“Who do you play?”: Lisa Kudrow Almost Couldn’t Convince a Government Official That She’s Famous

Lisa Kudrow’s depiction of Phoebe Buffay in the popular sitcom FRIENDS has received nothing but love over the years. In fact, many know Kudrow because of her character on the TV show.

FRIENDS is regarded as one of the biggest TV shows of all time in the sitcom genre. Evidently, the cast is well-known around the globe due to their contributions to the success of the series.

However, Lisa Kudrow once faced a difficult situation with a government official who couldn’t recognize the popular actress.

Also Read: “It was quite disrespectful”: Friends Star Felt Uncomfortable on the Show After Being Asked To Do a “Greasy Guy” Scene With Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow’s Nervous Story About Not Being Recognized For FRIENDS

Lisa Kudrow was part of Marta Kauffman and David Crane’s brainchild for a decade. Throughout her time on the show, Kudrow did a convincing job of portraying the eccentric Phoebe Buffay.

Keeping that in mind, Kudrow must never face an awkward situation where a stranger doesn’t recognize her, right? Well, in an interview with Jay Leno (via OutstandingScreenplays on YouTube), Kudrow revealed a government official couldn’t recognize her when she wanted to obtain a green card for her husband, Michel Stern.

We had the hardest time when we got married and when we went in to get his green card. Thay guy was staring at us. He’d say like, ‘You don’t have the same mailing address? And you are an actress, and you’ve kept your name?’ Well yeah, because I’m an actress. He’s like, ‘Oh really?’

Considering Kudrow gave 10 years of her life to FRIENDS, it must have been hard for the actress to not be recognized for her work on the show. However, a key reason behind it could be the fact that Lis Kudrow got married in 1995.

At the time, FRIENDS was just in its second season. Although it had started to gain momentum among fans, it was still a relatively new show out there. Either way, it was a shock for Kudrow, and it took some convincing to finally make the government official believe her.

Lisa Kudrow Ultimately Convinced the Government Official About Her Identity
The government official continued his interrogation of Lisa Kudrow during her appeal to get a green card for her husband.

‘Have you been in anything that I would have seen?’ I started getting nervous and I said, ‘Well, I’m on a TV show.’ He said, ‘Oh, really? Well, what’s that called? I said, ‘Well, it’s called FRIENDS.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, really? You’re on FRIENDS? And who do you play?’ Well, I play Phoebe Buffay. And he went, ‘Oh!’

Despite getting nervous during the conversation, it all worked well for Kudrow, who has been happily married to her husband since 1995. The couple also have a son, Julian, whom they welcomed in 1998.

Although Stern is married to one of the biggest TV show stars of all time, he has maintained a somewhat low profile over the years.