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 1,369 to 1,392 of 1,584.
9:11Ezra Koenig Was A Public School Teacher Before Vampire Weekend | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
55.6K views
10:52Niecy Nash-Betts On Typecasting, Improv, And Her Grandmother's Advice | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
55.5K views
9:23David Spade Always Felt At Risk Of Being Fired At SNL | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
55K views
8:38Conan Learns About The Last Video Store In New Zealand | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
54.8K views
9:11How Conan's Family Reacted To Him Replacing Letterman | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
54.7K views
0:31Promo: Conan O'Brien Rides A Mechanical Bull Soprano-Style | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
54.4K views
5:56Conan, Sona, & Gourley Sample A Fan's Homemade Syrup | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
54.2K views
6:07Conan Wants To Get A Violent Massage In Morocco | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
53.9K views
6:20Conan Asks Kevin Nealon: Do You Root For Me? | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
53.7K views
5:41Leslie Jones Reveals The Secret To Crowd Work | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
53.6K views
3:37Randall Park Had A Lot Of Odd Jobs Before He Was Famous | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
53.5K views
6:23Flula Borg & Conan Roleplay As James Bond & A Bond Villain | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
53.4K views
4:22Conan Invites Norah Jones To Breakfast | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
52.8K views
8:56Conan Picks His Cowboy Nickname | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
52.6K views
7:35Conan’s Fan Accidentally Hunted A Grizzly Bear | Conan O'Brien Needs a Fan
Conan O'Brien
52.4K views
7:06Zach Galifianakis Was A Busboy At A Strip Club Until He Was 28 | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
52.4K views
7:42Billie Eilish Thinks Conan Could Play Slender Man | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
52.3K views
7:17Matt Gourley Wants Conan To Get Acupuncture On His Taint | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
52.3K views
8:26James Burrows: "Will & Grace" Is The Funniest Show I've Done | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
52.1K views
5:18JB Smoove Challenges Conan To Take A "Backwards Sh*t" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
52K views
8:28How Ramy Youssef's Parents Reacted To His Show | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
51.9K views
10:54Reggie Watts & Matt Gourley Love Pippi Longstocking | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
51.7K views
11:56Conan Wants To Be A Bridge Troll | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
51.7K views
14:43Tiffany Haddish Turns “Evil” During Her Cycle | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
51.4K 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.
