Here's Why We Never See Lisa Kudrows Son, Julian

August 08, 2024

Highlights

Lisa Kudrow prioritized keeping her family out of the media to maintain privacy and normalcy.
Lisa Kudrow's son, Julian Murray Stern, grew up on the Friends set and bonded with Kudrow's co-stars.
Julian Murray Stern attended USC, earning a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts, Film & TV Production in 2021.

Lisa Kudrow adores her son, Julian Murray Stern, but she makes sure to keep him out of the public eye for good reasons. The actress is famous for playing Phoebe Buffay in the hit '90s sitcom, Friends. The show ran for 10 successful seasons and garnered her worldwide fame and success and, since its end, Kudrow has gone on to star in several projects, but not ones that take her away from her family for long periods.

When Kudrow is not working on a new film, she makes sure to spend as much time as she can with her family. Kudrow met her husband, Michel Stern, in France in the '80s and the couple welcomed their son, Julian, in 1997. Fans of Friends remember her pregnancy was written into the show during seasons 4 and 5. After Kudrow welcomed her baby boy, the actress did her best to keep her family away from the limelight.

In the following, we take a look at why Lisa Kudrow's son was kept out of the media for most of his life. We also reveal what Lisa Kudrow's son does for a living.

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Lisa Kudrow Wanted To Keep Her Son And Her Personal Life Out Of The Media

Lisa Kudrow is one of the most recognizable faces in entertainment thanks to her starring role in Friends. With such fame comes a lot of media attention for her and her family. About the fame, she sort of ignores it. “I don’t want to know because then, honestly, I’d never leave my house. I don’t see it as love. It’s not love.” The actress has always maintained that she would not put her personal life out there to maintain a sense of normalcy and privacy.

The Time Bandits star told People in 2018 that nothing on this planet could have prepared her for becoming a mother.

“It made me fear for the first time in my life. The stakes felt huge.”

So, when it came to raising her son, Julian, Lisa Kudrow made sure he was kept as far away from the limelight as possible. Kudrow has a special relationship with her son. That’s why she has chosen to keep it away from the media.

Kudrow told The Guardian in 2015 why she avoids sharing her connection with her son online, “You think you’re controlling the story. But when you put it out there, any individual can perceive it the way they want, and they’ve got the same forum you do. Personal relationships, family, marriage, that stuff, is meant to have very private parts, and it’s worth protecting.”

Did Lisa Kudrow Resent Her Friends Co-Stars Because She Thought They Had Perfect Physical Appearances?

Lisa Kudrow has talked about having a hard time with her body while filming Friends, and this might have affected how she felt about her co-stars.

Early on, Lisa Kudrow was fearful of Julian’s desire to follow in her footsteps into Hollywood because she believed that any kind of artist needs a lot more life experience to help deal with fame. And she did her best to provide that for her son before he went out to chase his dreams. “If Julian were to become too successful that'd be a disaster. When a very young person becomes too powerful, they become a valuable commodity that everyone’s afraid to say no to.”

Lisa Kudrow’s Son Grew Up On The Set Of Friends

Despite Lisa Kudrow’s reservations, she allowed Julian to follow his dreams. He was part of the Friends cast even before he was born, so it's no surprise he gravitated towards film and television as a career. Kudrow said during filming the season 4 and 5 storyline, where she was a surrogate for her brother on Friends, the entire cast was very supportive.

When the six of them would huddle backstage they would say, "'Have a great show, love you, love you — love you, little Julian!’... So sweet, they included my little fetus in the huddle,” because they already knew he was a boy and was going to be named Julian. Julian Murray Stern grew up running around on set before the show came to an end when he was 5 years old. But Kudrow admits motherhood wasn't as easy as she thought it would be and often made her emotional.

Which 'Friends' Co-Star Is Lisa Kudrow Closest To?

During an Ellen Show game segment, Lisa Kudrow might've unintentionally revealed who she is closest to from the cast of 'Friends'.

In 2018, Lisa Kudrow told Conan O'Brien in an interview that, while growing up on set, Julian would gravitate towards her co-star Jennifer Aniston, running into her lap every time he visited the set. And when at home, Julian would call Jennifer Aniston mommy whenever the actress appeared on television. When asked if she felt hurt or scarred by the fact her son felt close to The Morning Show star, Kudrow admitted it made her question whether Jennifer Aniston and Julian shared a ‘higher soul connection’ than she and her son.

However, she was "always glad for anyone that Julian felt love for and felt from." These days, the mother-son duo have a great relationship. After Kudrow filmed Friends: The Reunion, she revealed Julian had a very special message for her. He said, “I don't know if this is awkward or inappropriate. Can I say I'm really proud of you?” which was one of Kudrow’s best moments from the show.

What Does Lisa Kudrow's Son, Julian Murray Stern Do For A Living?

Julian Murray Stern attended the University of Southern California where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Cinematic Arts, Film and Television Production. Lisa Kudrow’s son graduated in 2021 and the actress commemorated the special occasion with a rare post on Instagram. It read, “Happy, proud, HAPPY. And a little crying. By me, not him.” alongside a photo of Julian wearing his school’s graduation outfit and standing next to Kudrow.

In 2018, The Comeback star told Jimmy Kimmel what she thinks of her son who was all grown up. “I think I did a good job injecting him with the right amount of fear. He's independent and good.” Julian is an actor and filmmaker and has done work for films like, Wish Upon A Disco Ball as well as appearing in the short films, Big City Boy and Seth’s Big Break 2.

In 2023, Lisa Kudrow's son wrote and directed a short animation film titled, The Voiceless Man which he asked the public to help fund through Seed&Spark. As per Seed&Spark’s sites, Julian reached the targeted goal of 15,005 for the production of his project.

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