About Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows, beginning with Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-2009) and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009-2010) on the NBC television network, and Conan (2010-2021) on the cable channel TBS. Before his hosting career, O'Brien was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 1988 to 1991, and the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1991 to 1993. He has hosted the podcast series Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend since 2018.
Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, O'Brien was raised in an Irish Catholic family. He served as president of The Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and literature in 1985. He was selected by Lorne Michaels and NBC to take over David Letterman's position as host of Late Night in 1993, and despite unfavorable reviews and threats of cancellation in the show's first years, the show became highly regarded and earned a Primetime Emmy Award.
In 2009, O'Brien moved from New York to Los Angeles to host his own incarnation of The Tonight Show for seven months until highly publicized network politics prompted a host change in 2010. He then hosted a 32-city live comedy tour titled The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour, which was the subject of the documentary Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011), and hosted Conan from 2010 to 2021. He was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2010, inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2025, and is the 2025 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Videos (15)
Videos 1 to 15 of 15.
43:15S55E08 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Dane Cook
5.9K views
43:15S55E07 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Eddie Murphy
1.7K views
43:25S55E10 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Jamie Foxx
1.3K views
43:24S55E06 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: David Duchovny
1.3K views
43:21S55E16 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Cameron Diaz
1.2K views
43:22S55E18 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Brandon McMillian
1.1K views
43:10S55E05 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Ryan Seacrest
1.1K views
43:16S55E12 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Larry David
895 views
43:17S55E13 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: William Shatner
825 views
43:15S55E15 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Phil Jackson
823 views
43:22S55E18 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Brandon McMillan
602 views
43:21S55E11 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Will Arnett
594 views
1:07:40PODCAST: David Spade
205 views
1:03:19PODCAST: Harrison Ford
123 views
1:06:09PODCAST: Mike Birbiglia
59 viewsGuest appearances (1,584)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Conan O'Brien.
Guest appearances 385 to 408 of 1,584.
21:27Conan Vs. Edibles Pt. II | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
381K views
10:39Patton Oswalt & Conan React To A Wild ‘70s Movie Stunt | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
381K views
1:02:56Patton Oswalt (Full Episode) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
380.1K views
8:20Conan's Audio Engineer Surprises Him With A New Microphone | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
379.2K views
8:01Sharon Horgan & Conan Are Kept Humble By Their Families | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
379K views
4:59Conan Sums Up The Civil War In 3 Minutes | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
378.1K views
5:19Nathan Lane & Ernie Sabella’s Improv Made It Into “The Lion King” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
377.5K views
9:21Conan Tries Tracy Morgan’s Favorite Cologne | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
377.3K views
7:15Al Pacino Suggested Tony Montana’s Iconic Scar | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
376.3K views
6:24Conan Goes Off On Fine Tip Pens - "Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend"
Conan O'Brien
376.2K views
7:39Larry David Tried To Act Like His “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Character | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
375.1K views
9:34Conan Checks In On His Team's Skin Health | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
373.8K views
1:00:51Johnny Knoxville (Full Episode) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
373.8K views
10:24Conan Returned To “The Tonight Show” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
373.4K views
24:57Conan & The Chill Chums Drink Cocktails & Play Mindmeld | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
373.3K views
10:45Tom Hanks & Conan’s Neighborhood Has A Dark History | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
372.2K views
6:51Conan Is Experimenting With His Beard | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
372K views
7:07Conan Has A Big Posse | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
371.7K views
1:00:56Kumail Nanjiani (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
371.2K views
10:09Rashida Jones On The Renaissance Of “Parks and Recreation” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
371.1K views
3:25Q&A: Conan’s Favorite Norm Macdonald CONAN Sketch | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
370K views
7:30Conan Wants Sona Arrested | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
369.9K views
8:22Conan Listens To Himself On Team Coco Radio | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
367.7K views
19:26Sona Pitches Conan’s “Heated Rivalry” With Timothy Olyphant | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
367.5K viewsChannels on this page: Conan O'Brien
Frequently asked questions
Who is Conan O'Brien?
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster, best known for hosting late-night talk shows including Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and Conan.
What writing jobs did Conan O'Brien have before hosting?
Before his hosting career, he was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 1988 to 1991 and for the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1991 to 1993.
Where did Conan O'Brien study?
He attended Harvard University, where he served as president of The Harvard Lampoon and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and literature in 1985.
How did Conan O'Brien become host of Late Night?
He was selected by Lorne Michaels and NBC to take over David Letterman's position as host of Late Night in 1993. Despite unfavorable reviews and threats of cancellation in the early years, the show became highly regarded and earned a Primetime Emmy Award.
What honors has Conan O'Brien received?
He was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2010, was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2025, and is the 2025 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
