By Jenny Halper in New York City

News flash: Lisa Kudrow is not Phoebe. We know this, of course, but to we really really know it?

If anyone can separate Kudrow from her seriously ingrained sitcom self, it’s writer/director Don Roos. He broke the mold in 1998, casting her as the prudish Lucia in “The Opposite of Sex.” Her role in Roos’ latest ensemble pic, “Happy Endings,” serves as a similar departure. Kudrow stars as Mamie, an abortion counselor denying the existence of a child she gave up, and the presence of a masseuse boyfriend (Bobby Cannavale) she sees on the sly.

Looking nothing like Phoebe, a brunette Kudrow sipped Starbucks and talked with press about working on Roos’ film, and writing/producing/starring in “The Comeback,” her current small-screen smash.

Q: What was it like to work with Don again?

LISA: Great. A dream. Just a dream.

Q: How did he approach you about the film?

LISA: He said “I’m writing something, it’s got a part for you, read it and see if you want to do it.” And I said, “No, I want to do it!” He said, “Well, you need to read it first.” And I did. That was the only technicality.

Q: Don described Mamie as having reservoirs of pain inside her? Do you have reservoirs of pain?

LISA: I don’t know. I have a good healthy facility for denial and blocking. So I don’t know, you know?

Q: Does he know you well enough to say that about you?

LISA: Yes, you know, after “Opposite of Sex” we became very close friends, I saw him every week for the last seven years. He’d come to “Friends” tapings, he and Dan would come every Friday to the dressing room, beyond that I’d see him, we’d go out to dinner. We’re actual friends. It’s like you do with friends, you see them. But I’m a pretty happy person.

Q: Do you consider him the first director to break you out of Phoebe-mode?

LISA: He is the first director, and based on what I don’t know, maybe he saw reservoirs of pain in Phoebe. He said that actually.

Q: Did you find yourself falling into Phoebe mannerisms on-set?

LISA: I trusted Don would let me know if something was not Mamie. It didn’t happen this time. But with “Opposite of Sex” there was one word that he said, “that was a little Phoebe.”

Q: What one?

LISA: I don’t remember.

Q: Do you get offered a lot of characters similar to Phoebe?

LISA: With the bigger budget studio stuff it’s usually quirky people. With independent films it’s more along the lines of a Don Roos character.

Q: You studied biology in college, and you’ve done a lot of (medical) research. Do you cure all ailments on sets?

LISA: (Laughs) No. NO. Because I’m not a doctor. But I know a lot about headaches.

Q: If we gave you a stethoscope, could you diagnose anything?

LISA: It would be irresponsible of me, but where does it hurt?

Q: I wasn’t sure your character falling in love with Tom’s character worked-

LISA: Really? Oh, cause you felt like it was easy? I don’t agree with you, I’d like to support everything you do, but it made sense to me.

Q: Why do they get together?

LISA: After everything she’s been through, after her accident, there was a little bit of emotional healing and she was ready to be with someone appropriate, instead of the masseuse, who was a secret, or whatever other secrets she had. It made sense in terms of age, experience, life experience, he’s a decent guy, ready to love someone, and the other thing about it is, she wasn’t the love of his life, but they could make each other happy. It made sense to me.

Q: Did you have a body double?

LISA: No, we talked about it, but it was a pretty quick decision. Don doesn’t want to see me, I don’t want to show it. (Laughs)

Q: Did you choose your double?

LISA: Yeah, uh-huh. I just remember seeing polaroids of women in bathing suits.

Q: Did you see yourself in Mamie?

LISA: This character, Mamie wasn’t me at all and the only thing I had to go on was that Don trusted I could do it so I just trusted that. She’s a human being, and I do understand denial, I do understand that behavior, trying to protect yourself.

Q: Why does Mamie become an abortion counselor?

LISA: I think she was talked out of it…that’s sort of the main reason. Either that or it’s of one of those ironies that Don Roos puts in, or she wanted to save girls from the torment she went through.

Q: Can you talk about working with Bobby? He’s not the first actor I would have thought of for that part.

LISA: Oh really? Well, you know, he’s fun, he’s really good, he’s great in the movie. No, he’s nice.

Q: The cinematographer for this also worked on “The Comeback”-

LISA: That’s where I met him. Clark Mathis. He did “Happy Endings” then we asked him to do the pilot for “The Comeback.”

Q: Was there a specific look you were going for, cinematography-wise?

LISA: Don was looking for something- he wanted it to feel observed, so it is a lot of hand held. And reality shows are hand held also, so…

Q: Has “The Comeback” been a challenge?

LISA: It was challenging only because it was such a different kind of show. And a happy challenge because I got to write for the first time, which I’d been threatening to do, and then producing it, that was challenging, being in every scene pretty much. Challenging but very fulfilling. Really fun. I love the way it’s coming out.

Q: What has the response been?

LISA: Overwhelmingly good, so that’s great.

Q: Would you do another season?

LISA: If HBO wants to do another season we could do another season, easily.

Q: Are you disappointed that there’s not more depth in entertainment journalism?

LISA: It’s an annoyance. Now the public is getting trained to care and think about things like what someone’s eating, how many pounds they put on that week, it’s an annoyance, I don’t know, it just feels like, I don’t know, everything feels like it’s the deterioration of Americans, our society, Americans, what we care about.

Q: Has it been hard to watch Jennifer Aniston’s personal life become tabloid material?

LISA: It’s really hard. It’s very personal private stuff that you have to share with the entire world whether you like it or not. Luckily she’s really busy, everyone’s really busy.

“Happy Endings” opens on July 15th.