Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano Bonded by ‘Shared History’ as ’90s Stars on ‘No Good Deed’ (Exclusive)

Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano knew they had an unspoken bond while working together at Netflix No good deed.

The two actors and ’90s sitcom legends play married couple Lydia and Paul Morgan in the new series, which hits Netflix on December 12. Kudrow, 61, and Romano, 66, talk to PEOPLE in this week’s issue about their time together on set. say they connected during their time working on two beloved sitcoms, Friends and Everyone loves Raymondin the 90s and early 2000s.

“It was definitely something we could talk about. We had a lot of downtime. And we traded stories and compared,” Romano tells PEOPLE.

Kudrow notes that she was “curious” to ask Romano questions about his experience during that time, as she remembers telling him, “I know what our set was like, what was (yours) like?”

Not only were the duo on sitcoms around the same time, but Romano points out that their “sets were close together, too.”

“We were on the same page,” Kudrow clarifies. “They were on stage like we had the first season.”

Overall, the pair say memories of their sitcom days really bonded them while filming the new project.

“It was fun,” Romano says. “It was a cool feeling, all the things you said without admitting it. We didn’t admit to ourselves, ‘I’m a big sitcom star and you’re a big sitcom star,’ but we understood that it was friendly. unique and cool.”

“A shared history,” confirms Kudrow.

Everyone loves Raymond ran for nine seasons from 1996 to 2005 on CBS. Romano starred as the sitcom’s titular character, Raymond Barone, an Italian sports columnist who lives on Long Island with his wife (Patricia Heaton), three children and mixed parents just across the street.

Meanwhile Friends aired for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC. The series followed six friends living in New York City, and Kudrow played quirky yet lovable Phoebe Buffay alongside co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.

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Because they had so much in common at that point in their careers, it was no surprise that Kudrow and Romano instantly hit it off. No good deed.

“(It) was just there,” Kudrow tells PEOPLE, to which Romano adds, “You’re lucky, and as two actors, sometimes you just have that chemistry. And I think we had that from the get-go.”

Working together also turned out to be a bit of a dream gig for both actors.

“Lisa wasn’t cast when I signed on, and I was drawn to it because the writing was great, the people involved were great,” Romano explains. “And when they told me that Lisa was on board, I was only scared because I’m insecure. But then it all went away.”

Adds Kudrow, “I knew my husband was going to be Ray Romano, and I had always wanted to work with Ray and just didn’t think it would ever happen. So it was like, well, it’s kind of like a dream come true. come true Oh my gosh And Linda Cardellini, I also knew there was no way to say no.

No good deedwhich premieres Dec. 12 on Netflix, follows Kudrow and Romano’s Lydia and Paul as they “decide to move on from their empty nest to create a new life” and puts their longtime home on the market, according to a synopsis.

“Several families are all racing to buy what they believe is their dream home, convinced it will solve all their very different problems. But as Lydia and Paul know all too well, sometimes the home of your dreams can be a reality nightmare.” the log line continues. “As they struggle to hide the dark and dangerous secrets that linger in their longtime home, Paul and Lydia begin to realize that the only way they will escape the past is to finally face it.”

Although they have gained weight No good deed and plenty of other roles since their sitcom days, Kudrow hopes she’s convinced Romano to revisit their beginnings.

“I kept saying to Ray, like, ‘Let’s do a sitcom. Come on. Rehearse all week and then shoot. Let’s do it,'” she recalls of their on-set conversations, though she notes, “I think I forget what hard work was in the beginning of doing one of these shows.”

For more on Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

No good deed now streaming on Netflix.