Lisa Kudrow Addresses Rumors of a Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion Sequel

(People) – As it turns out, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion almost didn’t happen.

During the Jan. 7 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, star Lisa Kudrow, 61, revealed the origins of the beloved dimwitted characters when host (and fangirl) Drew Barrymore gushed about the 1997 cult classic.

Kudrow played the titular Michele in the film, opposite Mira Sorvino’s Romy. In their chat, Barrymore, 49, asked Kudrow how the movie came to be.

“One of my favorite films, I think of it so much more than a film,” Barrymore said during the segment. “It’s a world and I tend to live in it on a daily basis and I certainly quote it every day of my life.” 

“What?” asked Kudrow. 

“Romy and Michele!” Barrymore enthusiastically exclaimed. “Is it true, and maybe I’m off base about this, but, okay, you’re gonna be the person that knows. It wasn’t a movie at first?”

Kudrow went on to explain that the characters of Romy and Michele originally stemmed from an “equity waiver play in L.A.” that was written by Robin Schiff, who would go on to write the movie. 

“So they had to do a backers audition for the play to see if they could even mount the play,” Kudrow recalled. “And they went to all the [acting] teachers, ‘Who do you recommend to audition?’, so you know, I went.”