Having a positive body image is a struggle that many people face, including celebrities—just ask Lisa Kudrow. The actress famous for playing Phoebe Buffay on Friends had body image issues when she starred in the hit TV show. Now 59 years old, the actress has accepted her body and recently revealed how aging improved her body image.
Before starring in Friends, Kudrow was secure in her body. However, insecurities began when she began working with Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox. In an interview with the podcast Podcrushed, Kudrow shared how she had always seen herself as thin until wardrobe fittings began for the classic show.
Even as a child, Kudrow thought she was as thin as “a stick” just like her dad and her sister. Although pictures showed Kudrow that she was heavier than she imagined, the actress still didn’t believe the photographs. In fact, Kudrow just thought, “Wow! Pictures really distort reality.”
Once she began playing the role of Phoebe, Kudrow recognized that she didn’t have the thin body she thought she did. As she remarked, “It wasn’t until Friends that I realized, ‘Oh, I don’t look like I thought I looked.’ And that’s what was so jarring.”
The Comparison Trap
At the time, the award-winning actress compared herself to her costars which ultimately led to her body insecurities. “It was just seeing myself on the show and seeing myself in clothes and seeing Courtney and Jennifer in clothes,” Kudrow admitted. “And at first I thought, ‘Oh, they know tailoring so they can discuss it with the costume designer about where exactly to take something in.’”
Kudrow soon realized that it wasn’t just the tailoring that made the difference. She discovered that her body was larger than she imagined. However, the actress was also quick to admit, “I’m not trying to say that I was overweight either. I was not. I just had no idea the shape of my actual body.”
Although the Friends star struggled with her body image at the time, she was able to accept herself as she aged. “At some point, maybe not til my late 30s or 40s or later, I just realized, ‘It’s ok,’” Kudrow reflected about her body. “This is just what I look like.”
For the beloved actress, the size of her body isn’t what’s important to her; Kudrow just wants to be healthy. As the celebrity shared, “Do what you need to do to be healthy but this is your body and it’s okay.” It’s a great sentiment for all of us!