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 433 to 456 of 1,584.
10:20Conan Sings A Song From His Childhood | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
348.2K views
27:37Matt Gourley's Wife Amanda Exposes His Secret T-Shirt Side Hustle | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
347.3K views
12:44Sarah Silverman Defends Sona | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
346.9K views
8:59Sona Got A Comped Meal At A Las Vegas Restaurant | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
346.5K views
13:07Billy Crystal Was Cut From The First Episode Of “Saturday Night Live” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
344.8K views
5:41Amy Poehler Was Fearless As Andy’s Little Sister | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
344.4K views
8:43Everyone Thinks Jon Bernthal Is Cooler Than Conan | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
344K views
4:21Charlie Day Tried Guillermo Del Toro’s Directing Style On “Sunny” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
343.9K views
7:49Norah Jones Played John Lennon’s Piano For George Harrison | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
342.5K views
6:35Conan Is Working Tirelessly To Replace Sona With AI | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
341.7K views
10:26Natasha Lyonne Worked On Marlon Brando’s Final Film | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
340.6K views
11:17Conan Used To Throw Harvard Lampoon Parties | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
340.1K views
12:13Conan Is A "Gossip Girl" Superfan (Feat. Penn Badgley) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
339.7K views
9:01Conan’s Favorite Sound Clip From The Podcast In 2023 | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
338.9K views
8:54Conan Wants To Start A Detective Agency | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
338.3K views
11:06Conan’s 2023 State Of The Podcast | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
338.3K views
1:02:53Ayo Edebiri (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
337.5K views
9:00Jimmy Carr "Tries Out" New Jokes Every Night | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
337.4K views
8:02Conan Tries To Guess The Title Of Taylor Swift’s Latest Album | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
334.8K views
11:24Conan Interrogates Sona About “Heated Rivalry” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
332.5K views
9:08Conan Tries On Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Lipstick | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
332.1K views
7:40John Mayer & Conan Clear The Air | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
331.3K views
9:58Nikki Glaser Was Inspired By Conan’s Episode Of “Hot Ones” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
331K views
9:56Paul Rudd’s Theory About Why He Was Cast As “Ant-Man” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
330.6K 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.
