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 1,321 to 1,344 of 1,584.
6:19Greg Daniels & Conan’s Wild Quest To Meet A “Beachcombers” Actor | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
65.2K views
8:22Halle Berry Was Warned That "Monster’s Ball" Would End Her Career | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
64.4K views
14:18Conan’s Personal Soundtrack | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
64.4K views
9:22Conan Pledges To Send This Fan A Team Coco T-Shirt | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
64.1K views
7:01Ramy Youssef Thinks Top Gun: Maverick Was “Financially Woke” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
63.9K views
4:09Conan’s Approach To Ad Reads (Feat. Mike Birbiglia) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
63.7K views
5:48Maria Bamford Performed In A “Star Trek” Traveling Show | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
63.3K views
8:19Conan's Favorite Norm Peterson Lines | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
63K views
0:31Conan O'Brien TBS Promo: "Missing You" Montage (Soup/Baker/TV Watcher) | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
62.9K views
0:07Leanne Morgan feels _____ about being Conan O'Brien's friend.
Conan O'Brien
62.8K views
8:40A Fan Thinks Hanging With Conan Will Make Him Cooler | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
62.8K views
8:01Kevin Nealon Feels “Nothing” About Being Conan’s Friend | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
62.7K views
7:35Allison Janney & Carol Burnett Play "Wordle" Together | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
62.4K views
4:08What Happened To The Weed From The Student Driver Remote? | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
62.1K views
5:44Conan Turns Nikki Glaser’s Interview Into A Therapy Session | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
62.1K views
6:19Conan Reveals Richard Nixon Was A Fan Of His “Late Night” Show | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
61.8K views
7:26Niecy Nash-Betts Is On The E-List | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
61.8K views
7:35Will Arnett Halts The Podcast To Record Voiceover For A Commercial | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
61.7K views
7:32Conan On The “Hacks” Scene That Made Him Tear Up (Feat. Carol Leifer) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
61.1K views
4:53Mike Birbiglia Wants Conan's Honest Review Of Their Interview | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
61.1K views
8:37Conan Wonders If There’s Juicing In Competitive Weaving | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
60.8K views
10:49Conan Doesn’t Connect With Tortoises | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
60.7K views
7:46Conan Used To Volunteer To Bird Watch With His Dad | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
60.7K views
9:44Tiffany Haddish Made International News | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
60.6K 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.
