Lisa Kudrow Says She Wanted Rachel Role on 'Friends' but Was Turned Down

Ron Davis/Getty Images Lisa Kudrow has revealed why she was turned down for the role of Rachel on Friends .

Kudrow, 63, rose to prominence as Phoebe Buffay on the 90s’ sitcom.

The ensemble cast featured Courtney Cox, 62, as Monica and Jennifer Aniston, 57, as Rachel.

But Kudrow wanted to play Rachel, whom she described as a “Jewish American Princess.” Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter , the Emmy Award-winning actress said, “Idiot that I am, I went, ‘Oh, but you know what? I got to say, Rachel is Jewish.

And boy, I love doing a Jewish American Princess.

I think I could make that really funny.’” Kudrow explained that she didn’t realize Rachel would be the show’s romantic lead , playing counterpart to Ross, depicted by David Schwimmer.

“Not even clocking that, ‘Oh no, this is the romantic lead to Ross.’ Right? I told my agents, ‘I can do Jewish American Princess and make that really funny.’ And so they said, ‘Uh-huh.

All right.

Well, we’ll tell them.’” The show’s creators later came back to her agents with their decision, sealing the show’s casting fate.

“They went, ‘No, no.

It’s so hard for them to find Phoebe.

They’re not messing with that,’” explained Kudrow.

“So that was the sweet way of saying, ‘Yeah, you are not the romantic interest.’” The star also opened up about how hard it was to get cast in popular sitcoms in the 90s.

“I didn’t look like women who were getting cast as series regulars on sitcoms,” she told the Hollywood Reporter.