The hype around Friends: The Reunion is real. Fans have waited 17 years to see all six leads together again—and that’s partly due to COVID-19. We all got super excited about this reunion when it was announced in February 2020, and then the world fell apart. But now, after a year of delays, the reunion is so close that its metaphorically in the apartment across the hall—and it was worth the wait. The super-sized reunion special is packed with so many memories, bloopers, reveals, and superstar guest stars—including Lady Gaga.
We knew Lady Gaga was involved with the reunion special, as she was part of HBO Max’s big guest list reveal earlier this month. But what could she be doing in a Friends reunion? She wasn’t on the show. Lady Gaga was 8 years old when Rachel burst into Central Perk wearing a wedding dress! Any Friends super fan would definitely guess what she’s doing if given three chances.
Lady Gaga filmed a little moment on the Central Perk set with Lisa Kudrow where the two of them perform Friends‘ most memorable song: “Smelly Cat.” Really, what else would you want to see one of the most iconic singers of today do in a Friends reunion? Lady Gaga’s no stranger to wearing raw meat, but she wasn’t gonna show up with her head shoved up a turkey.
The moment is truly remarkable, speaking to the pull that Friends still has today. The biggest celebrities in the world also spent 10 years (and the decades since) watching this show. And to see Gaga, a free spirited fashion kook, sitting next to kindred spirit Phoebe Buffay? It’s one of many, many moments that makes this reunion well worth the wait.
Gaga’s not the first star musician to collaborate with Kudrow on “Smelly Cat.” In Season 2, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders sang it in “The One With the Baby On the Bus” and Chris Isaak riffed on it in “The One After the Superbowl Part 1.” Honestly, Phoebe could start a real supergroup at this point.
Friends: The Reunion premieres on Thursday, May 27 on HBO Max