Reunion: 'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'

Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino reminisce almost 15 years later

Fans of Romy and Michele - the film about two überblondes who lie about inventing Post-it notes to impress their former classmates at a reunion - can rejoice in the fact that its two stars have had many a reunion themselves in the nearly 15 years since the movie’s release. ”We genuinely like each other and crack each other up,” says Mira Sorvino, a.k.a. Romy White. ”Lisa is one of the funniest women in showbiz.” For the actresses, who’ve kept in touch over the years through baby showers and birthdays, projects past and present (Showtime’s Web Therapy for Kudrow, the recently wrapped indie drama The Class Project for Sorvino), revisiting the screwball antics of Romy and Michele for EW’s Reunions shoot was effortless. Of course, the wardrobe helped: In a nod to their characters’ phony Post-its tale, Sorvino, 44, and Kudrow, 48, wore dresses made of the colorful stickies. Says Sorvino, ”I’ve never had so much fun on a [movie] set as I did on that one.” Adds Kudrow, ”Everyone was just happy to be there.”

Are you surprised by Romy and Michele’s enduring appeal?
Mira Sorvino A girl came up to me in the Louvre in Paris and tapped my shoulder and said, ”I’m the Mary.” And I said, ”What?” ”I’m the Mary.” And I realized she was doing Romy and Michele lines. That kind of blew me away.
Lisa Kudrow One time I was having lunch with the president of Vassar College and these girls came over and they handed me a napkin, and they’d spent their whole lunch writing down all the different lines from Romy and Michele. I thought it was so great.

Both your voices were so hilarious. Did you have a particular inspiration?
Sorvino I patterned Romy’s voice after my sister. Even though she was raised in New Jersey, she talks with a Valley Girl accent.
Kudrow I grew up in the Valley. In seventh grade, that’s how I spoke, except it was worse. There were no vowels. And I knew a lot of stupid girls in junior high and high school.

What was it like to film the three-way love dance?
Sorvino I loved doing it, because I tried to put in some of my teenage ballet moves, as well as trying to channel Snoopy. [Imitates Snoopy dance] He jumps and kind of turns his head.
Kudrow I just remember working with the choreographer. It was always, ”Oh, great, Mira! Oh, fantastic!” Because Mira can dance.

What do you think Romy and Michele would be doing today?
Sorvino Hopefully one day there will be a movie about what they’re up to today. We’ve been working on that for the past decade and a half.
Kudrow Romy and Michele Get Married. Romy and Michele Get Divorced.
Sorvino Romy and Michele Join the Army.
Kudrow Join the Army? I’m too old. Michele Goes Through the Change and Romy Is There.

This article was originally published on ew.com