Friends
Summary
Given that Lisa Kudrow played twins Phoebe and Ursula Buffay onFriends , leaving some query as to how the situation comedy filmed those scenes . Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman , Friendsfollowed six young adult in New York City doing their unspoiled to sail through maturity while juggling their social , professional , and personal lives . Kudrow was the firstFriendscast appendage to win an Emmy for her part as the far-out Phoebe , but she also showed her versatility in play her cold and aloof twin sister Ursula .
Like the relaxation ofPhoebe ’s folk members , Ursula did n’t appear onFriendsoften , and when she did , she was bounderish to Phoebe and often turn out their conversations short . However , the two deal the sieve often throughout the series . With Kudrow taking on both roles , the production work party used some well previous TV magic and enlisted the helper of Kudrow ’s real - living sister , Helene Marla Kudrow , to film credible joint scenes between Phoebe and her twin .
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Lisa Kudrow’s Sister Was Her Double For Ursula Scenes On Friends
Most of Ursula ’s scene onFriendswere opposite Phoebe , but since Lisa Kudrow is not a Twin Falls , the production squad had to use some tricks to sell the approximation . In some cases , the production used a split - screen method . Other times , Lisa Kudrow shoot down both region , but for the interaction to be credible , she had a doubled romp the opposite role .
Whenever Phoebe and Ursula had prospect together , the dead reckoning would include Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe facing the camera and her forked with her back to the photographic camera , or frailty versa . Kudrow would act the view as each part , and then the takes would be edited together . This provided the illusion that Phoebe and her twin were together in the barb . Lisa Kudrow ’s two-fold was her older sis , Helene Marla Kudrow , who was like enough in height and build to be a credible double .
In an audience withEWin 2019,Friendsdirector Kevin S. Bright break that Kudrow did not enjoy filming scenes with Phoebe and Ursula onFriends :
" Lisa really did not have a good clip doing them . She did not like act with a treble , and in a way she might have made it more difficult for herself because her double was her genuine sister , [ Helena ] . I call back feeling the [ stress ] she put her baby into by being the doubled was more in her head at the time , so those scenes were a little piece slick to shoot . But it ended up being a fate of fun when you put it together . "
That awkwardness and discomfort did not translate to the concluding product though , and Phoebe and Ursula ’s jointFriendsscenes serve their use . If they were ever unenviable , it was because the on - screen twins ’ relationship was just like that : Phoebe and Ursula had a strained relationship at well . Luckily for Lisa Kudrow , Friendsdid not let in Phoebe ’s twin that much , so she only had to go through that operation a couple of times .
Where To keep an eye on Friends
Phoebe’s Twin Ursula Originated On Mad About You
Given the trouble that went into film these scenes , there is some question as to why Phoebe had a twin onFriendsin the first berth . Since Ursula ’s cameo were rather few and far between , Phoebe ’s character was not needs defined by her being a twin . The chronicle behind Ursula ’s cosmos is in reality connected to another ' 90s sitcom , Mad About You .
Ursula Buffay was created forMad About You , which aired on NBC from 1992 to 1999 . When Lisa Kudrow was later throw away as Phoebe in 1994 , she was still active onMad About You , so theFriendscreators thought it would be an interesting crossover to have Phoebe and Ursula exist in the same universe since both lived in New York City and were played by the same actor . It just so happen thatFriendsaired right field afterMad About Youand Kurdrow how this led to the introduction ofUrsula as Phoebe ’s twin :
“ I auditioned for Friend , because I was available . I was only a fall back role on Mad About You . And I get it both on NBC . And that ’s why I liked Friends . I also was going to go to the electronic connection for a show that was on Fox , and I went ’ no , no , unquestionably the NBC show . ’ And everyone seems to know it . So , that ’s great . And you know , the script , and then I can still do Mad About You . Because that was my goal – was protecting unbalanced About You .
So , I ’ve been already a resort character on Mad About You . Then they named Ursula and I do Friends and it gets beak up and after it got pick up and they also put us on right on after frantic About You . And I do n’t live who speak with who , because they were different studios , but it was decided that I still get to be a recurring graphic symbol on Mad About You . And then Friends needs to address the fact that the exact same human being is on a half minute later sometimes . So I think that ’s how it happened . I do n’t know what the discussions were with Marta , David , and the Mad About You hoi polloi . ”
While the conclusion did n’t suggest a lot of confidence in the audience to understand that this was an actor play two separate roles , it did allow for a fun addition toFriends .
Ursula Differences In Friends And Mad About You
Ursula Buffay was portrayed , quite simply , as Phoebe ’s evil twin onFriends — but her character is much different onMad About You . In the latter serial publication , Paul ( Paul Reiser ) and Jamie Buchanon ( Helen Hunt ) are a untried brace living in New York City . They often hung out at a property known as " Riff ’s Bar , " and Ursula was a rather spacey waitress there who before long became a minor persona throughout the show ’s run . This connection essentially madeFriendsandMad About Youexist within the same universe . Kudrow mentions that she saw Ursula in the latter series as a rather two - dimensional fictional character , but at least she was nice and hold no ill intention .
The twin character onFriendswas fine-tune to encounter narrative demand , and she almost always appear as an antagonist , such as when she used Phoebe ’s name while working in the porn industry or sold her sister ’s birth security to a Swedish runaway . even so , the character of Ursula brought a lot to the table in bothFriendsandMad About You , even if they were actively different masses .
