December 6, 2024: Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano are teaming up in the new drama series ‘No Good Deed’, and it seems like their collaboration was a dream come true for Kudrow. At the premiere on December 4, Kudrow, 61, shared her excitement about working with Romano, 66, revealing that she had long fantasized about the opportunity to act alongside him. Known for her iconic role as Phoebe Buffay on ‘Friends’, Kudrow expressed how thrilled she was to see Romano bring his trademark ease and talent to their new project.
Kudrow told People magazine, “He’s everything I thought he would be. He’s easy. He’s effortless. He’s a fantastic actor.” She added that it was a “fantasy” of hers to work with him, having admired his acting from afar. “I’d see Ray in other things and say, ‘God, he’s a really good actor. I’d love to work with him, but I guess that’ll never happen,'” Kudrow confessed. But when she finally got the chance to collaborate with him on ‘No Good Deed’, any initial nerves she had quickly disappeared. “He turned out to be exactly who I thought he would be,” Kudrow said.
While Kudrow and Romano are stepping into a more dramatic genre with ‘No Good Deed’, both stars are known for their comedic chops—Kudrow with ‘Friends’ and Romano with ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’. Despite the shift from comedy to drama, Kudrow remains eager to return to the world of sitcoms. She even pitched the idea to Romano during filming, saying, “I kept saying to Ray, like, ‘Let’s do a sitcom. Come on. Rehearse all week and then shoot. Let’s do that.'” Kudrow added with a laugh, “I think I forget what the hard work was in the beginning of doing one of those shows.”
As for Romano, he was a bit nostalgic about his ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ days, which ran for nine seasons from 1996 to 2005. However, Romano admitted that he hadn’t watched any episodes of the beloved sitcom in nearly two decades. “I made it through all of them. I forced myself,” Romano joked. Reflecting on his time on the show, he said, “Back then, 20 years ago, I was quite critical of it, close to it. I did it. I was there. I saw how the butter was made or whatever the saying is. Being removed from it now, I appreciated it.”
In ‘No Good Deed’, Kudrow and Romano play Lydia and Paul, a long-time couple navigating a new phase of life. The series follows the couple as they list their longtime home, sparking a real estate frenzy where multiple families compete to buy what they believe is their dream house. However, as the title suggests, the “home of their dreams” turns out to be a “true nightmare,” with the show delving into themes of facing the past and confronting dark secrets. As Lydia and Paul struggle to move on from their former lives, their journey takes unexpected turns.
‘No Good Deed’ will premiere on December 12, and with Kudrow and Romano at the helm, it’s sure to capture attention as they bring their chemistry to a new, more dramatic setting. Fans of both actors will likely be eager to see how they navigate this shift in genre while still delivering the depth and charm that made them household names.
