Why Lisa Kudrow thinks ‘Friends’ popularity is still going strong 30 years later

Lisa Kudrow has a theory on why “Friends” is still so popular. Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

Lisa Kudrow isn’t surprised that “Friends” keeps getting rediscovered by younger generations.

“I’m not amazed because it’s good and it’s familiar,” the “No Good Deed” star — who played Phoebe Buffay on the beloved sitcom — tells Page Six.

The actress says she believes the show, which ran from 1994 to 2004, holds a “subconscious nostalgia” for younger fans who grew up with cell phones and social media.

The actress played Phoebe Buffay on the sitcom. NBCUniversal via Getty Images
She won an Emmy in 1998 for her role. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

“For something they don’t have, which is in-person connections and relations,” she continues. “And that’s always been at the heart of every successful show.”

She adds, “That’s why people get attached to them and then if it’s funny, there [are] good performances, good jokes, that’s a bonus and ‘Friends’ had all that.”

The Emmy winner recalls that many people thought it wouldn’t succeed and would ask her if “a bunch of young people sitting on a couch talking” was even a show.

The NBC comedy ran from 1994 to 2004. NBCUniversal via Getty Images
The show is still popular with younger viewers. NBCUniversal via Getty Images

“That’s not my problem,” Kudrow says she cheekily answered. “I’m just in it, but yes it was a show.”

The show’s finale, which aired in May 2004, was watched by over 52 million people, making it the fifth most-watched series finale in US history.

In 2021, fans were thrilled when the sextet reunited for a special reunion show on HBO Max hosted by James Corden.

Kudrow believes the show taps a “sub-conscious nostalgia” for newer generations of fans. NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Kudrow remembered that people didn’t understand the premise of the show before it aired. NBCUniversal via Getty Images

“The Comeback” alum will soon be seen in “No Good Deed,” a Netflix series from “Dead to Me” creator Liz Feldman.

The dark comedy follows three families desperately competing to buy the same Los Angeles home that Kudrow and her on-screen husband Ray Romano live in.

The cast includes Abbi Jacobson, Linda Cardenelli, Denis Leary, and Poppy Liu.

Kudrow will soon be seen in “No Good Deed.” SAEED ADYANI/Netflix
She plays opposite Ray Romano in the dark comedy. SAEED ADYANI/Netflix

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