Lisa Kudrow started smoking because of giant Harvard water bugs.

Actress and comedian Lisa Kudrow, celebrated for her iconic role as Phoebe Buffay in *Friends*, reveals the surprising and deeply humorous origin story of her smoking habit, tracing it back to a terrifying summer spent at Harvard University. Rather than peer pressure or youthful rebellion, Kudrow attributes her first cigarette to an overwhelming encounter with "flying water bugs as big as your fist" that invaded her dorm room.

Kudrow vividly recounts her stay in an old, charming Harvard dorm building in the 80s, which lacked both screens on the windows and air conditioning. One night, while sleeping, she was jolted awake by a sound she initially mistook for "a jet has flown into my room." The source of the terrifying noise was a giant water bug, described as a "flying cockroach water bug this big," which she spotted on her wall. In a panicked attempt to neutralize the threat, Kudrow grabbed her shoe, only for the bug to fly directly towards her head as she threw it.

The sheer stress and terror from this incident left her unable to sleep. In desperation, she found some cigarettes and began smoking, experiencing an immediate calming effect. She lightheartedly declares, "nicotine is wonderful," explaining that it helped her relax. The situation escalated to the point where more bugs flew in, leading Conan to joke that they became her "pets."

Conan O'Brien later shares a related anecdote from his friend Robert, who once told a tightly wound Conan, "You're the only person I know who would be healthier if he smoked." Robert purportedly suggested that smoking and the act of breathing, combined with nicotine, would "extend your life" for Conan, even if it was detrimental to everyone else. Conan admits he sometimes reflects on this unusual piece of advice.

Listeners walk away with a uniquely candid and comedic insight into a celebrity's personal history, discovering how an absurdly stressful situation involving oversized insects could lead to an unexpected coping mechanism, alongside a humorous take on stress and human quirks.