Lisa Kudrow has opened up about what it was like dating Conan O’Brien after being friends for eight years, calling it a “weird swing.”

The Friends actor and ex The Tonight Show host together shortly after first meeting in an improv class taught by Cynthia Seghetti at the Coronet Theater in Los Angeles. The two remain friends to this day, with O’Brien marrying Liza Powel O’Brien in 2002 and Kudrow marrying Michel Stern in 1995.

During the performance at The armchair expertpodcast hosted by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, Kudrow said she made a “line in the air” for the comedian after one of their improv classes. When Kudrow told the hosts that she introduced herself to O’Brien, Shepard joked that she said, “We’re going to be dating soon.” Padman added, “Pretty soon we’ll be dating.”

Kudrow clarified that’s not exactly how it happened, as the pair were “best friends” for eight years before they started dating, which only lasted three months.

“That’s an unfortunate plan,” Shepard said, to which Kudrow replied, “It worked.”

Shepard continued, “Well, sure, but not in a romantic way.” He added: “I’m just saying that when you’ve been friends with someone for eight years, I always find it hard to understand the transition to dating.”

“Obviously, there are probably success stories,” Shepard said, adding, “That’s an interesting transition after eight years. Like in general, your first kiss is pretty exciting, whereas — as opposed to like ‘we’ve been hanging out for eight years ; now we’re kissing, it’s a little awkward.”

Kudrow disagreed, saying it was “still exciting”. She added: “It’s a completely different relationship and we’re better as friends, so it was just a weird blip.”

The actress also said she had planned to drop out of her improv class before meeting O’Brien. However, once they crossed paths, she was impressed by his talent.

“I was about to quit. I went to one class at Cynthia’s. Conan wasn’t there, everyone there just felt, ‘Not that.’ It’s the actors, I thought the comedy would be less serious and fake,” she said.

“They really overdid it with the emotional editing. I was like, ‘This is just embarrassing. It’s like cheerleading,'” she continued.

Shepard described improv as an “awkward effort,” but Kudrow said it was different when she saw O’Brien perform in class.

She said: “I was a bit late and they were already up there picking up the discus or the space ball or whatever it was – ‘Now throw it and you’re mad. Everybody’s mad, now they’re mad.’ People throw it and go, “Grrr.” So embarrassing And then there was Conan.

“I didn’t know him. He was really tall and he had red hair and he was throwing it around and he was angry, but he wasn’t making a meal out of it. I got it. And then Cynthia said, ‘Good commitment.” and I said, ‘That means commitment that I can do it.’ And so I made a beeline for him when it was all over.”

Kudrow and O’Brien have previously spoken about their friendship on the site Conan O’Brien needs a friend podcast. In the episode “Lisa Kudrow Returns”, O’Brien said he had a “great front row seat” to how “funny” and “fantastic” Kudrow was before. Friends became an international success.

“And then to see you not only nationally and internationally – with everyone [goes]“Yeah, she, she’s the funniest. And I thought, How cool to see it in advance,” he said.

“I don’t know, it was amazing to see,” he added. “And also to someone who is a really good person and deserves it.