LISA KUDROW SHE’S OUT OF THIS WORLD!
The sitcom star makes a welcome return in a race to space comedy
She found fame playing the quirky and lovable Phoebe Buffay on the megahit classic Friends, and now Lisa Kudrow has rocketed back onto our screens in Netflix’s Space Force.
Lisa – who was handpicked for the role – shines as Maggie, the wife of General Mark Naird (Steve Carell), a lifelong military man hoping for a top posting who is instead put in charge of the Space Force.
The show is inspired by President Donald Trump’s decision to set up a sixth branch of the US Armed Forces dedicated to space defence, but Lisa, 56, admits she had no clue the taskforce was a real thing!
“I actually had no idea [Space Force] was based on real-life events! I really did not know that the president said, ‘Let’s have a Space Force.’ I mean, I just can’t keep up, so I missed that one,” she admits.
“The whole time we’re shooting, it didn’t come up, because I think everybody assumed I knew.”
Instead, Lisa says her excitement to join the cast was fuelled by the stellar line-up of killer comedians she shares the screen with, headed up by funnyman and onscreen hubby Steve.
“I jumped on board before even reading a script,” she says. “When there’s an offer to do a show created by Greg Daniels [producer of the US version of The Office] and Steve Carell, why would I say no?
“I’ve known Greg for a long time and never worked with him, and I’m also a huge fan of Steve, so I was thrilled that both of them even wanted to work with me.”
Known for her killer comedic timing, the bubbly blonde
shines in her role as the dutiful wife and mother, but Lisa hints that while Maggie “tries to behave”, there’s a twist coming to the state of her marriage!
“Mark and Maggie are forced to navigate a big challenge to their relationship,” she says, offering up a cryptic clue. “Is she a badass or is she not?”
And while many stars shy away from mentioning past roles, Lisa couldn’t be more forthcoming about the show that made her a household name. She generously credits Friends for setting her up with creative and financial freedom.
“Friends put me in the position where I get to only do what I want,” she says. “So, I get to pursue other things that are maybe more niche but fulfilling.
“I think people will always associate me with Phoebe, and that’s fine. I don’t have any complaints about that at all.”
And the gang is set to get back together very soon! Lisa, along with her former co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt Leblanc and David Schwimmer, caused
a worldwide meltdown earlier this year when it was announced they would be reuniting to film a TV special.
While the reunion, which was due to happen in May, is on hold because of COVID-19, it hasn’t stopped the real-life friends from staying in touch.
“We’ve been on calls planning out the show and it’s been great. We can barely stay on topic – [we] keep going off into other directions and making each other laugh,” Lisa confesses.
“I didn’t realise until much later that it is rare to get along as well as this cast did – and still does.”
While the show, which ended in 2004, still has millions of fans around the world, there’s one person who’s not impressed by Lisa’s work – her 22-year-old son Julian.
“He’s been thrilled about certain things I’ve done, but he’s not a fan of mine and I don’t want him to be,” she says. “I want him to be my son. He should hold me accountable for parental things.”
DIANE KEATON Highhigh-waistwaisted jeans are back, but the 74-yearold actress is proud to say she never gave up on the ’70s style and is still sporting her original threads to this day!