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 889 to 912 of 1,584.
9:09Denis Leary & Conan Swap Irish Food Horror Stories | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
151.5K views
7:39Conan & Gourley Expose Sona's Lie | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
151.5K views
0:11This week on Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend: Martin Short feels _____ about being Conan's friend.
Conan O'Brien
151.5K views
4:38Conan Reacts To His Pizza Portrait | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
151.4K views
0:21Conan O'Brien TBS Promo: "Missing You" (TV Watcher) | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
151.3K views
5:01Timothy Olyphant & Conan’s Close Call With A Shark | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
151K views
8:53Conan Wants Aaron Bleyaert To Be Audited | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
150.6K views
5:53Seth Rogen's Strange Encounter With George Lucas - "Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend"
Conan O'Brien
150.5K views
7:35Kumail Nanjiani Grew Up Watching Conan On "Late Night" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
150.2K views
10:30Conan Claims Matt Gourley’s Birthday Gift Got Lost In The Mail | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
149.7K views
9:55Conan Poaches His Executive Producer’s Assistant | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
149.5K views
5:56Amy Poehler Loves Watching The “Below Deck” Crew Clean The Boat | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
149.2K views
10:52How Matthew Rhys Ended Up In “Cocaine Bear” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
149.2K views
0:11Conan O'Brien TBS Promo: "Missing You" (Farmer) | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
149.1K views
10:56Conan Refuses To Give Aaron Bleyaert A Corporate Card | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
148.8K views
5:24Jesse Eisenberg Sent Conan A Note After His First Late Night Episode | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
148.7K views
7:06Conan Wants To Make Gourley’s Rat The Podcast Mascot | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
148.5K views
7:12Sona’s Son Has A Problem With Authority | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
148.4K views
12:26Conan's Lawyer Weighs In On Aaron Bleyaert's Tax Scam | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
148.3K views
13:49Sona’s Husband Tak Just Earned His Karate Black Belt | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
147.2K views
7:12Conan Has Fond Memories Of Howard Johnson’s | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
146.7K views
1:07:03Charlie Puth (Full Episode) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
146.4K views
7:42How The Tonight Show Rekindled The Roots' Friendships | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
146.3K views
7:36Conan Explains The Origin Of His Name | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
146.2K 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.
