As Lisa Kudrow makes one last comeback as Valerie Cherish, she’s reflecting on her HBO show’s two-decade journey to Season 3.
While stopping by the Deadline Studio at SXSW with the cast and co-creator of The Comeback, the Emmy winner acknowledged that she’s technically played the mockumentary reality show’s fictional TV icon for a longer span of time than she played Phoebe Buffay on Friends.
“Yes, I have played Valerie longer than I’ve played Phoebe,” said Kudrow. “But Valerie’s always there, she’s very right there, close by. She’s the one doing commentary throughout my life.”
After developing the character of Valerie Cherish at LA’s Groundlings, Kudrow co-created The Comeback with Michael Patrick King in 2005, playing the actress as she lets reality show cameras follow her around while attempts to revive her career on a new sitcom, Room and Bored.
With Val’s career launching from her ’90s sitcom I’m It, the character mirrors Kudrow’s own history on one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, starring on Friends from 1994 to 2004.
The Comeback returned for a long overdue second season in 2014. Season 3 premieres Sunday at 10:30pm ET on HBO, also available to stream on HBO Max.
In the third and final season, Valerie accepts the lead role on a new sitcom, How’s That?, which is written by an AI program. As reality show cameras follow her around once again for this latest phase of her career, the actress and producer has to navigate the many cultural landmines of Hollywood in 2026.
Deadline Studio at SXSW presented by Redbreast Irish Whiskey.
English (US) ·