Lisa Kudrow is weighing in on one among television’s most talked-about debates: whether or not Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) were really “on a break” in “Friends.” Almost three a long time after the episode aired, Kudrow, who played quirky, free-spirited Phoebe Buffay, is sharing her candid tackle the long-running argument that continues to divide fans of the hit series.
On May 4, Lisa Kudrow appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” to debate her show, “The Comeback.” The 2 also discussed “Friends,” and Fallon brought up the age-old debate about Ross and Rachel, saying that he read Kudrow has a “latest thought” about it.
Not knowing how the audience would react, Kudrow said she was “afraid to bring it up.” “What’s your take. Were they on a break?” Fallon asked, to which the actress answered, “Well, no.” Nevertheless, Kudrow explained that her issue wasn’t that Ross slept with one other woman while “on a break” with Rachel. “It’s beyond that. It’s beyond break or not. He was a nasty boyfriend.”
The audience reacted with cheers and applause, and Kudrow was pleasantly surprised that they agreed together with her.
Lisa Kudrow Thinks Ross And Rachel Shouldn’t Have Ended Up Together
Explaining further, Kudrow said that Ross was “horrible” and Rachel shouldn’t have gone back to him. To her, Ross sleeping with one other woman wasn’t what mattered, but saying he could have slept with “three other women or no other women,” and it made no difference.
Kudrow then explained her thought process, citing the reason for the “break.” She said that Ross “flipped out” simply because Rachel had issues at work and was not “available for just a few nights,” which was a red flag.
Again, the audience agreed, with just a few shouting “Yes!” “I really like this,” Fallon said before asking Kudrow if Schwimmer knows her stance. The actress just stared toward the audience, smiling. “He knows now,” Fallon said, laughing.
The ‘Friends’ Episode That Sparked The Debate
Ross and Rachel began dating in Season 2 of “Friends”. In Season 3, Rachel gets a position at Bloomingdale’s, and Ross gets jealous of her latest co-worker, Mark Robinson. His feelings were compounded by Rachel’s long working hours, leaving little time for his or her relationship.
On Season 3, Episode 15, aptly titled “The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break,” the couple gets into an argument, and Rachel finally ends up suggesting, “Perhaps we must always just take a break… a break from us.”
Rachel tries to reconcile with Ross, but finds out that he slept with one other woman, thus sparking one other argument and the fan debate, as seen in Episode 16. Throughout the series, the road “we were on a break” became a running gag.
The ‘Friends’ Solid Discussed The Debate In The Reunion
In 2021, all six forged members got together for “Friends: The Reunion,” by which they discussed Ross and Rachel’s breakup with moderator James Corden. Corden prompted them to reply with only yes or no, and all six said “yes,” they were on a break. Nevertheless, it begs the query: Did it justify Ross sleeping with one other woman so soon after?
Several polls have been conducted over time, they usually have all ended up with the identical results: They were on a break. For the “Friends” twenty fifth anniversary in 2019, the dating app Loads of Fish conducted a survey. Of the 1,800 “Friends” fans who answered, 60 percent said Ross didn’t cheat on Rachel after they were on a break.
With regards to what “break” means, 38 percent said that the 2 people will be with others while “figuring things out,” while 29 percent interpreted it as being broken up and free so far other people. 33 percent said that despite a “break,” a pair remains to be together and must remain monogamous.
Lisa Kudrow Remembers Matthew Perry
Elsewhere within the interview, Kudrow recalled how Matthew Perry, who died in 2023, made them laugh while they were shooting the fountain scene for the show’s opening credits. The actress said they were all miserably cold and wet, and Perry kept asking, “What, are we wet?” making them crack up.
As The Blast previously reported, Kudrow reflected on Perry’s passing, saying that she’ll never see “Friends” the identical way again. She rewatched the sitcom after her co-star died and got here to a realization. “There was a genius at work. And whatever any of us do in the long run, we’ll never experience something like that again,” Kudruw said.