Lisa Kudrow & Conan Bonded In Improv Class | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

we've talked about the our friendship. before but one of the things that uh I. remembered giving me a lot of Solace was. I thought because I came from the east. coast and had gone to this whatever you. know AC very academic school and had no. I didn't had any training in acting or. anything uh or written professionally. and I come out to LA and I felt very. self-conscious cuz and then I go to this. improv class and and I know the the.

person who I thought was the funniest. most interesting person in the room uh. Lisa and I started talking to her and. she's just graduated from Vasser and. she's Premed and no one in her family's. done this right and your mom went to. Vasser other thing like oh my mom went. there yeah yeah well you know when you. graduate I don't know if that's. everybody but first thing you ask. someone who looks around the same age is. so where'd you go to school yeah yeah. yeah and so I don't know do I know. anyone there do we have anyone in common. Yeah but I was it just felt like well.

wait a minute she's doing this and she. seemed very confident and like no this. is this yes this is what I'm going to do. and uh well I was confident once I saw. you in the class and I figured out what. to do based on what you were doing. because I didn't understand the. terminology at all like commit it's like. I don't know what that means commit. commit to being an actor I don't know. what that means right yeah but you. didn't see me do anything I made a be.

line for you right after you did the you. know space ball or lift a disc all this. embarrassing stuff that you do but you. did it with commitment you weren't. making a meal out of everything you were. just doing it and you just looked like. you actually were lifting a disc or you. actually were throwing a ball and. everybody else. was anger you know like a and I thought. I can't be part of this I can't I just. can't and you didn't and I made a be.

Eline for you oh and said hi that was. really good I'm Lisa you know well you. know one of the things it's funny is you. you and I are both this is we were in. improv together for all these that's how. we really got started and there's. aspects of improv that's I'm sorry are. embar it's embarrassing there there. parts and it's so funny because you're. an incredible improviser and I moved on. got a writing job in New York uh at at.

SNL so Greg and I left so I was going to. I think be in the ground Lings I was. headed just about to go into it when I. had to leave and we had done all these. classes he was absolutely going to get. voted into the Sunday company which was. going to mean a lot to me and then it's. like nope paying job got to go but what. I recall most uh from that period was. there's a side of both of us this is a. similarity we have where we want to do. it but there's some embarrassing stuff.

that goes with doing improv and acting. these kind of exercises and neither one. of us had much patience for it and I. thought is there something wrong with us. and I'm a fan of the show hacks and I. was watching the third season of hacks. and there's this great scene where Jean. Smart agrees to do some improv and she. goes backstage and all these kids that. like I forget where it is it was on a. university Camp was on a University. campus and they're all saying hey let's. do Zip Zap Zoom Zip Zap Z zoom and and.

she's there and she's established as one. of the great comics of all time and. she's achieved everything and and she. goes let's let's not do that let's let's. just not do that and then they're like. okay let's do bip Bop bo b b Bo you know. and then they're pretending to throw. things at each other and I thought it. was such a great scene and I thought of. you. because uh we've had it since where we. you and I have been asked to do improv. yes that's what I was thinking.

and you and I will show up and once. again let's do warmups everybody we're. in an alley we're in an alley no well. literally we were remember this one we. were literally in an alley like down by. sautel or so we're in an alley outside. with about 11 people and they it was for. a good cause but they said okay okay. we're going to raise some money tonight. we're all going to go out there and. first of all there was way too many. people like I think if there's more than. if there's like 40 people doing improv. scenes together I just think this is.

insanity and then they were saying let's. do some okay let's go bip I'll say bip. and then you say zip ddoo and you and so. I stopped it and said is it okay if I. just I'll write you guys a. check tell me what my presence here will. raise for this really good cause and. I'll write you a check and then I just. want to go home and of course people. were like dude what happened to you man. you know like I was letting down you. know you lost the Improv Spirit like I.

never liked this part I always and then. I'm the then I'm the just like this. coward or get along to go along who's. like sure and then it's my turn and I. just don't do. it oh no it's called passive aggressive. that's what it's called tell me more. about this passive aggressive I'd like. to learn how to do. it not that it's funny because it's. ironic but. [Laughter].

no but that's by the way we we also have. that in common yes we're so much therapy. to stop stop being passive aggressive or. manipulative in any but then I'm just. passive aggressive to the therapist I'm. like oh well that's a good I oh that's. good. advice that's really good advice is that. passive aggressive. I thought that was just dick being. an. no um now am I in trouble cuz no that's.

very kind of. you therapy is not the place to say. exactly what you. think cuz then the therapist can turn on. you right never show a therapist your. vulnerability that's one thing I've. learned cuz then they'll use that to try. and get you I know by the way this is. not a bit for me I mean every word I've. just said and I've learned a lot I got.

to. go not until my blood pressure Settles.