Lisa Kudrow's portrayal of Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom "Friends" is arguably her most iconic role. The show ran for 10 seasons, and the cast lived through many of their own milestones while filming. Kudrow was pregnant with her son, Julian Murray Stern, in 1997, and her pregnancy was written into her storyline in Season 4 and Season 5. The pregnancy plot involves Phoebe's brother, Frank Buffay Jr., asking her if she would be a surrogate for him and his wife. She agrees.

Stern was born May 7, 1998, and Kudrow has spoken about being pregnant on set. "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 told People in 2018 of the pre-show ritual she had with her co-stars. "So sweet, they included my little fetus in the huddle." As a child, Stern did hang around the set, which bothered Kudrow. "A set really isn't a place for a toddler to be running around. It wasn't a fun place for him," she said on the podcast "Literally! With Rob Lowe" in 2021.

But her co-stars, specifically Jennifer Aniston, made her son feel loved. "She's a lovebug, and that made sense. And I was always glad for anyone that Julian felt love for and felt from," Kudrow said on "Conan" of how her son gravitated toward Aniston.