It's the one where Lisa Kudrow makes her Emmys comeback.
Indeed, seven years after her last appearance, the Friends alum returned to the Emmy Awards, hitting the red carpet at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Sept. 14 alongside her and husband Michel Stern's 28-year-old son Julian Stern.
Kudrow—who is nominated at the 2026 ceremony for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role of Valerie Cherish for season three of HBO’s The Comeback, along with her work as a writer—turned heads in a sleek all black gown with a matching blazer, perfectly complimenting her son her wore a classic black suit. (See every star on the Emmys 2026 red carpet here.)
For the best actress category, the 63-year-old will face off against Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Elle Fanning (Margo’s Got Money Troubles) and previous winner Jean Smart (Hacks).
And while the 2026 Emmys—hosted by Mariska Hargitay—mark Kudrow’s first appearance at the awards show since 2019, she’s previously been recognized by the Television Academy on more than one occasion, including for The Comeback.
In fact, Kudrow was nominated for the first two seasons of the HBO sitcom, which were released with large gaps in between, coming out in 2005 and 2014, respectively.
And although she hasn’t won for The Comeback, the Romy and Michele's High School Reunion actress became an Emmy winner nearly 30 years ago when she took home a statue for her beloved role of Phoebe Buffay in Friends in 1998. (See every Emmys 2026 winner so far here.)
Kudrow has received a whopping 16 Emmy nominations throughout her career so far, but her latest recognitions for The Comeback are surely extra special as they are for the final season of the show.
Indeed, after she was nominated in July, Kudrow expressed her gratitude for the acknowledgement.
“This is a very big, very meaningful honor to be nominated for Valerie and for the writing Michael Patrick King and I did," she shared in a statement at the time. "Huge."
For more star-studded arrivals at the 2026 Emmy Awards, keep reading…
in Christian Siriano, Spectrum earrings and Megan Piccione rings.
in Lever Couture (Rinna) and OMEGA watch (Hamlin).
in Teresa Helbig, Tamara Melon shoes and Clarity jewelry.