Lisa Kudrow’s Plea To New Warner Bros. Owners: ‘Please Don’t Change A Thing’ On Iconic Friends Lot

For Lisa Kudrow, the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank isn’t just a place of business; it is a repository of a decade’s worth of memories and industry history. As the studio faces an imminent and monumental change in ownership, the Friends star is speaking out, pleading with the future buyers to respect the heritage of the grounds where she spent the most formative years of her career.

The Emotional Weight of Stage 24

Kudrow’s connection to the lot is unparalleled. For ten seasons, from 1994 to 2004, she called Stage 24 home while filming the global phenomenon Friends. The stage was so synonymous with the show that it was officially renamed “The Friends Stage” following the series finale. Recently, Kudrow returned to the lot to film the third and final season of HBO’s The Comeback,

an experience that left her feeling deeply protective of the site.

In a candid conversation with Architectural Digest, Kudrow expressed her anxiety over the potential for modernization to erase history. “It’s hard for me to tell if Warner Bros. is just special to me, or if it’s special to the whole city or industry. I think it is,” she shared. Reflecting on the uncertainty of the sale, she added, “Everything changes ownership all the time and you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

A Call to Preserve Hollywood History

The plea comes at a volatile time for the studio. A fierce bidding war is currently underway between Netflix and Paramount Skydance. While Netflix initially struck a deal for $82 billion, David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance countered with a staggering $108.7 billion hostile offer, leading to ongoing legal and financial maneuvers. Amidst these billion-dollar negotiations, Kudrow is focused on the tangible details—like the roses planted by founder Jack Warner.

“I think most people really hope whatever happens next is that this studio lot is preserved as is. It works,” Kudrow urged. “Whoever buys it, you don’t need to change anything. It works, it works great. So, congratulations whoever’s next. Please don’t change a thing. Please, please don’t remove Jack Warner’s roses.”

For Kudrow, the lot represents more than just the set of Friends; it is the birthplace of classics like Casablanca and The Goonies. As she moves forward with her new project No Good Deed, her hope remains that the Burbank lot continues to stand as a working monument to the golden age of television and film, untouched by the corporate desire for “reinvention.”