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
896 views
43:17S55E13 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: William Shatner
826 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
603 views
43:21S55E11 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Will Arnett
595 views
1:07:40PODCAST: David Spade
205 views
1:03:19PODCAST: Harrison Ford
123 views
1:06:09PODCAST: Mike Birbiglia
59 viewsGuest appearances (1,585)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Conan O'Brien.
Guest appearances 817 to 840 of 1,585.
8:31Conan’s Staff Accuses Him Of Being Anti-Pope | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
167.2K views
7:42How Claire Danes Helped Conan Impress His Wife | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
167K views
10:18Charlie Day Created A Fake Talk Show For His New Movie | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
166.9K views
7:34Zach Woods Feels Like A "Pick Me" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
166.8K views
7:13Eric Andre Wishes Drinking Was Good For You | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
166.4K views
10:59Conan Goes Off On Marvel’s Portals (Feat. Ryan Reynolds) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
165.9K views
6:33Timothy Olyphant & Conan Pitch Their Buddy Cop Movie | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
165.5K views
11:49Andy Daly & Matt Gourley Are Watching Every Episode Of “Bonanza” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
165.3K views
54:55Claire Danes (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
165.1K views
6:03Conan Tries Sona’s “Delicious” Lip Gloss | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
164.4K views
10:10Sona Quoted “The Goonies” To Conan After He Lost “The Tonight Show” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
164.2K views
9:27Nathan Lane Almost Starred Opposite Martin Short In “The Producers" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
164.2K views
8:56Conan’s PSA For Boston | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
163.9K views
6:32Jon Bon Jovi Performed With Bruce Springsteen At Age 17 | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
163.5K views
1:58Q&A: Conan Shares Something He Loves About Sona | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
163.3K views
8:08Elle & Dakota Fanning Want To Work Together | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
163.2K views
12:03Paul Scheer Hired A Jack Nicholson Impersonator To Be His Best Man | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
163K views
9:35Conan Wants Tom Cruise To Teach Him How To Run (Feat. Charlie Day) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
163K views
5:47Matthew Rhys Auditioned To Play James Bond | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
162.9K views
13:17Matthew Rhys Teaches Conan Welsh Curse Words | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
162.9K views
7:55Elle Fanning Is Devastated That Her Favorite Radio Show Is Fake | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
162.8K views
9:24Owen Wilson's Dad Wrote Bill Murray's Monologue In "Rushmore" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
162.8K views
6:58Matt Gourley Accidentally Walked In On Kesha In The Bathroom | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
162.6K views
6:30Josh Brolin Almost Ruined “The Goonies” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
162.6K 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.
