Lisa Kudrow returned to her old home. The actor recently walked through the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California, a place she called home for ten years while filming the global hit series Friends. The visit, part of Architectural Digest’s “Love Letters to LA” series, was filled with personal stories and laughter. During her tour, Kudrow made a direct public request to whoever ends up owning the historic studio in the future: please leave it as it is.
A Personal Tour Down Memory Lane
Kudrow’s tour of the Warner Bros. lot was a trip back in time. She shared that Friends started filming on Stage 5, a smaller soundstage right next to where the medical drama ER was shot. “We’d hang out with them a lot,” she recalled. After a successful first season, the show needed more space for its live studio audience and moved to Stage 24.
“That was Stage 24, and that’s where we were the full 10 years,” Kudrow said during the tour.
Stage 24 became so linked to the show that it was later officially nicknamed “The Friends Stage”. Kudrow also got emotional talking about the space, noting she recently returned to the same stage to film the final season of her HBO series The Comeback, creating a special bookend to her career there.
Kudrow’s Direct Appeal for Preservation
The tour happened while major business deals are happening behind the scenes. Warner Bros. Discovery is at the center of a large corporate battle, with Netflix and Paramount Skydance both trying to buy the company. With the studio’s ownership uncertain, Kudrow used her visit to ask the next owner to protect the lot’s history and character.
“I think most people really hope whatever happens next is that this studio lot is preserved as is. It works. I mean, we just shot here,” Kudrow stated. “Whoever buys it, you don’t need to change anything! It works, it works great! So congratulations, whoever’s next, please don’t change a thing. Please, please don’t remove Jack Warner’s roses”.
Her specific mention of “Jack Warner’s roses” highlights the small, historic details she hopes will remain. The Warner Bros. lot is not just the home of Friends; it’s where classics like Casablanca, Blade Runner, and The Matrix were filmed. Kudrow believes the lot is special not just to her, but to the entire entertainment industry and the city of Los Angeles.
Fans Get a Surprise Visit from Phoebe Buffay
This was not Kudrow’s only recent visit to the famous lot. Late last year, she and her No Good Deed co-star Ray Romano surprised a group of fans on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. The funny moment was shared online by the show’s creator, Liz Feldman.
In the video, Romano first approaches the famous fountain and couch from the Friends opening credits, where tourists take photos. He jokes with the crowd, reminding them that his show, Everybody Loves Raymond, also filmed on the lot. Then Kudrow walks in, yelling, “Go sit on your own show’s couch!” The fans were thrilled and shocked to see Phoebe Buffay in person, with some nearly brought to tears.
Also Read:
The Enduring Legacy of the Friends Stage
The Friends set itself was taken down after the series ended in 2004, but the stage remains a key stop for fans. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Burbank now features the “Friends Boutique” for merchandise and a Central Perk Café where visitors can get coffee. The iconic orange couch from the opening sequence is also there for photo opportunities.
Kudrow and her five co-stars returned to Stage 24 in 2021 to film the HBO Max reunion special. For Kudrow, returning to the lot is always powerful. She has started watching Friends again in recent years, something she avoided for a long time. After co-star Matthew Perry’s passing, she found comfort in the reruns.
“It felt like part of the remembering, grieving, remembering, all that, and just enjoying, and celebrating,” she said about watching the show again.
As the future of the Warner Bros. lot waits for new ownership, Lisa Kudrow’s voice joins many others who see the studio not just as a collection of buildings, but as an irreplaceable piece of Hollywood’s creative heart. The company has rejected a higher offer from Paramount Skydance and is moving forward with Netflix’s proposed acquisition, which is still being reviewed.
Also Read: Shaun Evans Discusses The Big Betrayal Twist That Shocks Viewers
Want more stories about your favorite classic TV shows and where they were made? Explore more entertainment news on VvipTimes.
