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 1,441 to 1,464 of 1,584.
6:51Conan Mocks Another Sword Collector | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
42.3K views
4:30Johnny Knoxville Praises Steve-O’s 17-Year Sobriety Journey | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
42.3K views
3:17Conan O'Brien's 2016 NFL Preview | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
42.2K views
7:13Conan’s Favorite Conspiracy Theory - "Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan"
Conan O'Brien
42.1K views
6:57Conan Wants To Become A Boxer | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
42K views
9:15Kesha Shares Her Most Shocking Paranormal Experience | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
41.9K views
24:09Conan & Paul Scheer Pitch A Murder-Solving Funeral Director Procedural | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
41.7K views
11:37Conan Wants To Perform With A “Craic Mechanic” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
41.4K views
4:51Sona Tries Out Some Accents | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
41.3K views
10:26Timothy Olyphant Requested A Butt Double For His Role In “Stick” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
41.3K views
9:34Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler Invite Conan On Their Podcast | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
41.3K views
7:23Kevin Nealon Reveals Conan’s Caricature | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
41.2K views
8:01Conan Trains To Be An Action Star | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
40.8K views
9:06Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s "Late Night" Memories | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
40.6K views
6:56Danny McBride Was Nervous To Pitch Halloween Reboot To John Carpenter | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
40.1K views
16:53Conan Tormented Sona With The CONAN Blimp | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
40K views
9:14Conan Asks His Fan To Scream | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
39.9K views
9:49Molly Shannon Recalls the First Time She Met Will Ferrell | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
39.6K views
10:16Tiffany Haddish Aspires To Be “Queen Of The Hood" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
39.4K views
8:50Cedric The Entertainer Had Style From A Young Age | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
39.4K views
7:49The Gang Plays F, Marry, Kill With Slime | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
39.1K views
5:07Conan Wants A Star-Studded 19th Century American History Museum - "Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan"
Conan O'Brien
38.6K views
7:56Conan Can’t Believe Bob Odenkirk Is An Action Star | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
38.6K views
9:04Conan Learns How To Scat | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
38.3K 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.
