Inside Conan O'Brien And Lisa Kudrow's Romantic Past

Known for his quick-witted humor, Conan O'Brien has made late night audiences laugh for decades. In 1993, he skyrocketed to fame as the host of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." He subsequently led two popular talk shows and developed a massive fanbase. Sure, there's been drama along the way — like his 2010 "The Tonight Show" conflict with Jay Leno — but overall, O'Brien has been overjoyed to be able to do what he loves.

In 2019, O'Brien spoke to NPR about the ups and downs of his comedy career. He candidly shared his thoughts on doing a tour following his rejection from NBC, saying, "Oh, it was — it was therapeutic and satisfying to — you know, all I ever wanted to do was make people laugh. I know that sounds corny. The motivator, to me, is I just really do love getting in front of people and making them happy, making them laugh."

While O'Brien's passion for comedy is no mystery, his past relationships are a bit more of an enigma. Yup, there's a lot you may not know about O'Brien — like his famous girlfriend back in the day. Before hitting it big, "Friends" star Lisa Kudrow was cheering on her good pal O'Brien. While their romance didn't last too long, there's no doubt that Lisa Kudrow has always been on Team Coco.

Before fame, Lisa Kudrow and Conan O'Brien were briefly romantic partners. Kudrow told More Magazine (via New York Daily News) that they dated for a bit, "but found we were better as friends." Though they ultimately decided to keep things platonic, the two stars stuck together through tough times.

As Kudrow had her doubts about acting, O'Brien encouraged her to persevere. Kudrow shared, "He was really smart, really funny, and he thought I was funny." In an interview with The Saturday Evening Post, Kudrow reiterated her admiration for O'Brien. When Kudrow was having second thoughts about improv, O'Brien gave her a burst of inspiration. She said, "And then I saw this very childlike guy throwing a space ball, but it looked like he was throwing an actual ball. It didn't look stupid, and he wasn't overdoing it. He was totally committed to it." She shared her revelation, saying, "I finally got it — that as long as you totally commit you're safe from embarrassment."

Lisa Kudrow and Conan O'Brien's friendship goes back a long way. In a "Conan" clip, they visited the improv classroom where they first met. Reminiscing about the class, O'Brien told Kudrow, "I immediately identified you as someone really special and someone really hilarious and talented who was going to do big things." Kudrow explained that O'Brien helped her cultivate her comedic voice. "Mostly everything I do is stolen from Conan," she joked.

The feeling was mutual, as Kudrow supported her friend throughout his own career endeavors. According to The Saturday Evening Post, O'Brien credited Kudrow with becoming a talk show host. She explained, "I was very encouraging. I remember saying, 'If Letterman's leaving his late-night show, he's irreplaceable. So better it be someone we don't know at all.' So I thought he should look into it." Kudrow even sat in on O'Brien's "Late Night" audition, as revealed in a clip from a '99 episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." According to O'Brien, Kudrow was a close friend who gave him the courage to secure that top spot. It was a full circle moment for the funny pair, as the "Friends" star has appeared numerous times on O'Brien's talk shows.