Conan O’Brien was once ‘jealous’ after ex Lisa Kudrow praised Matthew Perry’s performance in Friends

Conan O’Brien And Lisa Kudrow, who dated from 1988 to 1993, broke up at that time Friend debuted on NBC in September 1994. But in a recent episode of his Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, the comedian recalled his jealousy when Kudrow praised co-star Matthew Perry’s comedic talents.

The exes remained friends while both had other partners: O’Brien attended Kudrow’s wedding Michel Stern in 1995 and then married Liza Powell O’Brien in 2002. O’Brien said on the podcast that in 1994, when Kudrow started filming the film, “you called me and you were freaking out about…” Then Kudrow interjected: “Matthew.”

“Yeah. And you said, he’s funny,” O’Brien said. “There’s a part of me that’s jealous. Like, I’m fine. I made you laugh pretty hard. And you said, ‘No, you don’t get it. This guy Actually [funny]’” And O’Brien, whom Kudrow calls “one of the funniest people I know,” ultimately agreed with his ex’s assessment of Perry’s talent, noting the late actor’s “impeccable timing.”

Kudrow went on to praise Perry, who died in October 2023 from the acute effects of ketamine. “He was a tremendous person,” he said. [talent],” she recalled. “I think the character of Chandler, when I read it, I was like, ‘Oh, they have a gay character, that’s great.’ And so when I read the script, I just looked at him twice. Oh my gosh. That I could never even imagine anyone playing a character like that and with his own rhythm and everything. It was his own.”

Since Perry’s sudden death at age 54, Kudrow said she has been able to experience Friend in a whole new light. “I couldn’t watch it at all,” she explains. “I mean, I would watch it and get a little excited, and then I would see myself and say, enough is enough. I can’t take it anymore. And then, listen. After Matthew died, I was able to start watching the show again because it wasn’t about me. It was about him for some reason.” Kudrow continues: “I started watching Friend. It didn’t start like season 1… But there were marathons, and I’ve spent all day watching the show since he passed away.”

A few weeks after Perry’s death, Kudrow paid tribute to him on social media, writing in part, “Thank you for making me laugh so hard with what you said, making my muscles ache, and bringing tears to my eyes EVERY DAY. . .Thank you for all that I learned about GRACE and LOVE from knowing you. Thank you for the time I got to spend with you, Matthew.”