Was Phoebe actually pregnant while having triplets in Friends?

Yes, when filming the triplets plot for her role as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, Lisa Kudrow was expecting her son Julian.

The American comedy Friends was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. It aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004 lasting for 10 seasons with 236 episodes. The program revolves around six friends in their 20s and early 30s who reside in Manhattan, New York City, and stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer.

Was Phoebe actually pregnant during Friends?

The show's Phoebe surrogacy storyline was inspired by Lisa Kudrow's actual pregnancy. Kudrow's advanced pregnancy was justified by the authors using triplets, and the plot was maintained throughout the series. The choice to use Phoebe as a surrogate fits well with the show's emphasis on unusual familial relationships.

As strange as it seems, the sitcom's storyline about Phoebe using her brother Frank Jr.'s triplets as a surrogate has held up very well given its emphasis on unusual and alternate methods of childbearing. It is one of the show's fan favorites. This is one of Phoebe's most famous scenes because it perfectly captures her generous nature.

First, Phoebe demonstrates her generosity by assisting her brother and Alice in realizing their goal of starting a family. The entire incident also symbolizes Phoebe's flexibility and distinctness, since she took on a mission that even her closest friends suggested she shouldn't have done. Though it largely defines Phoebe, this well-known narrative hardly actually occurred.

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Phoebe’s pregnancy storyline in Friends and in real life

In "The One with Phoebe's Uterus," episode 11 of Friends season 4, Phoebe's younger brother Frank Jr. asks her to act as a surrogate mother for him and his wife Alice, who are unable to conceive naturally. The fact that Phoebe's actress Lisa Kudrow became pregnant with her first son, Julian, served as the first inspiration for this plotline, which seemed ideal for Phoebe's character. To put it another way, the need to keep the show's filming on track gave rise to the concept.

Additionally, the authors eventually came up with the idea of triplets to explain the size of Kudrow's tummy because her pregnancy was more advanced than her character's.

The fact that Phoebe's triplets are kept for the entire season, rather than just being a temporary fix for season 4, is among the story's strongest elements. After the birth of their children in season five, Frank and Alice return twice.

They initially show up in "The One with Joey's Porsche," episode 5 of season 6, where Phoebe takes care of them for the first time. Later, they make their final appearance in "The One Where Ross Is Fine," episode 2 of season 10, where Frank wants to give up one of the triplets since he is nervous about how to handle them. For the rest of the series, Phoebe's plot arc is heavily influenced by the triplets and her familial bond with Frank.