Lisa Kudrow Says It Was ‘Devastating’ to Be ‘Fired’ from ‘Frasier’

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read

Lisa Kudrow famously played Phoebe Buffay for 10 years on “Friends.” But before that, she was fired from another classic NBC sitcom: “Frasier.”

Kudrow was originally cast in the iconic role of Dr. Frasier Crane’s radio producer Roz Doyle, who would ultimately be played by Peri Gilpin. Kudrow said she was told “this isn’t working” by “Frasier” director James Burrows during the run-through of the pilot episode.

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“I didn’t film it. I got fired from ‘Frasier,'” Kudrow said on the “SmartLess” podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes. “I was trying to like [ask], ‘What can I do?’ But I think they did make a casting mistake because I went to the network with Perri Gilpin. I think they were just correcting a mistake, because Peri should have always been Roz.”

Kudrow had appeared on “Cheers” and later went on to guest star on “Mad About You,” where series writer/producer Jeffrey Klarik suggested she audition for the Phoebe role in his partner David Crane’s series “Friends.”

So she did — and she actually had to audition for Burrows, the very guy who canned her from “Frasier.”

“I was the only cast member for ‘Friends’ that had to audition for Jimmy Burrows,” she said, “because I had just gotten fired from ‘Frasier.'”

Kudrow recalled being in a “small room” across from Burrows while she performed a monologue.

“When I’m done, he just went, ‘No notes.’ And I thought, ‘Alright. I don’t know what that means. It’s hopeless,'” she said.

Of course, Kudrow got the part and the rest is TV history. She won an Emmy in 1998 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

As for “Frasier,” it returned in 2023 and has been renewed for a second season.

These days, Kudrow is looking to be rebooting another one of her past roles: “The Comeback” HBO series.

“I’m just thrilled and adore anyone who has the level of appreciation for ‘The Comeback’ that meets the level of pride I have for doing that show,” Kudrow recently told Newsweek of the clamoring for more of the meta comedy series. “That is thrilling. I’m happy to hear that.”

Kudrow added of a possible third season, “Oh God, I’d love to. [Showrunner] Michael Patrick King and I are always talking about what would happen next. Always. And it’s been nine, 10 years now. So we’re due.”

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