She almost talked herself out of one of the most beloved comedies of the 1990s.
Lisa Kudrow, best known as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, has opened up about a surprising insecurity she carried onto the set of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion back in 1997. The admission is honest, endearing, and completely unexpected from someone whose performance became the soul of a cult classic. And the story does not end there. A sequel is on the way, and Kudrow is not just starring in it.
This is not a rumor. It is not wishful thinking. Kudrow confirmed it herself across two separate interviews in March 2026, and the production picture is now fuller than it has ever been. Pull in closer — because the best part of this story involves the one co-star who changed everything for her on that original set.
Lisa Kudrow Felt Like an Outsider While Filming ‘Romy and Michele’
GettyKudrow revealed in a March 2026 interview with Vanity Fair that walking onto the Romy and Michele set felt intimidating in a way she had not expected. Her castmates included Mira Sorvino, who had just won an Academy Award for Mighty Aphrodite, and Alan Cumming, who was earning critical praise for his work in acclaimed Miramax films. Kudrow, at that point, was primarily known as a television actress — Phoebe on Friends and Ursula on Mad About You. She was aware of the difference and she felt it.
“I was nervous about dramatic actors,” she told Vanity Fair. “Mira Sorvino had won an Oscar. Alan Cumming was in these very cool Miramax movies, and I was a little like, ‘Alright, well, let’s see. Just on multi-camera, and was a TV actor, not a movie actor, and it was sort of getting better, but not really.'”
She worried her castmates would not take her seriously. “Some people made that transition, good for them. They won’t think much of me, and how’s this going to go?” she admitted. It is a remarkably candid window into a moment that, from the outside, looked effortless.
What turned it around was Alan Cumming. His warmth and genuine enthusiasm on set made Kudrow feel welcomed in a way she had not anticipated. “Alan was just so thrilled, and delighted. And he’s nice, and happy, and friendly,” she said. “I went, ‘Okay, I’m being accepted, that’s great. And not only that, but I’m really getting along with these people and they like me. And then all of that went away.'”
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, directed by David Mirkin and written by Robin Schiff, opened in 1997 and has grown into a genuine cultural touchstone. The comedy follows two best friends who reinvent themselves as successful businesswomen for their high school reunion. It has only become more beloved in the years since its release.
The Sequel Is Happening — and Kudrow Is Executive Producing It
GettyNearly 30 years after the original, the reunion is officially back on. And Kudrow’s role this time around is far bigger than acting.
The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline both confirmed that Kudrow and Sorvino will serve as executive producers on the sequel, alongside original producer Laurence Mark. Robin Schiff, who wrote the first film and currently showruns Emily in Paris, has returned to write the script. Kudrow told Collider in March 2026 that she had already read it. “I laughed out loud like five or six times, which is huge. Or more than that even. That’s a big deal,” she said.
Tim Federle is attached to direct. Federle created High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and directed the Disney+ original Better Nate Than Never. The Hollywood Reporter noted that a June production start is being eyed, with Los Angeles as a possible filming location.
And then there is Alan Cumming — the man who made Kudrow feel at home on that original set. He confirmed in a February 2026 appearance on the Jennifer Hudson Show that he is returning as Sandy Frink and that filming is set for this summer. Cumming had previously told Collider the sequel is “hilarious and also terrifying,” adding that it is genuinely moving to think of those characters still being in each other’s lives after all this time.
Sorvino confirmed to People that almost every significant character from the original is expected to return.
Lisa Kudrow has been vocal across multiple recent interviews about the projects she cares most deeply about. This one sits at the top of the list.
Kudrow’s path from self-doubt on a 1997 film set to executive producer of its sequel is a full-circle moment worth celebrating.
More stars of her generation are stepping into producing roles, shaping the stories they were once simply hired to tell.
For fans who have waited nearly three decades, the reunion is not just coming — it is already happening this summer.
