Lisa, who wasn't exactly the stupid blonde from Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), was born on July 30, 1963, in Encino, California. Her father, Lee N. Kudrow, is a doctor, and her mother, Nedra S. (Stern), was a travel agent. Her parents both come from Jewish backgrounds (from Belarus, Russia, and Hungary). Lisa, a pool shark who has mastered some of the trickier shots, was raised in Tarzana, California, and competed at the varsity level in tennis in both high school and college (so beware). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She first planned to engage in research, so she went back to Los Angeles and started working for her father. Although Lisa got motivated to act by comedian Jon Lovitz, a friend of her brother's, and thus the tall (5' 8") blonde-haired, green-eyed beauty entered the entertainment industry. Lisa went through an audition process with the Los Angeles-based improv theatrical troupe The Groundlings. A well-known improv instructor named Cynthia Szigeti took Lisa under her wing. Conan O'Brien made a friend in the class through Lisa. After graduating with honors in 1989, Lisa joined The Groundlings as a full-fledged member. She made her TV debut on the hit show Mad About You as the chirpy waitress Ursula (1992).
Her prominent role on Friends resulted from this (1994). Lisa received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series during the first season of Friends (1994–1955); in 1998, she took home the prize for her portrayal of Phoebe, the quirky yet endearing folk singer. For her performances, Lisa has also received nominations for the American Comedy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Golden Globe Awards.
With great success, Lisa made the jump to the big screen. She co-starred in the 1997 film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion with Oscar winner Mira Sorvino (1997). When Lisa won the New York Cinematic Critics Award for her leading performance in The Opposite of Sex, she received even more accolades for her film work (1998).
On May 27, 1995, Lisa got hitched to advertising executive Michel Stern. Their son Julian Murray was born on May 7, 1998, and they now reside in Los Angeles.