The Comeback is an HBO mockumentary series starring Friends alum Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish, a sitcom actress past her prime. The show originally premiered in 2005 as a limited series. Since then, the show has had a second season that aired in 2014, and its third and final season began to air in March of this year.
The third season episode, “Valerie Does It All,” features an appearance from Lisa Kudrow’s son, who plays the role of Evan, a man employed in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a trainer. Here’s what we know of Julian’s life, career, and his opinions on the hot-button issue of AI.
Julian Stern Reflects On Working With Lisa Kudrow
Speaking to Deadline about his role, Julian admitted he was incredibly nervous, as this was the first time he had worked with his mother professionally. However, he praised Lisa Kudrow’s acting skills, saying:
“And when I’m talking with my mom, I’m talking with my mom. When I’m talking with Valerie Cherish, different person, and it was really easy to slip into just, ‘Oh yeah, this is a different person, this is a complete stranger.’”
When asked what it was like growing up as the son of such a well-known actress, Julian stated that he only became aware of his mother’s reputation when he was a teenager and that he otherwise had a normal childhood. As for his prior knowledge of The Comeback, he recalled first visiting the set during its first season in 200.
Julian also elaborated on his prior career in filmmaking, stating that he’s created an animated horror short film called The Voiceless Man. Julian is also currently working alongside his girlfriend on another web series, Goblin Girlfriend, and is writing a book that might be optioned for a film later. Julian believes that to survive in the industry, it’s important to work on a little bit of everything, including writing, editing, and directing.
Julian Is An AI Optimist
Julian also spoke about the impact AI might have on the entertainment industry and his own role as an AI trainer. He said his character represented a “hope” that the industry was “not fully done” as a consequence of advances in AI technology.
He further elaborated on prior disruptions television had faced in the past and how The Comeback had touched upon them in earlier seasons, saying:
“In the first season of The Comeback, writers thought TV was over, and no one’s gonna go to the movies anymore because reality TV was the most popular thing that was happening in the early 2000s. And then in 2014, everyone saw younger audiences going to the internet and thought, ‘Well, that’s it for TV, that’s it for movies, we’re done.’”
Julian said that he believed the industry would survive the disruptions of AI as well, saying, “Yes, Hollywood is gonna lose some of their audience, but they’re not gonna lose everyone, and I think Evan is showcasing that people are still gonna work in the industry and people are still going to come back to watch TV shows.”
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