Former “Friends” star Lisa Kudrow has spoken out about early seasons of reality television shows such as “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race.” In particular, the actor criticized the series for rewarding controversial behavior and singled out previous winner Richard Hatch, branding him “despicable.”
Lisa Kudrow Brands ‘Survivor’ Season 1 Winner ‘Despicable’
GettyIn an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss her upcoming revival of sitcom “The Comeback,” Kudrow revealed that she based parts of her character Valerie Cherish on figures from early reality television series.
While she admitted to enjoying the likes of “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” she feels like the competitions effectively supported dishonest and controversial behavior rather than those playing honestly and morally.
“I saw the very first season of ‘Survivor’ and loved it. What a phenomenal show, but the guy who won was despicable,” she said. “How do people say that he played a better game worthy of $1 million? Why aren’t you rewarding the person who played a great game, didn’t stoop to his level and was a shining example of humanity? That person should get $1 million. I remember thinking, ‘This is the end of civilization.'”
She added, “Then I watched ‘Amazing Race’ and saw people vomiting on TV in front of the entire nation, crying while their partners screamed, ‘Keep going!’ It was the most humiliating thing I’d ever seen, and people were signing up for that? How are they going to feel once they realize what they allowed to happen on camera?”
Lisa Kudrow Makes Rare Appearance With Husband and Son
Getty62-year-old Kudrow made a rare appearance alongside her immediate family while attending the premiere of her HBO Max sitcom “The Comeback.”
The television star was photographed on the red carpet with her husband Michel Stern and son Julian Stern. Kudrow has been married to Michel Stern, who is an advertising executive for 30 years, while her son is a University of Southern California graduate.
According to reports, the premiere took place at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.
Ahead of the event, Kudrow told The Hollywood Reporter that she was thankful for having met her husband before she found worldwide fame.
“I feel like the luckiest thing that happened to me was that I met and fell in love with the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with before Friends, right before,” she shared.
