Lisa Kudrow reveals she banned hugging at her mother's funeral as she attempted to hold socially distanced service just as pandemic struck

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The usually bright and comedically gifted Lisa Kudrow is opening up about a recent experience which she called 'hard' and 'heartbreaking,' and it involves the death of her mother at the end of February.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Monday, the 56-year-old Friends star said she hadn't yet 'talked about' the fact that her mother, Nedra Stern, had passed away almost three months ago, and how difficult it was to practice social distancing at the funeral.

'I was the one who asked the rabbi to please let everyone know there was to be no hugging because we were all in an emergency room with her,' Lisa recalled. 'That was the hardest decision because we weren't there yet and we had only just heard the words "social distancing."'

Heartbreaking experience: The bright and gifted Lisa Kudrow is opening up about an experience which she called 'hard' involving the recent death of her mother

Kudrow did not specify the cause of her mother's passing, nor her age. 

'I'm a freak and all I could think that whole day was there has to be coronavirus here,' she continued in the interview. 'Some people [understood] and most people were just looking at me like I was a monster when I'd take two steps back, put up my hands and say, "Hi, thanks for coming." That was hard.'

'That's the stuff that breaks my heart, too, when I see parents, especially in the health care field, who come home from work and are like, "Hi, remember, we have to stay away from mommy." How is a 3-year-old supposed to understand that?' the Opposite Of Sex actress added.

'I was the one who asked the rabbi to please let everyone know there was to be no hugging because we were all in an emergency room with her,' Lisa recalled about the funeral

On a slightly brighter side, however, Lisa remarked that 'Well, at least we got a funeral,' which has unfortunately not been the case for countless deceased loved ones whose funeral gatherings have been rendered impossible during the height of the pandemic.

'And everyone was hugging but me. I just couldn't bear it if I got someone sick,' the actress added, before mentioning that she and 'a couple family members did feel sick' a few days after the service – but that perhaps she 'was just drained.'

On Mother's Day, Lisa posted a stunning throwback travel photo of herself with her mother, but judging from the comments, no one knew that the Emmy winner had recently lost her.

'This is what a great mother looks like. The one on the left, I mean. #mothersday' she captioned the photo.

At home: The actress has been quarantining at home in Los Angeles with her husband of 25 years Michel Stern and their 22-year-old son Julian (left)

The actress, who's been quarantining at home in Los Angeles with her husband of 25 years Michel Stern and their 22-year-old son Julian, also discussed several of the projects she's been involved in – not the least of which is the yet-again-postponed Friends reunion.  

When the pandemic caused productions throughout Tinseltown to shut down, Lisa said it was 'painful' to have to stop prepping the highly anticipated special.   

'I have to be honest: I was getting nervous at the very beginning of March, before there was a stay-at-home order,' Kudrow said of the back-and-forth which took place between the Friends cast and those behind the reunion at the time.

'And then everything started shutting down, one by one. We all got on the phone and said it had to shut down. People threw out [other] dates, which have come and gone. But we were really trying to be able to do it as soon as we could.'

Old Friends: Lisa also discussed several of the projects she's been involved in – not the least of which is the yet-again-postponed Friends reunion

And the idea to do the reunion as something virtual or remote is (thankfully) not what Kudrow is envisioning.  

'That's the whole point!' she said, of being able to reunite with Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston live and in-person. 

'We haven't all been in the same room in front of people — I mean, we have privately once many years ago but that's it. The whole point of this is to be in the same room. That hasn't changed. And HBO Max is being phenomenally patient and understanding.'

The idea to do the reunion as something virtual or remote is (thankfully) not what Kudrow is envisioning; seen here in 2001 with Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer

Like fans around the world, Lisa is hoping that there will soon come a time when she and her Friends can once again physically sit together on the same couch, just as they had done for ten years on the set of Central Perk. 

'I haven't heard anything officially, but hopefully there will be tests available so everyone has to be tested for the virus and antibodies before being able to show up for work. If everyone's tested and clean, then we don't have to be 6 feet apart. Everyone who checks out, so to speak, can sit next to each other on the couch,' she said.

'But the reunion of the cast and celebration of the show will definitely happen.'

Like fans around the world: Lisa is hoping that there will soon come a time when she and her Friends can once again physically sit together on the same couch, just as they had done for ten years on the set of Central Perk