to be the guest family member for the time I like being the guest family member for the time you took more than pretty round things when I'm producing my own thing that's different but I I'm kind of I have a commitment issue since friends to be honest with you of what's the what did that look like what do you mean you just fear of committing to something because nothing will ever be as good as friends I understand it was series yeah look that was a friend it was more than just it's not like oh it was such hard worked for ten years you know it's not that it was that I know that show worked because we all committed to each other to write you know it wasn't just committing to a role committing like to a contract I mean we all still love each other yeah art casts like that and that's why that worked and I think hard to me like lime I can't do that again yes I'm not gonna do that again well I don't think I don't think I see and we've always said to each other that if we were ever to go back to television and to in the way that we were on with Fred it would have to be something that at least just the three girls did together yeah right yeah and I think what I mean I with these other jobs that we've done that's not it's not the beautiful but you know camera and multicam type of experiences it's it's it's hard to differentiate what we're the television we're doing now from the film from a film schedule you know right yes that's true that's not as scary to me but I mean I have looked at you know a primetime Network you know if it's successful if you're lucky enough for it to be successful and and that's what I've gotten close to doing because I thought of it's fun and its light and people need to be entertained and I want to do it and then it's like oh but oh oh oh oh yeah who's running it has it what are you gonna do yeah but when I've created something myself which I've only two shows that I've done that with you know and so when I've done that then I feel like it's okay because I have all the people around that it makes it okay I don't know maybe I'm just becoming a [ __ ] nut which is you know that's possible [Laughter] [Music] how the ideas come up of what you you're gonna produce you know and m'as you there's such a variety you ya show and then there was the game show how did the game show come up well that came up of food that came marry Mary McCormack and and Michael Morris Michael Michael Moore's yeah Mary and Michael had this game and you know they're very close with Dan Bukit in ski right that's the producing partner and and that's why we did that and there are some things that you know Dan meant a lot to Dan to do also has you and dad have been together for a long time right you and Dan 15 years yeah yes yeah and the first thing you did was the comeback wasn't it yeah I mean yeah we've developed a pilot for Aisha Tyler that was one of the first things we did actually Wow that's right yeah but but no the comeback was the first thing that I created that that we produced that was the first thing I loved her I loved her so deeply really and I think that story that history of that show coming and then literally coming back that just never happens what was the span of time between the nine years like almost a whole decade went by how did that happen what was the story behind that I forget well I mean we were cancelled and then um it just felt like there were different people at HBO and and it just felt like you know they didn't have anything against the show in the first place the people who were you know now there and was it the same place was at HBO originally HBO it was yeah and then it just felt like enough time had passed and they felt like you know we would like to see more so let's do a limited series and it was only meant to be that second round was only meant to be a limited series because it started off as a regular series this had to be season two not like a special or it couldn't be a limited series but but that's what it was you had to pick up where the last episode we didn't though we wanted to acknowledge that nine years had passed we wanted we really wanted to acknowledge that so we didn't have to yeah that's not what that just meant it just means for award considerations it's in the cat it can't be in the category of limited series because it was a series oh yeah but that was fun to figure out what that was that was really fun I might need to do it the second so doing it 10 years later how did it feel different how did it feel different walking into her lil red wig and her out I just know it breaks my heart not just lovely so loved her so much it didn't feel different it didn't it all it was like riding a bike I mean the minute I put that wig back on my head just to try it on like you know we have someone had to test it to see if I have the same wigs I have the wigs I have a heaven just putting it back on I can't help it she's just there she is you know live album yes now she is I know exactly it's like that character thing the minute you put that wig on there you go her voice comes back everything about her yes did you know that you were gonna be kind of ahead of the that you were sort of it was a foreshadowing you were gonna be way ahead of the curve when web therapy came out that this was basically gonna be the future no not at all I mean because it wasn't allowed that was why it was a joke I mean it was like the worst idea in the world it was based on the worst idea in the world is what was web therapy was because right this is like 2006 or 2007 you know when someone was like do a web series and I might why um except then I thought although I mean what would work just like you got it like just fly straight into the storm okay well yeah what would be on the Internet what kind of thing would it be and there's like people are doing a lot of things that are incomprehensible to me they're dating online they're looking for people online they're shopping online you can't try anything on right it's 2007 right yes oh my god Oh Sarah P that would be the dumbest thing and then people say like oh no I'm in therapy I'm working on it you know yes I'm doing that I do it at lunch like you know it's like just because no one will watch anything longer than three minutes at the time which is what everyone's saying series should only be like three to five minutes an episode and so I don't know I just thought the dumbest thing on earth is to offer therapy for three to five minutes right and only five minutes yeah but you know because the the little of improv sessions went longer so it would be like seven minutes than ten then you have Meryl Streep and it's like well we can't do a 20-minute session so we have to cut it down but then you would probably let it go for 20 minutes but then you would edit it we edited yeah thank God for editors yeah and it was assuming breezy to shoot it was really great how much fun he just it's like right now you just get dressed from here up are you just where are you sure at least well you know me you know how much I love nudity you love it I know how you love walking around in your inner knickers just because pants are too confining confining you know that's not me and so that was all improv right it was improv yeah yeah we would we would write a web therapy yeah I would you would have an outline of some kind we had an outline of like what the story we have like sort of like three stories so that there's an arc yeah yeah we did that it was fun it was really fun I wanted you to do that I know you didn't it's a real big sad piece in my my memory bank that it didn't happen I think it was going to it was going to happen yeah and then we were cancelled please bring that back house Aaron Aaron wants to go to a concert in the desert this weekend with this older Russian guy who I think is just using her to get information 18 is that age where you make mistakes and figure some things out do you think I should let her go well I just don't know how you can stop her so since we've been in quarantine or sting home have you watched friends have you I know you did watch you used to watch do you still watch I love stumbling on a friends episode you know what I it's been fun I have to say I think I stumbled upon this one time where I was with Courtney and we were trying to find something I don't know how we were we were on the computer we were trying to find something to reference an old friends thing and then we stumbled on blue there's bloopers online like 15 minutes worth of bloopers that we sat there at the computer like two nerds watching these bloopers laughing at ours I've done it too wormhole I don't even remember that weird who comes up with this I don't know who I bet I've done that hours watching hours something more entertaining than the shows were themselves but now someone sent me clips of friends episodes and I was watching clips and going oh my god well that's really good Wow hey yeah here's what I love is when I watch it when I watch an episode I'll usually remember where we broke during the scene you do well always especially there was that scene with you me and Joey and there was something about you were saying let's move back in together move back and I had been living with Joey and then he let me eat spaghetti here right Chucky's over the sink yes stupid that you and I would but you and I would always get into these fits of laughter because you had this wonderful ability to you were about to hit your punch line and you would do this adorable thing where you would you would say the punch line he would you you were like and you would always turn to the audience say I'm sorry it's really funny yeah I didn't want to say the punch line right like I never get to the punch line so if I knew I was going uh yeah I wouldn't say punch line I don't want to ruin it nobody's but you did have an ability to giggle at like to break during the punch line because you as Lisa also thought it was funny what Phoebe was saying right which was so endearing issue and then and then I would watch you do that and then I would break we were terrible we did not know how to keep her are we were not and then there was the scene when the bagpipes happened bad fights that one I just could not there was two I'm just remembering three sorry if I'm taking too much time but the bagpipes where you started to sing full hundred percent committed window bagpipes as sounding like the bagpipe I couldn't hold it together you couldn't no one could hold it together then there was the the episode where you all wanted to seed my I guess Rachel had a sex tape with I don't know and and every time I went to take the tape and step my foot on it all of your reactions were we're like an owner took us about I think 45 minutes just that piece to shoot because the laughing couldn't we couldn't stop what are your favorite episodes of the friendship show well I feel like of going along with the crowd in that I just don't I don't watch the show I'm still not watching it in the hopes that one day we sit down and watch them together no by the way that's something that will happen I think it should I think it should I a lot of fun for us yeah oh my god but yes I mean I don't I I I mean just because I see it over and over when we're at Ross's and we're seeing Monica and chance start undressing each other right in front of the window yes yes yes right and then my eyes my life which I stole from Matthew Perry right that time Matthew Perry said things that's exactly how Matthew Perry scissors okay I actually asked his permission before we shot it I was like I don't know if you've seen the rehearsals but I'm saying my eyes my eyes like the way you do it so I just need to know that that's okay with you if not I'll say it in a different way he's like yeah go for it do it yeah I feel like Matthew required us to ask permission when we would borrow Chandler's yeah I think it's gonna be really fun also when we if we ever get out of quarantine get to do our reunion show yes that will be really great I can't wait to do that I really can't wait to do that I I cannot wait Ike it's also strange to think it would have already dude already would have been shot and it already would be aired and we would have been there would have been a dud little bit of speck in our memory yeah but yeah it's gonna be fun I don't know what I'm still dying to know what it's yeah we don't know everything about it we need to say well we don't know anything about it what we didn't know we can't say and then we don't I think cuz I think we're meant to be surprised by some things we are I know I knew I know that they want to have a bit of a you know for the us seeing things for the first time I know that it's not a scripted we know it's not scripted that we know yeah no no no no none of it I will not be Phoebe and I will not be Rachel although I kind of in without your well you are kind worlds or little fragments of them not really [Music] you

Channel: Variety

Views: 2,356,030

Keywords: Variety, Variety Studio, Jennifer Aniston, jennifer aniston interview, jennifer aniston the morning show interview, Jennifer Aniston the morning show, Lisa Kudrow, Space Force Lisa Kudrow, space force lisa kudrow scene, Friends Lisa Kudrow, Friends Jennifer Aniston, Actors on Actors, friends reunion, matthew perry

Id: c7K8E5rke48

Length: 59min 16sec (3556 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 22 2020