﻿Much like her folk-singing masseuse character,
Phoebe Buffay, on ‘Friends,’ Lisa Kudrow fell for her husband unexpectedly. We’re
not even sure the ‘Friends’ writers could have come up with this! French advertising
executive Michel Stern was dating Lisa’s roommate when they met. Over 30 years later;
the couple is happily and wholesomely married. Lisa even has some tips on staying that way!
Lisa Kudrow and Michel Stern first crossed paths in the 1980s. At the time, the young man had just
moved to the U.S. from France to pursue his career in advertising and was dating Lisa’s roommate. The
actress had heart eyes for the dashing Frenchman from the moment her roommate introduced them.
She thought flirting with this man wouldn’t be very nice, but what if this was The One?
“I'm freakishly polite, so I saw him and went, 'Well, he's the perfect man, and it's all ruined
because now they're together, and I can't try to start something with him,’” the actress shared.
The star was so smitten and conflicted that she couldn’t even talk to Stern. It was pretty awkward
for Kudrow every time her roommate brought him over. “When he'd come to pick her up,
he'd say, 'Oh, hello Lisa,' and I'd say, 'Hi,' and I'd go and leave the room,
and he thought I was a freak," she said. As fate would have it, Lisa’s roommate and
Michel broke up two and a half months later, staying friends. ‘The Comeback’’
star lost contact with her crush, but that was only the beginning of their love story.
In the meantime, Kudrow was making her mark as a funny girl in Hollywood.
During the early years of her career, the beauty was linked to Conan O’Brien! It was a brief fling,
but she thought he was intelligent and funny, and he thought she was funny too! “But we found
we were better as friends,” the actress said. While the young star was living her best life, she
unexpectedly came across Michel again. It happened a few years after they had last seen each other,
and this time, the handsome executive was single! “Six years later, I met him again at her birthday
party, and we just never stopped,” Kudrow shared. The lovebirds dated while the actress filmed the
first season of ‘Friends,’ tying the knot on May 27, 1995, a week after the crew wrapped up.
Everything about the bride’s big day gave Phoebe energy! Of course, Lisa’s ‘Friends’ family were
in attendance — save for David Schwimmer, who was filming a movie. The wedding had a casual vibe,
and the actress even let her friends and family pick flowers for her bouquet.
“I didn’t want the wedding to be too storybook. I’m not that type,” Kudrow said. The couple
even wrote their own vows and said them in both English and French. Très romantique!
From the beginning of their union, the duo made a pact to always work hard on their relationship.
The beauty explained that she and Michel never vowed to love each other forever because that’s
a difficult promise. “But we are promising to work on whatever problems come up," she added.
On May 7, 1998, the couple welcomed their first and only child, a son named Julian Murray Stern.
When Lisa announced her real-life pregnancy, the writers of ‘Friends’ worked it into
Phoebe’s season 4 storyline to explain her growing belly. Fans know this as the
time that the Central Perk singer became a surrogate for her brother’s triplets.
Decades later, the Emmy-winning actress recalled a special ritual that the cast did,
which eventually included her son. The six of them would huddle backstage to wish each other
well for the show and express their love. "And when I was pregnant, they would say,
'Have a great show, love you, love you — love you, little Julian!' Cause we knew it
was a boy, and that was his name,’ Lisa shared. Kudrow’s family and her sitcom are inextricably
linked! HBO Max’s special ‘Friends: The Reunion’ debuted on the couple’s 26th wedding anniversary,
so the star gets to celebrate two milestones at once! How special!
Kudrow and Stern are a very private couple. They keep a low profile and are rarely seen together,
save a handful of red-carpet appearances. Despite being married to one of the most
well-known actresses in Hollywood, the silver fox has managed to keep his life completely
private. We get at least four different numbers if we Google Michel Stern’s age!
Lisa, too, shares very little about her family and her marriage. However,
there have been a few exceptions over the years. The blonde once shared a few details about how
she’s stayed married for so long. She credits her long-lasting love to how
committed she and Michel are to making their partnership work. “It turns out,
after you have a history, there's such a bond, and love takes another shape,” she said.
Kudrow also previously opened up about the value of individuality in her relationship.
She and Stern are big on respecting each other’s independence. “I don't mean relationship-wise
outside the marriage. Clear? But I don't like to travel. So if he wants to go on a golf trip,
he goes,” the comedian shared. Kudrow and Stern have gotten used
to spending time away from each other because they value each other’s independence. In fact,
they weren’t together for their 25th anniversary! Lisa told talk show host Jimmy Kimmel that she was
spending her pandemic quarantine period in Los Angeles while her husband was in Palm Springs.
At first, the whole family was together in the desert. Eventually, the heat got too much for the
actress, so she and Julian decided to relocate. Michel stayed behind because their house was being
renovated, and he had to oversee the process. “‘We are so used to not actually being able to be
together on our anniversary. We were like, 'Oh, well. Does it matter? I love you. You still love
me? Yeah. Great. We're good,’” Kudrow joked. As someone married for almost thirty years,
this star knows a thing or two about the topic. Lisa feels that people get in trouble when they
assume they’re supposed to be one unit or in sync about everything as a couple.
“Marriage is like being on a team. Each teammate is different,
but you have the same goal,” she explained. A vital lesson she’s learned over the years
is that as we age, there are fewer Dos and Don'ts in a relationship.
We become wiser and less judgmental of ourselves and others. “My advice: Be a good listener;
human beings are very complicated,” Kudrow shared with Glamour magazine.
Another aspect of a long-lasting relationship is supporting each other. Phoebe Buffay has a
fan base that includes MILLIONS of people, and among those millions is Michel. During
the ‘Friends’ reunion special, the actress shared that she and her hubby watched some of the season
four together. “He enjoys them more than I do because I'm mortified with myself,” she joked.
When it comes to her son, Lisa is also pretty quiet. Although, some moments are too precious
for a doting mom not to share on Instagram! In 2021, the actress was very proud to share
that her son had graduated from USC. She posted a cute pic of herself with Julian
in his cap and gown. She said she was happy and proud and even cried a little. How cute!
Lisa tried her best to be around her son in his younger years. She confessed that she
is fortunate enough to have a life where she doesn’t need to work, but she enjoys her job.
“I try to make it all as 9-to-5 as possible. I stopped doing out-of-town films years ago. You
have to know your kid,” the actress shared. Kudrow spent a lot of time with her son, so it
was quite an adjustment when her little bird left the nest! Although, she told Jimmy Kimmel that she
was handling it quite well. “You know, like a mature adult, happy that our son is away…
and independent. It's hard," the star confessed. Adjusting to life’s changes with a supportive
partner can make the process easier. Thankfully, the quarantine is over,
and Lisa can have her devoted husband by her side as they watch their son pave his own success!
Lisa Kudrow and Michel Stern are in it for the long haul! The lovebirds will soon be
reaching three decades of wedded bliss, and we couldn’t be happier for them! Their relationship
proves that trust and commitment are keys to a long-lasting marriage.
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