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 1,153 to 1,176 of 1,584.
6:30Paul Scheer Refused To Shave His Head For Conan’s Show | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
96.4K views
10:38Roy Wood Jr. & Conan Headlined The White House Correspondents' Dinner | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
96.2K views
6:43Conan & The Gang Struggle With Dating Math | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
96.2K views
46:53Mary Bronstein (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
95.9K views
11:19Conan Thinks He Got Scammed At The Eye Doctor | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
95.8K views
7:53David Byrne & Conan Volunteered For John Mulaney’s “Too Much Tuna” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
95.5K views
0:21Conan O'Brien TBS Promo: "Missing You" (Hillbilly) | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
95.2K views
0:19This week on "Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend" Mick Jagger feels _____ about being Conan's friend.
Conan O'Brien
95K views
6:40Lisa Kudrow & Conan Bonded In Improv Class | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
94.6K views
0:40Conan O'Brien Can't Stop Laughing at Norm MacDonald's Offensive Joke
Dave Rubin
94.5K views
4:20Jane Fonda Gives Conan Advice On Turning 60 | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
94.4K views
0:31Conan O'Brien TBS Promo: "Missing You" Montage (Stripper/Soup/Bedroom) | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
94.2K views
7:02Coldplay Is Using Technology To Reach Hearing-Impaired Fans | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
94.1K views
4:53Nick Kroll & Conan Talk About Life Before GPS | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
94K views
14:24How David Bowie Inspired James Corden To Retire From Late Night | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
93.7K views
8:42Conan’s Fan Calls Him A “Real D*ck” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
93.5K views
8:38Jeff Bridges Had His “Beatles Moment” At The Lebowski Fest | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
93.5K views
4:28Conan O'Brien Meets Abby Howells
Abby Howells
92.9K views
4:33Comedian Carol Leifer Remembers Opening For Frank Sinatra | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
92.8K views
9:14Conan Talks About His New Band "The Vigodas" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
92.6K views
8:10The Time Ice Cube & Conan Shared A Lyft With Kevin Hart | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
92.5K views
7:13Sona Scammed Conan Into Taking Her To Morocco | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
92.5K views
4:48Conan Reads A Personal Note From Luke Wilson | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
92.2K views
9:48Conan Was Scolded By Irish Writer Frank McCourt (Feat. Penn Badgley) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
92.1K viewsChannels on this page: Conan O'Brien, Dave Rubin, Abby Howells
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.
