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 721 to 744 of 1,584.
2:42Q&A: What Conan Misses Most About Boston | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
195.4K views
6:38Kaley Cuoco Sent Conan And The Gang Mugs | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
195.4K views
6:59Nicholas Hoult Asks Matt Gourley If He Wants To Be Friends | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
195.3K views
10:32Zach Woods Wanted To Be A Jazz Musician Because Of A Video Game | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
195.2K views
9:07Conan’s Favorite “30 Rock” Joke About Himself (Feat. Quinta Brunson) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
194.6K views
7:51Conan Wants To Co-Found A Hedge Fund With Eric Andre | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
194.3K views
7:23Kurt & Wyatt Russell And Conan Are All History Buffs | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
193.5K views
10:05Kumail Nanjiani Didn’t Discover That He Was Funny Until College | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
193.3K views
0:15Tomorrow on Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend, Taylor Tomlinson feels _____ about being Conan's friend.
Conan O'Brien
193.2K views
6:20How Zach Galifianakis Reacted To The Success Of "The Hangover" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
192.8K views
2:09Conan O'Brien Will Host The 2014 MTV Movie Awards | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
192.8K views
12:41A Model Accuses Conan Of Having Resting B*tch Face | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
192.3K views
9:08Conan Wants To Learn How To Talk Like Liam Neeson | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
191.1K views
8:18Conan Confronts His Longtime Producer About His New Look | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
190.9K views
7:22Conan Promises To Replace Sona’s Favorite Jacket | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
190.6K views
21:47Sona & Gourley Unbox Their Hershey’s Swag | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
190.4K views
11:46Conan Watched Sona’s Work Ethic “Rot” After Hiring Her | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
190.2K views
7:19Jason Segel On The Writing Advice He Got From Judd Apatow | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
189.8K views
6:49How Chris Martin Prepares For A Coldplay Stadium Show | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
189.7K views
7:44Conan Reacts To TikTok Thirst Edits Of His "Toy Story 5" Character | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
189.5K views
12:23Conan's Plaque Has Gone Missing! | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
189K views
12:39Conan & Sona Take A Friendship Compatibility Quiz | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
188.7K views
7:04Conan & Sona Are Messy Eaters | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
187.6K views
9:24Jordan Peele & Conan Improvised A Christmas Movie Pitch | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
186.9K 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.
