Julian Murray Stern is the only son of actress Lisa Kudrow and her husband Michel Stern.
Kudrow and Stern met in France in the '80s and got married in May 1995. On May 7, 1998, they welcomed their son Julian.
Julian grew up on the set of Friends, as Kudrow would often bring him to work with her. However, Julian wasn’t always a fan of his mother’s work. During a conversation with host Seth Meyers on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the Friends actress shared how her son watched the first few episodes of the hit ‘90s sitcom while he had COVID and was surprised at how “impressive” it was.
“He called me up and said, 'So I just watched the first two episodes. It's really good, Mom,' " she recounted. "I said, 'Thanks.' He said, 'Can I ask you some questions about that?' I'm like, 'Yes!' I almost started crying. I didn't think that anyone in my family liked that show."
She continued, "He was 5 when we were finished ... but he did start watching when his friends at school started watching. He watched it and he was impressed."
As he got older, he also developed a love for cinematography. Julian graduated from the University of Southern California in 2021, and he recently wrapped his first TV movie, a project entitled Doomed.
Here's everything to know about Lisa Kudrow's son Julian Murray Stern.
Kudrow was pregnant with him while she was on Friends
In the fourth and fifth seasons of Friends, the writers included Kudrow’s real pregnancy into the storyline as her character, Phoebe, became a surrogate for her brother Frank and his wife Alice. In an interview with PEOPLE, Kudrow recalled some fond memories with her costars from that period of her life.
"The six of us would do a huddle backstage and just say, ‘All right, have a good show, love you love you love you love you.' And when I was pregnant, then they would say, 'Have a great show, love you love you — love you, little Julian!' 'Cause we knew it was a boy and that was his name," she said, adding that it was "so sweet" that her baby was included.
He spent a lot of time on the set of Friends when he was young
Kudrow would often bring Julian to set with her when he was young. He was so familiar with some of the cast, in fact, that he actually confused his mom with Kudrow’s costar Jennifer Aniston.
In an interview on Conan, Kudrow explained how her son had a special bond with Aniston.
"He'd fly into her lap," Kudrow said, referring to her son's reaction whenever he saw Aniston. "Well, she's a love bug, and that made sense. And I was always glad for anyone that Julian felt love for and felt from. But then at home, she'd be on TV, and he'd go, 'Mommy!' " she continued.
"I'm kind of analytical so I'm like, 'Is this wishful thinking? Do they have some kind of higher soul connection that I don't have with him?' " she questioned, jokingly adding that she was "happy for them both."
He wanted to be an only child
Kudrow and her husband didn't have any more children after Julian and he's thankful for that. From a very young age, Julian told his mom that he didn't want any siblings.
“[He] made it clear from the moment he could speak that he didn’t want a brother or sister … [and] it just worked out that way anyway — but to this day, he’ll say, 'Thank you,' " Kudrow told Page Six in 2017.
He's passionate about film
Julian appears to be following in his mother's footsteps when it comes to his career path. Julian has experience as both an actor and a cinematographer. In January 2023, he posted about a short film he starred in, Seth’s Big Break 2, and shared some behind-the-scenes photos of himself working on the set.
A few years prior, in 2019, Julian shared his passion for being behind the camera, posting a funny story about his time on a film set.
"Ok, so one day I walked onto a random film set. I pointed at the camera and said: 'Yo is that the camera Quentin Tarantino used to film with?' ” he captioned the post. “They said no, but I knew they were lying. I decided to stay on the set and film random stuff. I refused to leave and they tried to stop me from doing a dolly shot.”
He went on to add that the experience was “worth it” because he got to use the camera which was “epic.”
He has a degree in the cinematic arts
Julian is a graduate of the University of Southern California. He earned a bachelor's degree in film and TV production in 2021.
"Happy proud HAPPY. And a little crying. By me not him.. @juls_magewls," Kudrow captioned an Instagram photo of her and her son after the commencement ceremony.
He is proud of his mom’s career
On an episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers, Kudrow shared Julian’s reaction to watching Friends for the first time as an adult.
"He said, 'It's actually really funny. I mean, the guys are so funny,' " Kudrow recalled. “He's like, 'No, I mean you're funny too,' " she continued, adding, "Never in my life have I wanted to tell my own kid, like, 'F--- you!' I mean, I thought it, I didn't say it."
While Kudrow wasn’t pleased with this interaction, she did get a sweet nod from her only child on the set of the show’s 2021 reunion special, Friends: The Reunion.
"He was able to come to the reunion ... and afterward, he came up to me and he said, 'Can I say that I'm really proud of you?' " she shared on Conan. "That was one of the very emotional things that happened to me."
He has a close relationship with his mom
While Julian isn't very active on social media, he has posted tributes to his mom in the past. On Mother's Day in 2019, he shared a post wishing Kudrow a special day.
"I am very late to this but nevertheless, happy Mother’s Day, mom! You are the most caring and supportive mother I could have asked for!" he captioned a pair of then-and-now photos of his mom.
He has a great sense of humor
Julian seems to have inherited his mom's sense of humor. In 2019, he shared a video of himself on Instagram, standing in front of a Friends Experience location. While Julian seemed excited to check out the place, he jokingly walked in the opposite direction.
"Hey, guys! I'm on the promenade. And, as you can see, things are really popping," Julian said as he walks in front of the Friends location. "And, today, we're going to go somewhere a little special and a little personal to me. We're going to Lids!" he says, walking away from the Friends spot and over to the store across the street.
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