Phoebe Buffay is arguably the most mysterious of the six friends. We get many glimpses of her complicated childhood, unusual family history, and the very strange past every now and then. But these only leave us more curious about the character. One of the biggest windows we did get into Phoebe’s life was through her twin sister, Ursula Buffay.
Though Ursula eventually becomes a very important part of Phoebe’s character arc, the reason behind her origin is completely unrelated. In fact, ‘Friends’ creators had to create Ursula only because Lisa Kudrow was already playing the character on another sitcom.
Ursula Buffay Was Born Way Before ‘Friends’
Lisa Kudrow’s Ursula Buffay actually originated in another NBC sitcom called ‘Mad About You’. The show aired from 1992-1999 and starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple navigating life in New York City.
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On the show, Ursula is seen as a waitress notorious for forgetting her customers’ orders. So, when Lisa Kudrow was cast as Phoebe on ‘Friends’ in 1994, she had already been playing the recurring character of Ursula for 2 years.
In an interview, Kudrow revealed the problem the networks had to face: “’Friends’ needs to address the fact that the same human being is on a half hour later sometimes.”
Since the producers really liked her performance and both shows were set in New York City, they reached a mutual agreement: Kudrow could continue playing both characters. That’s how Ursula Buffay became a part of ‘Friends’ as a twin sister for Phoebe.
The Lisa Kudrow Multiverse
NBC could have taken the easy route, leaving both of Lisa Kudrow’s roles unrelated. But they decided to have their fun with the situation and thus created the most hilarious multiverse plotline in sitcom history.
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‘Mad About You’ and ‘Friends’ were airing together and on the same channel. So, it was a very pleasant surprise for regular viewers. Plus, ‘Friends’ didn’t simply forget this connection.
In the season 1 episode “The One With Two Parts, Part 1” we get a special cameo from ‘Mad About You’ characters. Jamie Buchman, played by Helen Hunt, and Fran Devanow, played by Leila Kenzle, visit Central Perk and mistake Phoebe for Ursula.
Moreover, Ursula quickly found an important place in the storyline as well. She was essentially a foil to Phoebe Buffay. Where Phoebe was eccentric, kind-hearted, and optimistic, Ursula was the exact opposite and considerably more selfish and unpleasant.
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