Highlights
- Kristin Davis was nervous to appear in a small role on ‘Friends’ alongside Matt LeBlanc while enjoying the success of ‘Sex and the City.’
- Davis was impressed with the chemistry and cohesion among the ‘Friends’ cast, and enjoyed watching them rehearse during her time on ‘E.R.’
- Davis was particularly impressed with Lisa Kudrow’s ability to rework Phoebe’s storyline for the episode she guest-starred in, highlighting Kudrow’s comedic talent.
In the world of television, Friends and Sex and the City are two of the biggest shows in recent memory. They’re still beloved by loyal fans and watched religiously to this day. They’re in regular syndication and attract new fans through countless hours of re-runs on television.
When those two world collided, it made for a special moment on television. Kristin Davis, who played Charlotte on Sex and the City, guest-starred on Friends as Erin.
During an interview to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Friends in 2019, Davis reflected on her experience working on the sitcom. She said, despite already being in a hit series herself, she was very nervous to work on Friends.
Kristin Was Nervous To Appear In A Tiny Role On ‘Friends’ Alongside Matt LeBlanc
When Davis appeared on Friends, she was enjoying the success of her other show Sex and the City. The HBO hit had just wrapped its third season and Davis was now playing Erin. Erin was a woman Joey dated. She was also a woman whom Phoebe and Rachel were much more excited for Joey to be dating than he was.
During a 2019 interview with Today, Davis reflected on her experience working on the long-running sitcom in honor of its 25th anniversary.
“I remember losing sleep,” Davis remembered. “Sex and the City was in production, but I was nervous to be the tiny character of Erin, losing sleep, partly because of the live audience, but partly because you’re in this world that has been created that is so alive and so specific and you’re trying to make sure you’re fitting yourself in there properly.
She continued, “And I remember, like, ‘Will I set that joke up OK? Will Matt (LeBlanc) be happy? Will I just go blank?’ Things go through your head when you’re in those situations that are heightened like that. Obviously it was the highest of the high at that point.”
Kristin And George Clooney Watched The ‘Friends’ Cast Rehearse An Iconic Scene While On Break From Filming ‘E.R.’
One of the things Davis remembered being impressed with was the chemistry among the Friends cast.
“I think the thing I remember most was the cohesion between the cast and the fact that they were somewhat besieged by the success from the outer world and they had kind of bonded together as a group,” Davis said. “That was really great to see, and obviously I learned a lot from that.”
“It was a lot of fun just to be there, to sit on the couch in the coffee shop,” she added. “And E.R. was right across the way and I’d also been on E.R., so we got to see them at lunch. It was just a magical feeling and it’s really strange to think that it was that long ago.”
Davis said that she already knew some of the Friends cast, so it was nice to see them again. She also recalled a story about watching the cast during rehearsal while she was filming her role on E.R.
“When I was on E.R., which was the first season, Friends was doing an episode that was one of the iconic episodes, where they played poker,” Davis remembered. “And George (Clooney) and I went over to watch at lunch and we sat up in the stands and watched them rehearse and it was so funny and amazing.”
She continued, “And James Burrows was directing, whom I love so much, and to watch that show and then see that show on the air and to see that chemistry that the cast had come together. They were so on it in terms of their voices and their characters and the beats, and they just knew what they were doing, and I remember being blown away by their confidence level and their synergy as a group.”
Kristin Said She Was Very Impressed With Lisa Kudrow’s Ability To Rework Phoebe’s Story For The Episode
When asked her favorite memory on set, Davis said she was impressed with Lisa Kudrow’s reworking of Phoebe’s story for the episode.
“I remember watching Lisa Kudrow especially, because she had this very involved storyline that she wanted to work on, and the way that she worked with the writing staff … David Schwimmer was directing, which was also fascinating, and he was obviously a great director and a great actor’s director and a combination of fun and low-key but also the boss, which was amazing to see.”
She added, “But watching Lisa rework her character’s arc or what was happening in that episode was really something that I hadn’t really seen in that way where someone who obviously knew her own power and knew what was right and knew what was funny — because there’s no one funnier than Lisa Kudrow — really went and reworked it in a way that was amazing.”
Davis reflected on the show’s impact and influence as well. She compared the series to I Love Lucy and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Davis concluded that, although aspects of the show were specific to the 90s, the comedy and material were timeless.
“It is brilliant. You know, Friends holds up,” Davis said. “You can watch it and sure, the hairdos are different — it’s funny to think back at how big the hairdo situation was at the time — but it’s very ‘90s and yet the writing, the acting, it still has everything a classic comedy has, the same way Lucille Ball or Mary Tyler Moore did.”
She added, “As an ensemble, I think that they did something that’s really hard to do. The writers did something that’s really hard to do. It came together in the perfect way at the perfect time. And each one of them was so talented in their own way and the group came together in that magical way that you can never really make happen; it just happens.”
Source: NewsFinale
