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 121 to 144 of 1,584.
6:39Aubrey Plaza Constantly Lied As A 30 Rock Tour Guide | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
894.9K views
5:27Conan Asks If Harrison Ford Remembers Him | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
890.8K views
8:04The Beastie Boys Expose The Truth About Gold Records | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
887.2K views
14:06Aaron Bleyaert Dressed Up For Conan | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
886.5K views
1:05:24Andy Samberg (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
886.4K views
14:02Adam Sandler Chickened Out Of Talking To Paul McCartney | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
880.8K views
15:52Jordan Peele & Conan Share Their Favorite Horror Tropes | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
872.9K views
1:03:422024 Memorable Moments: Conan, Sona, and Matt | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
872K views
9:32Kristen Wiig And Conan Remember Their Biggest "Bombs" At SNL | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
868.2K views
1:01:37Matt Damon (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
864.5K views
13:12Timothy Olyphant & The “Justified” Crew Got Caught In A Shootout | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
862.8K views
11:11Nikki Glaser: It's Really Hard To Contain FBoys | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
862.1K views
11:08Sona Is Pissed At Conan | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
857.8K views
5:00Bill Burr Thinks Conan Might Be A Narcissist | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
857.3K views
6:19Bill Hader & John Mulaney Love Writing Niche SNL Sketches | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
857K views
1:01:17The Hoppining: A Chill Chums Holiday Whodunit | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
855K views
10:26Jason Bateman Shares What He Learned From Ron Howard | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
850.5K views
18:19Aaron Bleyaert Shows Off His New Sword | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
848K views
10:03Conan Addresses His New Hairstyle | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
845.7K views
11:09Woody Harrelson Invites Conan & Sona To His Dispensary | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
843.7K views
1:03:10Will Arnett (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
842.7K views
5:38Jim Downey Remembers The First Time He Heard A John Mulaney Joke | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
842K views
10:29Nirvana Prank Called Gene Simmons | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
835.5K views
7:41Arnold Schwarzenegger Wants Conan To Make “The Hans & Franz Movie” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
835K 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.
