Lisa Kudrow Reveals Why She Got Fired From 'Frasier' Before Joining 'Friends'

Lisa Kudrow is of the most beloved names in the world of sitcom today due to her memorable performance in "Friends." But according to the 57-year-old actress, she was fired from "Frasier" before landing the role of Phoebe Buffay in "Friends."

Speaking on "The Howard Stern Show" Wednesday, Kudrow noted that she was supposed to portray a key role in "Frasier." Apparently, she was roped in for Roz Doyle's character, which later went to Peri Gilpin.

"I wasn't right for the part [or] for the chemistry of the group," Kudrow said about the role, which she tried to play for a couple of days to tape the pilot episode. "So that wasn't working."

"But I did think, 'Oh, I am not this guy's cup of tea,'" she said, referring to director James Burrows, who helmed the show.

According to Kudrow, she was eventually dropped for the part because Burrows didn't like her acting.

Not long after, however, she was called to audition for Phoebe's character on "Friends."

Interestingly, Burrows was the one taking the auditions for the show. The actress recalled being "the only one of the six of us who had to go in and audition for Jimmy."

Kudrow went on to explain, "I had one extra audition just for James Burrows. I did it and he went, 'No notes.' I left going, 'That either means she's beyond help and helpless, just like I always knew,' or 'Yeah, it's perfect. I have no notes.'"

While Kudrow got the role, she had a hard time filming with the show's cast members at first.

"Shooting the pilot that week I was like, 'All right, here we go,'" she recalled. "And Phoebe was not the character that was part of this group really, that easily. There was a struggle."

Kudrow shared the "The Boss Baby: Family Business" trailer Wednesday. She lent her voice to Janice Templeton's character in the animated comedy movie series, which is slated for release on July 2.

She is currently filming "Better Nate Than Ever," which will stream on Disney+. The movie is based on Tim Federle's 2013 novel of the same name. Kudrow will also narrate the upcoming comedy movie "Bright Futures," which is currently in the post-production stage.