Conan O’Brien admits he was ‘jealous’ after ex Lisa Kudrow praised Matthew Perry's comic turn on ‘Friends’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: During the July 21 episode of his podcast, 'Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend', Conan O’Brien admitted to feeling jealous of the late Matthew Perry when his ex-girlfriend, Lisa Kudrow, complimented Perry's comedic talent on 'Friends'.
The 61-year-old O’Brien recalled that Kudrow, who was a guest on his podcast, was impressed by Perry's performance in the early days of 'Friends'.
When did Conan O'Brien and Lisa Kudrow date?
Conan O'Brien and Lisa Kudrow dated from 1988 to 1993.
O'Brien married Liza Powel O'Brien in 2002, and Kudrow has been married to Michel Stern since 1995.
“You called me up, and you were raving about … ” O’Brien remembered during the podcast, as Kudrow, finished his sentence, saying, “Matthew.”
“Yes. And you were saying, ‘He’s so funny',” he continued, admitting, “There was a part of me that was jealous.”
Though O’Brien said he was able to make Kudrow “laugh pretty hard,” back then she told the comedian, “No, you don’t understand. This guy’s really [funny].'”
O’Brien eventually came to share Kudrow's admiration for Perry after watching his standout performance as the witty Chandler Bing on the beloved sitcom, which aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004.
Perry died in October 2023 due to the "acute effects of ketamine," as reported by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office. His death at 54 was determined to be accidental.
Kudrow, known for her role as the quirky Phoebe Buffay, shared with O’Brien that she couldn't watch 'Friends' for a long time.
She mentioned, "I used to not be able to watch [Friends] at all. I mean, I’d see it on and be mildly interested, and then I’d see me and say, ‘That’s enough of that. I can’t bear it'’ And then well, listen. After Matthew died, I could start watching the show again because it wasn’t about me. It had to do with him for some reason."
The Emmy-winning actress said she started watching 'Friends' and has spent entire days watching marathons of the show since his death.
"Before joining the cast, I thought that Chandler character, when I read it, I went, ‘Oh, they have a gay character, that’s good',” she recalled. “And so at the table read, I just did a double take at [Perry]. Oh my god: That I never even in a million years could have envisioned anyone playing the character like that and with his own rhythm and everything. It’s his own.”
Conan O'Brien reflects on friendship with Lisa Kudrow and praises Matthew Perry
During the podcast, Conan O’Brien also praised Matthew Perry’s comic timing as “impeccable.”
After his relationship with Kudrow ended, O’Brien attended her 1995 wedding to Michel Stern. Kudrow and Stern have a 26-year-old son named Julian.
O’Brien later married Liza Powel in 2002, and they have two children together: Neve, 20, and Beckett, 18.
On April 11, the veteran talk show host participated in a discussion moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper at The Paley Center for Media in New York City.
During the event titled 'Globetrotting and Podcasting: Conan O’Brien’s Life After Late-Night TV', O'Brien spoke about his relationship with Kudrow and revealed a series idea he had pitched to his ex-girlfriend and now friend, Lisa Kudrow.
According to People, O’Brien said, "I did pitch my good friend, Lisa Kudrow, who I love, an idea for a travel show because it's very her," the comedian said. "She travels the world but never leaves her hotel room. And she's always wearing a big robe and sipping on, like, a smoothie."
"People come in and show her pictures of that amazing part of the world and she's like, 'I'm good. I'm gonna watch 'Sixteen Candles' now'," he continued. "And every now and then, she does go out, but in like a giant SUV . . . and she doesn't come out of it. And she was laughing. She was like, 'I'd do that'."
