Los Angeles, Sep 13 (IANS) "Friends" star Lisa Kudrow says she struggled getting into the role of Phoebe Buffay initially in the popular sitcom.

During her appearance on Kevin Nealon's YouTube show "Hiking with Kevin", Kudrow admitted that she had difficulty in her earlier years on the show, reports "dailymail.co.uk".

"I had played dumb girls but it wasn't really me,' Kudrow said.

"I feel like, 'S***, I tricked them in the audition'. I was the only one who could cope with the audition process and that's how I got it, I think. So I had to work hard at being Phoebe," she added.

The 56-year-old said she was "struggling" in the role until the third season, adding that her co-star Matt LeBlanc helped her.

"I remember Matt LeBlanc going, 'What's going on with you?'. And I said, 'I don't think I have it. I don't know what I'm doing'. And he went, 'You're her, relax, you got it. You've been doing this f***ing character for three years. You're working too hard, that's your problem. You don't need to work this hard, relax'," the actress said as she recalled their conversation.

Asked if she can tell when things lightened up from watching the series, but she said she hasn't seen the show.

Kudrow essayed the role of Phoebe Buffay for 10 years, from 1994 until 2004. She garnered multiple award nominations, including a 1998 Emmy win amid six nominations, and a Golden Globe nomination in 1996.