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 985 to 1,008 of 1,584.
10:57Conan's Audio Engineer Eduardo Shares His World Cup Predictions | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
131.5K views
6:14Conan’s Writer Flew Across The Country To Meet Lars Ulrich | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
131.4K views
3:11Owen Wilson Remembers Press Junket With Robin Williams | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
130.8K views
0:21Conan O'Brien TBS Promo: "Missing You" (Bathtub) | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
130.7K views
0:21Conan O'Brien: TBS Promo "Missing You" (The Baker) | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
130.7K views
9:30Conan’s Terrible Prank Calls | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
130.6K views
49:55Statistician Nate Silver - Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
130.6K views
11:33Conan Improvises As Paul McCartney (Feat. Team Coco’s Lawyer) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
130.4K views
1:03:02Author Erik Larson — Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
130.4K views
10:10Sona Hires A Clown Every Year For Her Twins’ Birthday | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
130.2K views
1:04:24Paul W. Downs (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
130K views
8:39Zach Woods Is A Pretentious Puppet In “In The Know” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
130K views
8:51Gourley’s Wife Predicted Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo’s Oscar Looks | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
129.6K views
3:44Nikki Glaser Lived With Her Parents For 10 Months | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
129.6K views
7:15Q&A: How Conan Would Ruin Matt Gourley’s Favorite Movies | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
129.5K views
7:14How Conan Plans To Monetize His Gravestone | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
129.5K views
7:01Conan, Sona & Gourley Argue About Who Ruined This Intro | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
129.2K views
0:11Conan O'Brien: TBS Promo - HD - Official | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
128.8K views
6:20Conan Bored The Paparazzi | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
128.6K views
12:05Conan & Sona React To Gourley's Weird Pasadena Lore | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
128.6K views
13:16Claire Danes Couldn’t Stand The Social Politics Of Junior High | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
128.5K views
4:52Conan Thinks Natasha Lyonne Is A “Singularity” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
128.4K views
5:36Sona Is Ordained In The Religion Of “Dudeism” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
128K views
24:40Conan Conducts A Staff Review With Writer Laurie Kilmartin | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
127.9K 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.
