Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen first met in the early '90s. Cooper had just started working as a correspondent at ABC News, while Cohen was a producer at CBS News.
The two were originally set up on a blind date — which didn't end up happening.
"I was too enthusiastic for [Cooper]," Cohen said in a 2015 interview with Entertainment Weekly. But the two had a lot of mutual friends and eventually became close friends.
Cooper's career took off first when his namesake show, "Anderson Cooper 360°," launched on CNN in 2003. Cohen's big moment was only a few years behind.
In 2004, he became the vice president of original programming at Bravo. Three years later, Cohen began hosting his weekly late-night talk show, "Watch What Happens Live," which just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Along the way, Cohen says that Cooper has given him "tons" of good career advice.
The best piece of advice? "He has told me that I overshare," Cohen told CNBC Make It at a Purina One event last week.
"I think there are some things that I do that he could never do because he is 'a newsman,' so we always have a healthy dialogue about that," he said.
The two have been traveling the country together since 2016 for their tour, "AC2: An Intimate Evening with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen." While on the road, Cohen says Cooper always advises him not to talk to the paparazzi.
"[Cooper] said, 'You don't have to talk to TMZ every time you see them on the street,'" Cohen recalled.
Now, Cohen gives similar advice to others. "I always tell people, 'Edit your thoughts and don't say everything you think," the Bravo star said.
When asked about his secret to building a successful career, Cohen said that following his passion was key.
"Find a field you're interested in and go research it," he said. "I had six or seven internships in college, and they helped me focus on what I did and didn't want to do."
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Disclosure: CNBC parent company NBCUniversal owns Bravo.
