Lisa Kudrow Says She Won't Sing 'Smelly Cat' Despite Fans' Requests Over 20 Years After 'Friends'

Lisa Kudrow opened up about her one request from Friends fans that she would rather not fulfill.

"Sometimes people will stop me and say, 'Oh, sing Smelly Cat,'" Kudrow said on a recent episode of NPR's "Fresh Air."

"I don't want to do that. I really don't want to do that," she continued.

The song became closely linked to Phoebe Buffay, Kudrow’s quirky musician character, after she performed it in the sitcom's second season.

Despite her feelings about revisiting the song, Kudrow spoke warmly about her time on the hit sitcom.

"My first response is always, I have zero complaints about Friends or anything to do with it," she told co-host Tonya Mosley.

She continued, "Just the relationship with the other actors—we had fun. That is so rare. Real honest respect, mutual respect."

Kudrow, who co-wrote the song with Friends executive producer Adam Chase and The Pretenders lead singer Chrissie Hynde, recalled how the cast stayed close.

"It was a really good relationship that took some work, and we did the work," she admitted.

"We played poker together while we're waiting for the run-through. Any downtime, we spent that time together on set," Kudrow added.

Kudrow also spoke about returning to Friends after Matthew Perry's death in October 2023.

"After Matthew passed away, there were marathons, and that was really comforting, watching the show," she said on the "Capital FM" podcast.

"Also just because it makes me laugh, and there he was. He was so funny. I mean, the funniest. Sorry, everybody else!" she added.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kudrow reflected on rewatching the series, noting that some episodes and scenes felt unfamiliar.

"It was great watching it. It became my right-before-bedtime laugh or two. I watch sitcoms before going to bed — I just want to laugh before going to bed," she said.

She continued, "I was just talking to [David] Schwimmer two days ago and saying, 'G--—' Well, first I had to say sorry, because on Jimmy Fallon I’d said, 'Ross was a terrible boyfriend!' And he just laughed and said, 'That’s all right.' He hasn’t really watched it either, and I said, 'It’s so fun. Everyone is so good!'"

Looking back on the sitcom, Kudrow also reflected on what made Friends meaningful to audiences years after its finale.

"You realize how important that kind of escape with a laugh that just makes you feel good is," she said.

"They are people connecting, who love each other, give each other a hard time, but are there for each other," Kudrow added.

She summed up the appeal of that dynamic simply.

"It's just important and kind of healing," she concluded.