While working together on Netflix’s No Good Deed, a connection blossomed between Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano. The two actors, who rose to fame in the ’90s, portray the married couple Lydia and Paul Morgan in the series that premiered on December 12.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Kudrow, 61, and Romano, 66, discussed how their shared experiences on iconic sitcoms—Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond—helped them bond during production.
Romano reflects on the rapport they built, stating, “It was definitely something we could talk about. We had a lot of downtime. And we did swap stories and compare.” Kudrow expressed her curiosity about Romano’s experiences, recalling that she asked him, “I know what our set was like, what was [yours] like?” They also noted the proximity of their sets during that era.
Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano reflect on their sitcom past while teaming up on No Good Deed
Kudrow pointed out, “We were on the same lot,” further emphasizing, “They were on the stage that we had the first season.” The two actors found that reminiscing about their sitcom past enriched their collaboration on No Good Deed.
Romano described the experience as enjoyable, saying, “It was a cool feeling, all the things you were saying without admitting it. We weren’t admitting to ourselves, ‘I’m a big sitcom star, and you’re a big sitcom star,’ but we understood this is kind of unique and cool.”
Kudrow affirmed, “A shared history,” referencing their journey through television. Everybody Loves Raymond aired for nine seasons from 1996 to 2005 on CBS, with Romano in the lead role of Raymond Barone, an Italian sports columnist pass life in Long Island with his wife, children, and nearby meddling parents.
However, Friends ran for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC, showcasing six friends in New York City, with Kudrow portraying the quirky Phoebe Buffay alongside co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. Their similar paths made it easy for Kudrow and Romano to connect while working on No Good Deed.
Kudrow shared, “It was just there,” as Romano noted the immediate chemistry they had. “You get lucky, and as two actors sometimes you just have that chemistry. And I think we had it right off the bat,” he added.
For both actors, collaborating on this project felt like a dream opportunity. Romano mentioned that he initially signed on without knowing Kudrow was part of the cast, drawn to the quality of the writing and the people involved. He admitted, “When they told me Lisa was on board, I got frightened only because I’m insecure. But then it all worked out.”
Kudrow expressed her excitement about the pairing, saying, “I did know that my husband would be Ray Romano and I’d always wanted to work with Ray and just didn’t think it was ever going to happen.
So it was like, well, that’s kind of like a dream come true. Oh my gosh.” She also noted that knowing Linda Cardellini would be in the project made it impossible to refuse the opportunity. Set to premiere on December 12, No Good Deed follows the couple as they transition from an empty nest and prepare to sell their longtime home.
The series synopsis describes multiple families racing to buy what they believe to be their dream house, only to uncover that it might hold dark and dangerous secrets. As Paul and Lydia grapple with their past, they realize that facing it is the only way to move forward.
Despite their busy schedules and various roles since their sitcom days, Kudrow hopes to inspire Romano to revisit their early beginnings. She recalls urging him, “Let’s do a sitcom. Come on. Rehearse all week and then shoot. Let’s do that,” while acknowledging, “I think I forget what the hard work was in the beginning of doing one of those shows.”
