Lisa Kudrow has opened up about an unexpected reaction she had after getting Botox.
The Friends actor, 62, said she began using Botox around two years ago, starting near her 60th birthday.
However, after her most recent appointment, she’s considering stopping the cosmetic treatment altogether, especially after being caught off guard by how noticeable the change felt — to the point she was surprised people could still tell it was her.
As she prepares for the third and final season of her hit sitcom The Comeback, which premieres March 22, Kudrow spoke about the series in a new interview.
In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, she said she experienced eye trouble following Botox, describing the area as “inflamed”.
“I think it contributed to my eye irritation and this weird pattern on my forehead, so I’m probably done with it now anyway,” she told the publication. She arrived for the interview ‘incognito’ with a pair of sunglasses to ‘shield inflamed eyes that caused her to be all of two minutes late’,’ as per the interview.
The Emmy-winning performer also reflected on aging and how it shapes the way she views herself and her work.
“I am scared to see myself looking like my grandmother one day, but I’m excited to play older.”
Looking back on the choices she wanted to make after wrapping up her decade-long run on Friends, Kudrow said she was drawn toward ‘independent films’.
She also noted that getting older has naturally moved her away from certain character types — something she actually welcomed. “I’m not a romantic comedy actress. I’m not cute or sexy, or the type of character where my only problem is I am too clumsy to have a boyfriend, you know what I mean? I couldn’t wait to just be older and age out of certain things. Isn’t that weird?”
Kudrow has now spent more time portraying Valerie Cherish than she did playing Phoebe. Season one of the HBO comedy launched in 2005, followed by season two in 2014. The satire centers on Valerie’s attempt to rebuild her career after a sitcom role, while a reality TV crew trails her comeback and captures the awkward trade-offs performers sometimes make — while also skewering fame, relevance, and reality television.
Over the years, the series has developed a loyal cult audience, and the upcoming season is set to be Valerie’s final chapter.
“We need to say ‘third and final’,” she told the outlet. “I don’t know if I’ll want to do it again in 10 years, so let’s be done, that way no one is asking what’s next or whether we will even want to do more.”
She continued: “”The most respectful thing we can do for the audience and for the character is make it a three-part story. It’s a trilogy, and this is the end.”