Lisa Kudrow Returns Again

Hi, my name is Lisa Kudrow and I feel still really good about being Conan O'Brien's friend. Is this a day to day thing with you? Every day I take a walk and then I go, wait, how do you feel about being Conan O'Brien's friend? Hey there, welcome to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, joined by, well, Nomad Gorley right now. He's still out on paternity leave. Yeah. It's been six years now, these vulnerable paternity leave. This child just joined the army. Good to have you here, David Hopping. Great to be here. And Sona, Obsessian of course as always. You were late today. We just taped an interview that you weren't here for. What happened? Was a little bit of a snafu? There was a little bit of a snafu. What happened there? It wasn't in my calendar. So if it's not there, I don't know it's happening. Is this a physical thing you write in, the physical calendar? Like I have a calendar and I write in it with my pen? Yeah, it's got like a fireman with no shirt on. Oh, like a calendar. That's the kind of calendar I picked you having. You probably like a sexy guy calendar, right? That's a digital one. But then there's other calendars that get sent that do have it on there and I didn't pay attention to those. There's a show about male dancers that you were obsessed with. They weren't dancers. Oh, they were jiggalos. They were jiggalos. You were obsessed with jiggalos. Did you have a jiggaloo calendar back in the day? I did have a jiggaloo calendar. Every month. And see, this is why I asked you. I picture you having like a jiggaloo calendar or a shirtless fireman calendar or now a heated rivalry calendar. Yes, yeah, baby. And then the problem is you get so distracted by the hunks that you don't write things down. Every time you go, oh, I'll write down. I've got to be in there for that interview for the podcast. And then you look up and it's one of the the shirtless hunks from Heated Rivalry. And you go, yeah, and then you forget and you just write blither, blather, blather. Yeah. Or I just drool all over it and you draw butts on the calendar. I draw. Oh my God. Maybe maybe that's my system for putting things in my calendar. Yeah, two butts means I got to get into the podcast. Three butts means I've got to go see my orthopedic surgeon. Yes, it's it's my butt. Butt code. Yeah, it's the butt code for my calendar. Look, but then all today and then you use different things. There's some butts, there's some penises. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Six butts and two penises is Mikey and Charlie need to get their shots. This is her system. The ancient Incas used knotted strings instead of recorded language and it they it worked fine. Sona uses a series of butts and dicks. Yes. And in a certain order and I mean, you're when you published your version of King Lear, it was fantastic. People are going to look at my calendars thousands of years from now. And they're going to be relics of butts and penises. And then people are going to worship. Yeah, realize that it exactly explains the solar system and the movements of the sun. Yes. Yeah, I think so. I think it's a very special system. Anyway, so I went to a workout class this morning. Anyway, aside from my ancient, Incan or Aztec calendar of butts and dicks. Yeah. Onward. Yes. And then I went to I went to work out this morning and I was driving somewhere and then I got a text from Blay, which is one of the scary texts to get when you work. He's like, where are you? What's your ETA? And I'm like, oh, I'm supposed to be somewhere right now. And then I called and I found out, but I look like you look like you went to the gym. Yes. Look at me. Look at my hair. Why are you a great? What's the problem? Shut up. No, no, no, no. I mean, thank you. No, I feel like I'm really wishing you didn't have so many subscribers on YouTube. Right now. Okay. So here's the thing. I want to know what your workout is because in the whole time I've known you, you've never said to me, I'm off to the gym for my workout. Yes. You've never done that. I don't. So what do you do? What is a workout? Today was the first workout I went to. I didn't know that. Yeah. This is gold. I'm a prosecutor who just happened to ask a question and you said, well, when I purchased the murder weapon and committed the murder. I thought today would be the day that I was your first day. Where? Where I did a spin class at SoulCycle in Pasadena. Shout out. Give me. No, don't give me some. I'm probably not going to go back. I was really. You are not going back. Really. I suffered throughout the entire thing. Okay. So also I picture you like yelling back at any instructor. Yeah. If they say, OK, now, ladies, let's go. No. We're going up a hill now. You're like, fuck this. I'm not going up a hill. I was saying it under my breath. I was like, shut up, bitch. Shut up, bitch. As she was talking and telling people what to do. You're not allowed to yell at the instructor, I'll cut a bitch. Yeah. But I wanted to. And the whole time I was like, stupid, why am I doing this? I want to watch TV. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? I was taught. I had an internal monologue that was so not what you should have when you're in a workout class. I hated every second of it. Did you have, while you're working out, is there a big container of red vines in front of you that you're eating while you're? Yeah. I'm like, I'm eating 12 calories out like 12 calories in. Someone's feeding it to her. Yeah. Yeah. You bring an assistant to feed you red vines. Well, I'm glad you're here. And yeah, I'm sorry. I missed the interview. Don't be sorry. I mean, yeah, you would have had fun. Yeah. But I know I like to you interviewed. And so I'm bummed I missed it. No, I'm sure I'll interview, you know, Barack and Michelle Obama again soon. It was Cher. Yeah. And Cher, it was Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Cher. Oh my God. Oh, and the survivors of the band Queen. But you know what? You'll come to the. You got John Deacon included and he doesn't even do anything with the band anymore. Everyone was here. It was really fun. But you wouldn't have loved it. I took your seat. Yeah. Oh, and this great hummus place sent in some food. But next time that happens, we'll be laughing it up. You have the hummus place. Now, guys, you like that one. I hate everybody in this room. This is hilarious when I introduce this guest. It just always cracks me up because we've been friends literally forever. And she she is one of my absolute favorite people in the entire universe. She stars as Valerie Cherish in season three of the hilarious HBO series, the comeback, which people people are so psyched for this. So excited. So psyched for it. She is one of my closest friends. I adore her and I love when she comes on the podcast. Yeah. Lisa Kudrow, welcome. I mean, we've known each other forever. Yeah. And got started together, as everyone knows, in in improv in 86. And and and it's still a day to day thing with you. I never know. I never know. I'm still good with. Yeah, there've been there've been whole years where I've been out. But at the moment, I'm in, which is fine. And we'll see how it goes. True. The the. It's the other way around. Yeah, I know. Where'd that come from? Look, in the 2000s, I just turned on you. Now, we were just it's funny, because, I mean, you came in here and you started being really funny and we're just laughing. And we hadn't even like turned on the microphones yet. And it just always feels strange when I say, hey, my gosh, today is Lisa Kudrow, because we had dinner last week with my wife, Liza and and you. And Michelle could not be there because he refuses to die with me now. Right. And he was out of town. I know he was out of town. We're just trying to start trouble. No, but yeah, anyway. But yeah, we had a blast. And so it's so funny when it's formalized this way a little bit. And it used to be worse, not worse, because you were always great. But when I would say when I had a band and it was on TV, maybe like, all right, here she comes, Lisa. And you'd come out and you've been getting, you know, the dress and I'm bowing to you and then getting behind my seat. I was flashback to you and I in a duper's diner in the late eighties going, here's a funny idea for a skit. Yeah. Well, we both got to get back to our day jobs. So it's your day job was writing. Yeah, at least I had a decent. Yeah. Yeah. And you were slinging hash at the headache clinic at the headache clinic, which was giving. Why were you slinging hash at a headache clinic? I don't know. You said slinging hash. I wanted to be a good improviser. Yeah, that was good. That was good. Now it's a very funny scene. Yeah, slinging. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I'm delighted that you're here. People get very excited when you come. Huge fans here. And so Paula Davis, who we were just talking about before the mics came on, who's been with me forever, who's our booker. She is vibrating for, I would say, a month now, talking to me about the comeback and the new season of the comeback. That's what she was telling me. She's doing a rewatch. But she's not the only one. I have so many friends that are telling me the comeback. And because they know that you and I go way back, people are asking me questions about it. I don't know anything. A lot of people from my life couldn't watch seasons one and two. They couldn't handle it. It was tough. And I think probably for you, even though you're too supportive to say it, but my husband hasn't seen them. Do you know that? Really? I didn't know that. Michelle has not seen all of season one or all season two. I think that's really sweet. I watched both of them and thought it was brilliantly funny. But because I'm such good friends with you and care about you, it's hard. It's hard. I just don't even know what anyone is talking about with that. I can't. I'll tell you specifically. It makes me nervous that I'm something's wrong with my version of reality because you're not the only one. Right. It's like because they're so humiliated for her. Well, you play it and everyone hears you play it so brilliantly close to the bone. And for me, anyway, there was the character of the writer, Pauley G, who is just so mean. And that actor did such a great job, especially in season one. He was so good at being a type of writer I know. Right. And it made me. But, you know, not supporting you at all, you know, making just wearing away your confidence and so much anger and bringing so many of his own issues to that situation that because I don't know, I've been in that world. It was hard. It was hard just like I told you I wanted to like fight him at one point. I said, I don't want to meet him because I think I want to hit him with a two by four. Right. And the poor guy, he's a lovely guy and a terrific actor, but he needs a beating because. But listen, I mean, because we had a writer's room the first season and every one of them knew that guy. Yeah. So we weren't making him up. And the thing is, is that to me, it was really obvious that this guy thought he was having a promising career. You know, we hear that he was a Simpsons writer. He wanted me, you know, and now he has this show and then the network tells him, no, it has to be this. Oh, and by the way, just to hedge our bets, there's a companion reality show. Yeah. And and and it's that would be enraging. Yes. To any showrunner. Yes. And he is a particularly asshole-ish, right? And has whatever feelings he has about her because she is annoying. She is sort of right phony and what do you do with that and just shut up. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. I've been that's been a solid five minutes of me, Mara, walking by the way. But to me, it was really obvious, like what he's pissed off about. And OK, I know that's fair. I just there's a and he's punishing her. Yes. But did she seem punished? Well, she's so in a says no. No, she's like blissfully almost. I wouldn't say blissfully. I would say OK. Valerie Cherish is valiantly unaware. Yeah. I feel you. But also, I think one of the reasons she's that way is she's not completely oblivious. She's she knows that she's hanging by a thread in this business. She knows that and you play it so well excruciatingly optimistic in a way that's so forced. Because you know that this isn't all going your way and you're so thirsty. You really want to win that Emmy. You really want. And what's amazing to me is that it really does capture something you see out here. Yeah. You see it out here all the time is the big for smile. I can't tell you how many times I pass a billboard and I see a big smiling face of someone who's saying it's all great. Right. And I know that person's miserable. I know they are. I've met them. I know, you know, and I see those faces all over the place because so many people aren't happy in themselves. Right. You know what I mean? Yes. And so the smile gets bigger. And it that's what you see a lot of. And I think Valerie Cherish is like the best character, in my opinion, that captures something that exists out here. And I do have a lot of empathy for. But I also think she's not Peter Sellers as Clousseau. She's not someone who's oblivious. No. Things are fires are, you know, she knows that, oh, here's the paparazzi. They're not shooting her. They're shooting someone she used to work with. She's trying to get to her. They're stepping on her feet. She knows that it's not going her way. And she's pushing herself through the crowd. Yeah. I just realized I just might be really mean. Because that just made me laugh. Well, what's funny? No, it is. Not for her. I mean, I mean. Not for her. She thinks it is, but it hasn't. Like, yeah, I don't. But it's this. It's a, I don't know. It's a really. To me, she's what she's doing is like, that's OK. Like that's her mantra is. It's OK. It's OK. It's OK. That's what it takes. You know, like it doesn't matter. And then because first I was just making fun of her season one to me. Yes, I am mean, and I was making fun of that. And after we were done, I had a friend and she's smart. This woman, her name's Marage. She's really great. And she was saying, oh, but no, and she's Irish. So I don't know. Maybe you know her. Of course. I see. I see her at the meetings. The community. Once we reach for the same potato at the bowl. Yeah. Oh, my God. It happens. Yeah. Is it just a bullet Tater's there? Right over there. There was a fight. But she said, no, isn't she wonderful? She's just, you know, she's so you can't keep her down. No, there's no one more resilient. No, she's wonderful. She's the strongest person I think I've ever seen. And I just went, huh? And then realized, yeah, because I don't feel bad. Right. Playing her. I don't feel decimated when I'm playing her. Yeah. Because I am rejecting the rejection or the insult and turning it into something that she needs, that I need. Well, she doesn't say no ever. Right. She says, if they say, OK, now you've got to, you know, for this, I'm making this up. But if in the new season, they said, OK, to promote this next project, we're going to, you need to be covered in duct tape and we're going to put bunny ears on you. And you have to hop down Hollywood Boulevard. You'd be like, all right, well, OK, you know, I mean, you can do it. This is what we're doing. I guess this is what the kids want to see now. I don't get it. Right. But you would do it in 120 degree heat. Yeah. And probably pass out. But she is intrepid. She's brave. Yeah. I don't know. And just I. She wants what she wants. And whether you think that's a worthwhile goal. Yeah. Is another issue. But yeah, she doesn't give up. And there's something, I guess we like that. So here's something about that. I don't know. All of a sudden, like Lindsey Vaughn flashed in my head. Everyone likes to come. No, but because I was thinking, why is she doing this? You know, and then look, oh, everyone likes to come back and everyone likes. Yeah. Because that's where I went, oh, I don't know, it seems dangerous. And then this just happened over the weekend. I don't know when this comes out. But Lindsey Vaughn crashed and I think she fractured her leg. Yes. Yeah. But there is the reality to, you know, she was really brave to make that attempt. But you're right. There's a high level of there's a slim chance this will work out. Right. But that's what makes a comeback so incredible. Are the odds against it. And you can't have a comeback or do that if you're not just being optimistic and hopeful. Hopeful against all odds against like let's like presented right in front of your face. Right. I don't know. But yeah, I don't know. We do this every 10 years. Yes. This is what I wanted to talk about. You know. This is the thing. This is what I love. But you're so unique about this show is I think the first one is 2004 or 2004. And came out five. Yeah. And you were kind of, I mean, it's I think it's two years or something before keeping up with the Kardashians. It's like this is. Yeah. You were doing a satire or something that hadn't I don't think really formed yet. Right. Then you come back 10 years later. And now, which then commented on that moment. And I think few people would have the patience or the nerve to say these come out once every 10 years. But it's really cool because now I have not seen a second of the third season. But the idea that you can now drop in again a decade later, it's very unusual. It is, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. But I'm so it's so great that we didn't get picked up that first season because it gets to be about something. Right. Were you surprised when it didn't get picked up? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I was surprised. Yeah. I was surprised. Just because it was really good. Thanks. And you think, well, this will now get picked up. Yeah. Of course. I've been wrong about these things before. Yeah. I've had my own experiences. But but. Wait, what do you mean? I don't know. But I but I think. You've only had an easy time. You're right. Um, just you and your privilege. I know. Never a bump in the road. What's nice about the world we live in now is shows used to go away all the time. Yeah. But now there's this world where shows can not get picked up, but they they don't go away and then you can have this audience build and people who and if you make, I mean, I've seen it with so many like party downs, an example of a show that I don't think was getting a lot of attention, but you can check in on it years and years later. And it's almost like the wire. The, you know, there are these comedy shows that, okay, didn't see it, didn't support it. You check in much later on. I wasn't aware of party down and then you you see it and you go, oh, they've really, they've made a nice little Swiss watch here. Yeah. And it's just as good now as it would have been if I had tuned in the day it came out. And definitely the comeback had that. Yeah. Where it was building and building and you probably experienced a lot of people when you're out at the supermarket. Oh, yeah. To get your supermarket is where all the fans of the comeback are. They are. They are. They're there. You're there in the produce lane and you're there like, what about those melons? And you're like, I don't know. Hey, the comeback. But I go to a lot of supermarkets. But you must have had that experience where you're hearing from people. Yeah. I love that. And so you didn't hear that necessarily from the people that made the show or broadcast the show, but you knew I'm hearing from way too many people. Well, even when it was when we were on, we heard David Bowie got in touch with HBO because he was going to be on tour. He didn't want to miss anything. So send him. Wow. Whatever. I don't know, 2005 DVDs or whatever it is. Look, I'm looking like, I don't know. We don't remember. Then you find out the other shows David Bowie wanted. No, he didn't get the latest fear factor where they eat shit. Can you have that one, please? You're like, David. But to and then we felt like, oh, OK, yeah, that's right. HBO, that's all they need to hear probably. And, you know, we had a lot of bad reviews because people didn't understand what they were seeing. Right. And then by the halfway through, there were revised reviews, like retractions. And, wow, when does that happen? Yeah, pretty rare. So we and also our ratings, we were doing as well, if not better than entourage when its first season was just the year before and went, all right, so great. And who else has shows that you've not seen this before? You don't really understand. And then you get to know what it is and embrace it and it's great. HBO, except they kept telling us, yeah, we're not. HBO is not HBO anymore. So I don't know. It's really got to, I don't know. We'll see. I don't know. And then it turns out, I only found out a couple of years ago, there was one guy at HBO that I don't know if I ever even met him in charge. Who was just like, we're not going to pick that up, right? Yeah. Yeah. So, well, but I have to say, yes, it was a surprise that we didn't get picked up, but I didn't feel bad. Right. I, and I was in shock that I didn't feel bad because I thought, well, look, this is about the best I can do. And I think we did it about the best that it could be done. So I've got nothing to feel bad about. It's not my mistake. Yeah. So I don't know. I didn't feel bad. Well, that's, I'm glad. Yeah. You should have felt a little bad. I'm just sorry. I felt bad later. Yeah. When, as long as you felt bad at some point, I'm happy. No, I did. Good. Oh, no, don't worry. Good. Oh, I felt bad. No, no, like gut wrenching. Yes. Like a hole in my inside, in my soul. Yeah. Good. And my soul's inside. That's necessary for good work. This? Yeah. I don't, OK. Yeah. You'll, you'll have it one day, so. But it wasn't, but it wasn't. Well, I, but here's the thing. It wasn't because it was canceled. It was because someone else, it was Bill Maher talking about something and jokes that don't land because like one joke, and it was famous. I don't remember someone making fun of someone who's marginalized or, you know, like a victim or, and he was saying, look, you want to make fun of white men. You can make fun of white men all you want. OK. Because they've got the power. Yeah. But don't make fun of that person or that thing. And I went, women are still, you know, you can't make fun of women in that way. Like you can't. Oh, no. They're just, it's too, they're too easily recognized as victims. Yeah. They're, and I went, no. I never thought of it that way. I'm such an idiot. Oh. I mean, because so much great comedy, I mean. Yeah, women do. Lucille Ball, you know, Tina Fey, so many great on and on and on have made fun of themselves as women. And it's brilliant. You know. Yes. But Val, this wasn't the same. This was like a man being cruel to her. And I thought, no, it's a writer, you know, have giving a hard time to an actress. Like, why is that a big shock and horror? I mean, that's one. What do you think? What do you think actors and especially actresses have put up with forever? Yeah. You know, and haven't. I don't know. I don't know. Anyway, so you proved me wrong. I take it back. I'll never say it again. I get it. No, I get it. I get what she's saying. What do you give us your input here, Sonia? I just think I actually think it's part of the reason why she was so just kind of like, OK, just taking it is because she's used used to it. I mean, that's how it's always been. Right. It's not going to change. Exactly. Yeah. You've got to like, here's here are the boundaries. Yeah. And so you just work within them around them. You know, that's all. Yeah. And I mean, look, I don't know if it's because I've I don't know if it's I never felt like, oh, I'm a woman and so, you know, I don't get to. I don't know. I mean, on some level, yes, especially with this, it just didn't occur to me. It's like this isn't gender specific ambition or hopes and dreams. So it didn't occur to me that it would be an issue at all. And I think it kind of was that it was a woman. But now when you come back 10 years later and you do the second season, yeah, you did you feel more assured that I know I really know who this character is? I know there's a lot of fans. People are excited for us to return. Did it feel different? Kind of. I mean, it's a little scarier because then there's expectations. And what Michael, Patrick King and I knew was it's 10 years later, she's 10 years older and it's going to be different. It has to be different. And, you know, and then I just thought it was great that we had her win the Emmy. Yeah. For a performance she couldn't even appreciate in herself because she was stuck on how tired she looked in the scene. And I liked that a lot for her. And then of course the huge thing is that she, you know, leaves the Emmys that you hosted, thank you. And I got paid. Oh, you did? I told them you didn't have to get paid. That's it was that makes me mad. Yeah, it was validated parking. That was my payment. Yeah. But I needed to say I'm kidding. Yeah. It's disturbing when you'll say something like, yeah, and I hope something horrible happens to you Conan. I'm kidding. That I'm kidding. Chills me more. Oh, okay. Well, because it could be real. It could be true. I'm explaining in the joke. So I was really. To yourself. I was really sad about the character of Mickey. Yes. The actor who plays your. Actor Mickey. Robert Michael Morris. Yeah. And he was such a so terrific. And he completely nailed this kind of person that we all know, especially in this business. Someone who's been with you a long time is in your corner. And it's just all you were getting was, you know, undiluted support from him. But, and of course he's not perfect. But I just, I was very obviously sad, you know, that, that he had passed. And that character is just kind of note perfect. I think. Yes. He is. And also biting his tongue. Like we had so many takes. He was sort of a little bit of a reality check sometimes when she's saying something and you're wondering like, that's stupid, right? And then you like, they switch over to Mickey who's looking confused. Yeah. Why'd she say that? Yeah. Yeah. He was great. Yeah. And that was a horrible loss. I mean, I couldn't even think about doing more for a really long time because we'd been talking about it and, you know, knew that it would, it might be possible, you know, to do more. But no, it took me a really long time to get over Mickey. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, he was great. And, you know, he wasn't, he was sick when we were shooting that season. And when our first day, we were, we had to walk back and forth a lot somewhere. I don't know. And he had to sit down. He said, I don't know if I can do this. And Michael Patrick King, you know, who knew him from college. That was his college acting teacher. And, and he came over and he just said, you can do it. Of course you can do it. And I said, yeah, whatever you need. And he got over the course of shooting, he got better and better and better. And his doctors said, what are you doing? Because everything's good. Like the disease is not progressing. Yeah. Whoa. We don't, what are you doing? So I don't, it's that stuff. I love hearing stories about that. Yeah. Happening, which. Because we don't understand it, but it makes 100 percent. We believe it. I believe there have been times where I haven't felt well. And then I've gone out and done a show for a really big audience, you know, at a theater or something. And I, I, I feel great afterwards. And you think, OK, this is adrenaline, but it's also community. I got my people around me. I'm getting all this positivity. Right. You're getting this bath that is very, you know, lifesaving. Right. It's, it's so I totally understand that. Yeah. I, I, right. I mean, we didn't look if COVID taught us anything. Well, it taught us a lot of things. But to me, one of them was, boy, our immune systems are, everyone's is different. And wow, it seems like what activates it and what, you know, what helps it along and how much of wellness is immune system and then other things. And we don't know. To me, it just meant, oh, that's right. We don't know most everything about our bodies and our universe and everything. We don't know a lot. Well, I get most of it, but I'm sorry. I just do. You understand that stuff. Yeah, I do. Oh, OK. Yeah. Yeah. Can you explain anything about the immune system? I don't think you would understand. Oh, OK. OK. I'm sorry. But you know what I mean? It's just the level of... Do I know what you mean? Yeah, I'm just thinking on like, I'm thinking in like the ninth dimension, you know? So there's only so much I can do for you people. That's true. You know what's interesting? That's true. I just, I'm sorry. I'm a little bit honest and then, oh, it's all this. By the way, I mean, I think Conan is so smart that he could explain physics. No, not physics. Physics I don't understand. You don't? No, I really don't. Did you ever take physics? No, I mean, I did in like high school, but I... I, you know, when they start saying, oh, time is a... Relative. Well, of course I understand that. I'm the one who explained it to Einstein. Oh, OK. But no, there's so much I don't understand that it's... If I believed that. Oh, OK. So that was you. Yeah. Went back in time and he was like, Who is this man? What are you doing in my patent office? Hey, equals MC squared, buddy, and grow out a mustache. And then I look back to the future. Yeah, anyway. That is Conan, you guys. Yeah, your accent was spot on. Well, that was Einstein. Yeah. Can I hear it again? I'm trying to work in the patent office. There we go. OK. And I think, oh, who's this Irish lady? I'm the dude, man. You look like Jane Lynch. Shut up. Equals MC squared. Time is relative. Yeah. He just tried to explain it to you. I don't even know. So here's the interesting thing about you is that you've experienced this real this real victory in this space with the comeback. But you also got to experience that. Failure. Oh, no. No. What if that's where you were going? That would be great. Yes, yes. You I don't know. I don't know what you were doing before the comeback. It just didn't pop, whatever it was. No, my point being that you with friends, you could arguably say you got to be in the last giant communal TV. Yeah. You know, mega hit that no one at the time realized this is maybe the last of these where everyone's going to watch this show and it's a cultural, cultural touchstone and this is where we all are watching these people go through this this life. That was such a phenomenon. Yeah. And very few people get to be in the nose cone of that rocket and you've had both these both very different experiences. But the success you're having now is is the success of this new way of experiencing TV as opposed to the massive you know, it's cheers level, happy days, massive. And I'm just curious, like you've experienced them both and I don't think a lot of people have. That's got to be an unusual to have both of those. OK. I was that's all you don't need to comment. I don't know. Don't you agree? A cold hit because that's what I feel like. Right. But also it's a different. It's a very it's it's it's a very it's a great piece of work. That is that fits this new medium. Yes, really well. Yeah, in my opinion, which is. OK, I understand. Because what do you mean times relative? Yeah. All right. Yeah. See, a guy's on a train and he's passing a station. Now, what if someone on the station throws an orange? See, that's what I'm hearing simultaneously while you're talking about the other thing, because time falls. You're existing. Yeah, you're on both poles at the time. All right. OK. And it's 1986. And hi, I'm Lisa. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm also at that point in my life now, too. I'm traveling. I'm existing on this plane in 2026, but I'm also right now in 1986. And I'm buying tons of Lisa Kudrow stock. And now I'm rich. It was exciting when I went public. I made a killing. You know, some of you were started buying Lisa when Friends hit the air, but not me. I was there in the olden days when we were in a weird basement doing improv. Oh, right. For absolutely nobody. I think that one night we had one person in there. It was a rat. They were rats. They applauded and they had good suggestions. But they were the same suggestions. Feral and disease. Rat, you said that already. You were so mad at me. What? It felt like there were days we were doing this. You were just looking at me like, why are we doing this? Like, why did you make me do? I was. We were in a performing in a theater that was at the bottom of the Scientology Center and no one would come in. And there was one person. I think one night there was one or two people in a theater that and we did our show anyway. We were like, we're going to the real pros perform even when there's one or two people. Let's go. And then afterwards I was just embittered. And she was my, you know, so honest. Elise is always super honest with me. And I just she would when I would be down or someone was doing performances that were hacky. I put my head in my hands like this and she'd say, they can see you. You're being a dick. I'm like, you're right. You're right. I forgot. That's subtle compared to what you were doing. You know what you were doing. What were you doing? I don't know. I can't. Oh, pulling my hair out. Yeah. You know that? You know that bit, that funny bit when he's like in so much pain that he's pulling his hair out. And so it's a little more than just. Oh, I'm saying I I'm saying you're a terrible person. Basically, I guess. Wow, that's not nice. That's not a nice thing. I wore my I wore my heart on my sleeve when it came to comedy. Yeah. And that was not always a good thing. And I needed to just be. Like it's good. You just need to put a sheet over me. You just need to put a sheet over me when someone went up to do a nerd character and had tape around the middle of their glasses. I was going, hmm, I've been working on a new formula. And I like computers. And Lisa just needed to have you need to have a tarp that they put over a barbecue outdoors. You just need to have one that you put over me so that they couldn't see. No, it was. I wanted to die. Wait, who's going? Oh, you're going up. OK. Give me a second. Conan, we're going to put the tarp on now. Yeah. Then you just see a quivering tarp with steam coming off of it. Fists coming out. OK, listen, what is this beat up Conan day? So does not going to stand for that. Yeah, I am. I am. Oh, OK. You're going to encourage it. No, I am. I'm going to encourage you. I'm going to laugh and I'm going to enjoy it. Yeah, but to me, it's not beating up on you. It's just you are had a highly attuned. Antenna for subpar comedy. And that's the whole thing about classes. Everyone's learning what their clown is. Don't you hate that expression? Yes. Find your clown. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Anyway, that's your clown. пад пад пад пад пад пад пад пад пад пад пад пад пад пад пад is like, you know, you just gotta find your clown and I get really mad. The one thing I still can't do to this day is improv warm-up exercises. And there have been, I didn't like them back in the 80s and I just wanted to go out there and do the thing. And I didn't wanna play these games backstage to have us all get in the mood or something. Right, me neither, not in the mood. And then, yeah, and it's these games like, blip blop blup, I look at you and go blip, and you look at me and go blup, and blup blop blup. And you're always in an alley somewhere in Hollywood and it smells like urine and you're going blup blup blup blup blup blup blup blup blup blup blup blup. And I would say, can we just not do this? I'll pay you, I'll pay you if we don't have to do this. And be like, you have to do it, man, it's really good. We had to do that recently. We did, we did a show for charity and backstage. Again, in an alley, in Culver City, I think, and someone said, okay, everybody, what's warm up, let's play Skiddley Dodley Dee. I know, what is that? What is that, really? And I don't know what it is. You know. No, I didn't know what the thing was. They were even telling the game. I didn't know either, and I said. But it was an involved thing, but first you had to like, skiddle, just like, no. And I was begging, I was saying, can I just not do this? Yeah, why did you do it? No, I think we did it a little bit. We did it. And then just went, all right, okay. Moving on. Is it time? I think it's time. I think, I don't know that we have time for this. I made the sound of a siren. I said, oh, I think someone, I think there's someone got hurt somewhere. We better go inside. Oh, the cops are coming. We better clear out. Was that a gunshot? Yeah. Kapow! That's not a gun, Conan. That's a terrible gun. Now get back to your, I said bliped. You gotta say, anyway, that's just me. I wasn't built for that. No, I didn't like it either. I almost quit because I didn't like what I saw in the first improv class where it's like throw a space ball and they're just, and be angry. And they're just like, grrr. I just went, that's what I have to do. Maybe I'm not, this isn't for me. You know what's interesting? I've always thought, and this is something that's true of legitimate acting, which is not what I do. But the line between it being great and you absolutely humiliating yourself is so razor thin. And a lot of acting classes kind of, you need to just put that stuff all aside and strip yourself of all your, and I think of your defenses and then sob or roll around on the floor or pretend you're a jelly bean or all that kind of stuff. And I thought, yeah, did you go like good jelly bean or? No, that was you being a jelly bean. Yeah, I was like, yeah, yummy, I love jelly beans. I go, okay. Good jelly beans. Well, that's a good, yeah. That's a good jelly bean. But I don't know, I always thought, oh no, all I am is if I weigh 190 pounds, 185 of it, our defense mechanisms, and then some hair and maybe some teeth. So I can't, I'm not gonna get rid of all that stuff. I can't do it. I mean, I have my hats off to people that can do it. I have a lot of respect for actors. But you still use so much improv. You've learned something. No. Both of you did learn a lot, I'm guessing, unless you already were just natural improvisers. I think both of us brought some of our own way we think to it. And then yes, you learn great tools. About listening, listening, talking, responding, and then just, and committing. And that was the first thing I learned. Watching him, he was really committed to throwing a ball. And you didn't look, no, no, no. But there was no ball. Pretending there was a ball, and it looked like he was throwing a ball, and he looked like a little angry, but not over the top. No, you did it. And that's what acting is, which is why you can act. I let you say all that, you know, because I felt like you really wanted to. But no, you can, you can act. Because you know how to listen and respond. Isn't that all it is? I guess, I don't know what it is. I don't either. Yeah. Yeah. It's not gonna stay there. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it. All right. That's what I'll tell you. Oh. You. I don't know. I don't know. I mean, maybe you have questions for Lisa. Cause you know, I know Lisa so well. Outward done. Yeah. But I know Lisa so well that some, these are interesting interviews for me always because sometimes I think, well, we just talked about that at dinner. Right. So then I think, oh, I want to make sure that the people listening get some stuff that isn't just me because I know Lisa so well, you know? I mean. Does that make sense? Yeah, I totally get it. I think that I do have a lot of questions about you guys starting off together in terms of are you both kind of the same people as you were back then, you think? Yes. And you must be. You are. I think I'm very much the same. I will tell you, we both had not great cars. So you have better cars now. You're. You're. That was, no, I'm just talking about like, we got to start somewhere that people can understand. That was my car. How do you remember? You had a Datsun Z, yeah. And it was fun. A 280Z? You had a 280Z. I'm glad you're riding around my dad's, that's a nice, that's a good car. No, it was a fine car. I'm just saying it was. It was a, it's a great, it was a great sports car. And then. Get a little. Oh no, my cars were never clean and I smoked. So, yeah, no. You did? Yeah. What? I don't know, I can't. Of course I did. For 20 years. Oh my God. Okay. Pack a day. No, Lisa. What? I did it just part time poorly. And I used to say you could do better at smoking. You could, I would get mad. You'd be smoking, but not enough. And I'd be like, come on. You could do better. Are you winning or out? Are you winning or out? Are you winning or out? You gotta be a three pack a day smoker, Lisa. Did you ever smoke? No, my God. If I, no, if I smoked, I would look, I was very aware that if I smoked, I would look like a kid who got into a pack of cigarettes. And like the teacher came by and went, put those down, Augie. I'm picturing you next to Lisa though with those candy cigarettes. Yeah, yeah, puffing, little powdered sugar. Oh, and I started smoking this summer. I was at Harvard. Oh, that's you were there at the same time? Cause you went, you were there in the summer. We were there at the same time. And I used to work on the lampoon in the summers there. So I never missed a summer there. And I was there one summer. And that's when I started smoking. Cause those fucking bugs, those flying water bugs as big as your fist. What does that have to do with you needing to smoke? Who says there's too many bugs? I need to smoke. Why? Cause it terrified me. It stressed me out so much. And I didn't tell you the part that made it so bad as I'm sleeping and I hear a jet has flown into my room. Okay. Cause it's these old crappy buildings next to the river and there's no screens on them. But there's no air conditioning because, you know, it's the East coast. And well, that's how it shows. Take that East coast. East, you East coast in the 80s. And it was an old, an old charming dorm building. And so the windows were open and I went, what? Like something mechanical flew into the room. It was the loudest. And there was a giant water, flying cockroach water bug this big. You're looking like, I don't know what she's talking about. No, no, no, no. The whole time I was there, dad didn't see a bug. No, there's, there can be some big bugs, but it never made me think I need a smoke. Okay. And then it was on my, and it was just like on my wall. So now it's this big on my wall. And I went, okay. And I grabbed my shoe, dumbass throwing a tennis shoe. That's way too slow. As I throw it, it's flying toward my head. And, and then I couldn't sleep. And, you know, there was cigarette somewhere and I just started smoking and it calmed me down cause nicotine is wonderful. Oh, it's really good. It's good stuff. Never had it. Yeah. And then another one flew in and they became pets. There was no getting them out and there was no choice. He's got them little toys. Figured out their favorite food. Had them for 14 years. You know what Robert Smigel said to me once? He looked at me when I was being insane about something and tightly wound. And he said, you're the only person I know who would be healthier if he smoked. That smoking and the breathing and the nicotine, it would extend your, he said, Conan, it would extend your life. It's bad for everyone else, but you, and I was, I think about that sometimes cause Robert's been right about a lot of things. And now I think at my age, if I started now, I'm like, come on, how much damage could I do? No, but this has nicotine in it. Oh, nicotine gum. Yeah. Look, I didn't even take one, but I have it. This is turning into an ad for starting to smoke, which I don't want it to be, although I'm a little intrigued. Well, I don't, wait, but I do want to say something cause you said, are you different? And here's, you are a little different. How? I mean, we should be. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't you think? Sure. Okay. But you had told like, when we met, we were talking. Different from what I was in 1986. Well, yeah, I mean, I should hope so. I don't think you're as tightly wound. No, I'm not. Okay, good. He was worse than the end. Okay. No, but he's not working for you. You have been gotten a lot more chill. Yeah. Yeah, I see that too. But he told me that he would be so tightly wound, like something I can't, either I don't remember, I just don't want to say. No, cause you were telling me something happened at college and it upset you and you sat and you quietly just like took a part of chair. Really, just like quietly. Patiently. Yeah. With rage. Wow. Yeah, something in the comedy realm hadn't gone my way and I went back to my room and there was a very sturdy wooden chair that they have at Harvard that has like the Harvard insignia on it. And I quietly was pulling out all of the pieces of the chair. Yeah, I had that in me. There's a guy in here who scares me, but. Is that scary? Cause maybe this is scary. You told me that story and I went, yeah. Right. Yeah. Cause you can't actually get violent in front of anybody. No, no, I would never turn that on anyone. The person I beat up on mostly is me and writers who need a physical beating every now and then. Sure, well. No, I, yeah. But I mean, of course we both changed. I think having kids changes you too. Yeah. Like I love, and I said this recently on someone else's podcast, but so much of being young is being narcissistic. So it's necessary. You kind of have to be a narcissist when you're young and it's gotta be all about you. And your problems have to be the biggest thing in the world because you are going through life and the stakes are big. And then once my daughter showed up and then later my son, I remember instantly knowing oh yeah, I don't count anymore. It, I'm not, I get it. And liking it. Like it's about them. I've gotta be here for them. And just even thinking about it, I'm much calmer. So I, yeah, needed to be having kids when I was 15. No. That's what you were built for. Yeah, exactly. So all of us. I kids, settle down. Dad, why do you have acne? Shut up. I gotta go to high school now. Well, not yet, but next year. You guys settle down. I'm gonna go watch Star Trek reruns. Well, I am, I think we're all thrilled. Anytime you drop in. Thanks. And so excited for the new season of the comeback, which is a jewel. It's just so beautifully made. And really looking forward to it. And I love you. You're one of my favorite people in the history of the world. Oh, come on. Seriously. Yeah, you are mine too. You just did a me too, yeah. Okay. I mean, come on. I want more than that. I don't think you gushed enough. Yeah, it wasn't enough. Thank you for your thank you. I'm alone. Mail it. Oh, shit. There comes a bird with it. Ah, ah, ah. If you'd give me your address, I would. Yay, let's play. Stop. Boop, boop, boop, boop. Gotta warm up for improv. Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Okay. Lisa Kudrow, peace out. Tupac. Okay. Okay, I'm going to break into this programming now with urgent, urgent news update. David Hopping just saw the Backstreet Boys at the sphere and whatever you're doing, if you're driving right now, I want you to pull over to the side of the road. If you're listening, cooking dinner, dinner, I mean just order, order out because this is just too important. David, what was this experience like? Backstreet Boys, the sphere, paint the picture because America wants to know. Okay, hi America. It was on my- America just hung up. Yeah. It was just one person named America. Yeah, it's America Ferrara. She does not want to hear this story. Oh, it was on my birthday. We drove to Vegas, got there with no traffic. We got there under four hours, which- That's nice. A win. People love that part of the story. And then- Whenever you hear about seeing an iconic band at the sphere- You said paint the picture, I'm grabbed. People's favorite story is about the commute. Okay, I love that you consider the Backstreet Boys iconic. This is nice. Please, you didn't see my, I have put little quotes around it. No, come on, they're a big deal. I love the Backstreet Boys. I'm not gonna shit on the Backstreet Boys. I'm not gonna, I just didn't, I didn't know they were your cup of tea. I'm just saying this is a huge band, whether or not I know all their songs. I know a few of them, let's get to the place. Do it before it's not done doing. Which goes. Yeah, do it before it's not done. Hey, hey, do it. She's all that in a corn sandwich. They have some great songs that are part of the American experience. Yeah. But anyway, just get to the good part. We got to the sphere. Good. Then we stopped and we got canned peaches. Sorry, go ahead. I got a drink and a souvenir cup that has all their faces on it. Then we walked, we had standing on the floor. So have you been to the sphere? I haven't been to the sphere yet. Because like, Son and I get excited about like the little things in life. Yeah. Walking into this, seeing the huge screen was everything. And then everyone stuck to, you were supposed to wear all white to the concert. Why? Everyone, because it's like their millennium album cover. They're all wearing white. Oh, I thought they were all saving themselves from marriage. Which I admire. Like a virginal thing. They're virginal. Yeah, they're all like pushing 60. You're like, when the time comes, I want it to be special. And now for my next hit, got to get going to the place where we go. That's a big one. Everyone stuck to the theme, though. Everyone wore white. That's great. And then they came out and I've never seen anything like this. Like it was like space theme. So there's like a spaceship above you. And it's like everyone's like looking up. I miss them even coming out on the stage because the visuals were just so cool. So I'm getting the sense they didn't need to be there. They did. Their music was everything. Well, they could play the music and then you could look at your spaceships and then, you know, whatever they got at, anybody get up there. No, no, they needed to be there. OK, Eduardo is going soon. Are you going to the backstreet boys? No, no, no, I'm going to. What's that? No doubt. OK, yeah, yeah. Taking my wife and my niece. My granddaughter. I don't know if they've ever had a comedy show, though. You should try to be like the first person. You know how I prefer to watch No Doubt when they premiere on my show in New York? Oh, what a flex. In 1993. What a flex. Mike Dre! So the sphere. Yeah, I want to go to. Here's what I want to do. I want to go to the sphere when they're featuring something that in no way is enhanced or benefited by the sphere. Yeah, you know what I mean? I want to go when all they're doing is someone's playing a banjo and they're rebroadcasting Walter Cronkite's last episode of the news. And it's just a regular news program. We're at the end. He's and they just run that a couple of times and someone plays a banjo and it's all around you on the sphere. No special effects. It's just Walter Cronkite saying it's been an honor and a pleasure and take care and be well. Yeah. Good night. You know? Or something that doesn't even use the screen at all. It's like two people having a guest lecture on like AI. And they're not even turning the sphere on. Because at one point the two people giving a lecture mention. I'll be talking about this at a separate conference, which is on March 3rd. And just the date March 3rd comes up. In tiny font. In small font on one part of the sphere. Those are the things I want to go see at the sphere. I want my dream is to misuse the sphere. Let me be very clear. I will go and do something at the sphere that completely misuses that amazing technology. PowerPoint presentation on like a timeshare in Vegas. Yeah. And then you're just like holding a thing. And it's just one little part. It's one little square that could even see it. People know here's the thing. You can kind of see it. That's important to me. You can kind of see it. And I go on and on. Oh my God. Yeah. That's how I want to use the sphere. But anyway, so you had a good time? Had a great time. It was. Yeah. And then at the end I was actually texting Sona after because it's just a bunch of drunk Backstreet Boys fans all walking in some hallways singing their songs together. Yeah. And what else could you watch? Some of the Backstreet Boys are in with them. Hey, wait a minute. Isn't that a jub-jub? What are their names? Well, there's Nick. There's AJ. Why are you? There's Nick. Oh, there's Nick. I don't know. Is there a Nick? Yeah. OK. I want to just make that a hug. Is everyone OK? Everyone's healthy? Everyone's healthy. Yeah. They're all there. OK. It's like the new kids on the block also are in Vegas. They're all there. Oh, I know they're there. I'm trying to pick a date to go see them. You need to. Do those guys ever join forces, you know? Yeah. Or is it like Marvel and DC where that's not allowed? No, they've they've they've toured together before. Oh, they all get together? Yeah. Oh, I just thought I had this cool idea. Oh, no. Now we just. And can they then join up with another group like, you know, Minuto or is can you ever get another group that joins them? So those two united Backstreet Boys and new kids on the block. But then who else could join them? We need an in sync reunion. Oh, in sync. I mean, it can be 98 degrees. It could be O-Town. What have you got them all together? Yeah, I mean, all together and then didn't let them perform. What do they do? They're giving the powerpoint presentation. No, you you get them all together backstage and then you lock the door. And then I go out and I show I show a little time share lecture projected on one small part and they have to watch it and they can't get out. They can't get out. The ultimate bait and I love it. You'll be murdered by a lot of people have tried. A lot of people have tried. Old women are taking a swing at me every day. All right. There's my pitch sphere. Call me peace out to pop. Conan O'Brien needs a friend with Conan O'Brien, Sonam of Sessian and Mac Gourley, produced by me, Mac Gourley, executive produced by Adam Sacks, Jeff Ross and Nick Leo, theme song by the White Stripes, incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples, engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns, additional production support by Mars Melnick, talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista and Brick Khan. You can rate and review this show on Apple podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco Hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up at SiriusXM.com slash Conan. And if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.