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 1,273 to 1,296 of 1,584.
0:13This week on Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend: Atsuko Okatsuka.
Conan O'Brien
75.5K views
3:52Natasha Lyonne Hopes You Watch "Get On Your Knees" To Completion | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
75.1K views
7:01Conan Gets Hair Advice From Sona | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
74.8K views
7:12A Bassoonist Scores Conan’s Improvised Fairytale | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
74.8K views
9:35Randall Park Used To Memorize The TV Guide | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
74.7K views
6:35Conan's Paramedic Fan Got His Shift Covered To Appear On The Podcast | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
74.3K views
13:44Josh Brolin Got His First Motorcycle At Age 3 | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
74.2K views
11:35Lizzy Caplan Feels A Groundswell Of Love For Los Angeles | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
74.1K views
9:39Conan Chats With A Norwegian Fish Farmer | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
73.9K views
6:43David Byrne Travels Around NYC By Bicycle | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
73.1K views
0:54Legendary Comedian George Wallace and Late Night TV Host Conan O'Brien
George Wallace
73K views
2:14Conan O'Brien's Formal Statement On Gay Marriage | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
72.5K views
10:38Elle Fanning Manifested Her Role In “A Complete Unknown” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
72.5K views
25:43Why Kathy Wasn't At the Joan Rivers Tribute, and Her "Date" with Conan O'Brien!
Kathy Griffin
72.3K views
3:01Q&A: Conan Would Like To Return To Comic-Con® | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
72.1K views
3:03Why Vir Das Loves Team Coco’s Comment Section | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
71.8K views
6:21How Jake Tapper Handles Tough News Days | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
71.7K views
9:06Andy Samberg On The Anxiety Of Returning To SNL | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
71.6K views
7:53Timothy Olyphant Might Be In “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” Sequel | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
71.5K views
4:51Nicole Byer's NSFW Requirement For Her Future Partner | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
70.9K views
2:13Q&A: Conan Wishes He Could've Been A 1920's Podcast Host | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
70.8K views
5:01Sona & Gourley Love Timothy Olyphant | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
70.7K views
5:11Kaitlin Olson Feels Like She Hit The Jackpot With "Always Sunny" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
70.6K views
4:48Rob Reiner Remembers Norman Lear | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
70.6K viewsChannels on this page: Conan O'Brien, George Wallace, Kathy Griffin
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.
