Patti LuPone's relationship with Kevin Kline was "painful".

The 76-year-old actress met Kevin, 77, at Juilliard, a performing arts school in New York City, in the 70s, and she wasn't a fan of him at first.

Patti told The New Yorker magazine: "I took an instant dislike to him.

"He looked like Pinocchio to me. He had skinny legs, and he was tall, and I didn't really see the handsomeness."

Despite this, the duo grew closer over time and their on-and-off relationship ultimately lasted for seven years.

Patti now looks back on their romance with a lot of regret, describing it as a "painful" experience.

The actress said: "He was a Lothario. It was a painful relationship.

"I was his girlfriend when he wanted me to be his girlfriend, but, if there was somebody else, he would break up with me and go out with that person. And I, for some reason, stuck it out - until I couldn't stick it out anymore."

Kevin concedes that their relationship was "fraught".

The actor - who has been married to actress Phoebe Cates since 1989 - explained: "We fought all the time.

"In the company, we were known as the Strindbergs."

Patti previously claimed that her turbulent romance with Kevin "exhausted [her] heart".

The 'Driving Miss Daisy' star also described her former partner as a "player".

Patti - who has been married to Matthew Johnston since 1988 - told People back in 2022: "For me that was my first big love. And Kevin was also a player, and it was hard. That was incredibly hard on me. He exhausted my heart."

Patti and Kevin have actually kept in touch with each other since ending their relationship, and the actress now considers them to be "friends".

The award-winning star - who has enjoyed huge success on Broadway and in London's West End - said: "We have found a place where we can actually communicate and be friends. I think we can be friends.

"I don't think we can double date, but I think Kevin and I can at least talk to each other."