Lisa Kudrow admits building relationships with Friends co-stars was ‘hard work’

Lisa Kudrow has opened up about getting to know her Friends co-stars and adjusting to each others' differences.

While some of the Friends cast had met prior to filming the iconic sitcom, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt Le Blanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer weren't close friends before they started shooting.

The actors were sent to Vegas just before shooting by director James Burrows to enjoy their last few days before becoming stars, alongside getting to know each other. However, it was largely on set in which they started getting to know each other properly and formed the close real-life friendships maintained to this day.

In an interview with Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast, Kudrow emphasized how much the main cast 'really did get along' which is 'rare'.

However, like any friendship, that doesn't mean they didn't have to learn about each other and adapt to all their different personalities along the way.

In the podcast episode released yesterday (December 10), the 61-year-old continued: "We also worked hard at being friends.

"That six-way relationship took some work and we did it."

But what did the work include?

The Friends cast had to get to know each other on set ( Gerald Weinman/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Image)

Well, Kudrow explained: "Really talking things through. If someone said something or did something, it didn't get too big because it was like, 'Can I talk to you?'"

The actor revealed she wasn't 'usually' the one to address people in such a direct manner, adding she 'had to learn to be' a bit more forward with her communication.

"I never knew that was allowed," she continued. "But I saw it modelled really well by Courteney and Jennifer and Matt."

Kudrow noted it was also very much 'respectful communication' too.

And she isn't the only Friends star to open up about the group's getting to know one another.

The cast all became genuine friends in real life (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Le Blanc told NBC's Andy Cohen in 2016 director Burrows 'really encouraged' the cast 'all to get along and get to know one another and be kind to one another'.

"And support one another, help one another," he added.

Kudrow also noted Burrows actually gave the cast his dressing room because it was 'big' and he wanted them to have the space to 'really connect'.

She said: "I think it was sort of unspoken, but we instinctively felt like we need to be friends, we need to get along, we need to connect. And so we started playing poker and Jimmy gave us his room so that we can have a bigger hangout room for us."