“That was a really beautiful moment. And Lady Gaga jumped at the chance to do it.”
Donald PadgettLady Gaga made a surprise appearance on the long-awaited Friends: The Reunion which debuts today on HBO Max, where Gaga joined Lisa Kudrow in singing a duet of the famed “Smelly Cat” song. Gaga has big been a fan of Kudrow’s portrayal of Phoebe, the less than brilliant character whose skills as a singer and songwriter were hilariously cringeworthy. The reunion special’s director and producer, Ben Winston, told Variety Gaga was their “ultimate” choice.
“I said to Lisa, ‘Would you be prepared to sing it?’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, that would be fun,’” Winston recalled. “We went through a few names, and we both agreed that Gaga, if we could get her, would be the ultimate one because she associates with and feels close to Phoebe in so many ways, as Gaga says on the show. That was a really beautiful moment. And Lady Gaga jumped at the chance to do it.”
Winton said the song required little time to rehearse between the two stars.
“We sat there with the two guitars with Lisa and her and worked it out there and then,” he said.
The musical number begins with Kudrow sitting and playing the guitar while singing her tune that explores the cause and effects of a cat’s unpleasant smell. In the most recent addition to the lyrics, Kudrow considers the possibility that the cat’s food is the source of the olfactory offensiveness, adding that it’s not the cat’s fault.
“Smelly cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you?” Kudrow as Phoebe pleads. “Smelly cat, smelly cat, it’s not your fault!”
Earlier she had questioned why the cat’s owners had not taken the feline to the vet, observing the cat clearly wasn’t their favorite pet.
As Kudrow strung and sang, Gaga surprised everyone by walking through the door, conveniently with guitar in hand. The pair sat on the couch and sang a duet of the famed song. Not long after, Gaga and Kudrow were joined by gospel singers in traditional robes, belting out vocals and turning the event into stunning near-religious experience for some.
While the addition of Gaga and the backup gospel singers thrilled the audience, Kudrow revealed she was not completely sold on the idea.
“I still think it’s better when it’s just me,” she opined to much laughter from the studio audience.
Gaga thanked Kudrow for her portrayal of Phoebe. The iconic singer and performer has made no secret in the past how she identified with Kudrow’s character during the show’s run. She drove that point home by appearing in the Reunion Special wearing her hair and costume in homage to Phoebe. Gaga went one step further and made clear she was not just speaking for herself when she thanked Kudrow for her portrayal.
“Thank you for being the person for all of us on Friends who was – I’m not sure if this is the right way to say it – but the different one or the one who was really herself.”
The Friends: The Reunion Special brings back the cast and features several special cameo appearances from stars including Justin Beiber and David Beckman. Friends: The Reunion Special debuts today on HBO Max.
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