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 1,033 to 1,056 of 1,584.
5:15Matt Gourley Reveals His Favorite James Bond Theme Song | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
123.4K views
8:32Conan, Sona, & Gourley Try To Understand The Meaning Of “6-7” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
123.3K views
8:25Andy Richter Gifted Conan A Pair Of Leather Pants (Feat. Deon Cole) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
123.2K views
7:20Penn Badgley Is A Middle School Dropout | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
123K views
4:26President Joe Biden Has (Safely) Hit 132MPH In His Corvette | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
122.8K views
1:02:24Josh Groban (Full Episode) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
122.7K views
9:03Conan Lured Jeff Goldblum To “Late Night” With A Salt Lick | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
122.7K views
4:53Matt Gourley: S'mores Are The Next Culture War | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
122.2K views
5:03Kaley Cuoco’s Pregnancy Made Her Crave Taco Bell | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
121.9K views
6:59Kaitlin Olson Was Kicked Out Of “The Groundlings” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
121.9K views
7:16“Peter Pan” Inspired Andy Daly To Become An Improv Performer | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
121.9K views
9:24Why Goldie Hawn Was Called "Dumb As A Fox" After Private Benjamin | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
121.5K views
7:01Conan Is Sick Of Seeing Steve Martin & Martin Short On Billboards | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
121.3K views
59:06Ron Chernow (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
121K views
0:08Kevin Nealon feels _____ about being Conan O'Brien's friend.
Conan O'Brien
120.9K views
9:19Mike Birbiglia Thinks Conan Is “The Buddha” Of Comedy | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
120.8K views
7:11Conan's Sound Effects Theater Feat. Flula Borg | Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend
Conan O'Brien
120.7K views
5:34Conan & Gourley Have Been Invited To Join The DILFs Of Larchmont | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
120.2K views
4:00Timothy Olyphant Doesn’t Own Conan Merchandise | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
120.1K views
6:50Paul Scheer & Conan Are Baffled By “Look Who’s Talking” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
120K views
5:46Roy Wood Jr. On Trevor Noah’s Departure From “The Daily Show” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
119.7K views
3:42Win Tickets To "Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend" LIVE At The Wiltern | Team Coco
Conan O'Brien
119.2K views
8:31Kevin Nealon Tells Conan A Joke He Just Wrote | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
119.1K views
8:14Chelsea Peretti & Conan Remember The Heyday Of TV Networks | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
118.7K 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.
