Lisa Kudrow was a ''prude'' as a teenager.

The former 'Friends' actress avoided sexual relationships with boys until she got older and always intended to keep her virginity until she married.

Lisa was also too wary to experiment with alcohol or drugs in her teens and would instead would tell her friends about the dangers involved and try and convince them not to get drunk.

She said: ''I was a prude at 18. I was very serious about morals, particularly sexual ones. It was my aim to remain a virgin until marriage. Even my mother, Nedra, suggested I ought to be more affectionate with boys, but holding hands and kissing in public was never my style.

''I was not a rebellious teenager. When my friends did crazy, dangerous things, I just wouldn't go along. I would lecture others on the dangers of drinking and smoking. When I look back now, it's no wonder that I didn't attract many boys.''

However, the 49-year-old star - who married businessman Michael Stern in May 1995 with the couple having one son, 15-year-old Julian - says her life changed after her brother's friend, comedian Jon Lovitz, introduced her to improvisational comedy and she began to ''lighten up'' and her strict views on life began to soften.

Lisa - who played quirky character Phoebe Buffay in hit sitcom 'Friends' - said: ''I changed my hair colour to blonde. Being blonde meant men flirted with me more. It made me 'lighten up' finally in my approach to life and work.

''When we were all cast in 'Friends', I didn't get that feeling of, 'Oh, this is it!' But it was a life changer and a career changer. I really came into my own in my 30s with that show, a marriage and motherhood.''