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 1,513 to 1,536 of 1,584.
4:27David Oyelowo Is Obsessed With UFC | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
30K views
11:05Conan Wants His Fan To Be An International Go-Kart Racer | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
29.8K views
10:05How Ice Cube & N.W.A Used An FBI Letter As Free Publicity | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
29.8K views
6:33Conan Asks Sharon Horgan To Cast Him In Her Next Project | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
29.8K views
32:25Pale Force Season 2 (ALL EPISODES) with Conan O'Brien
Jim Gaffigan
28.2K views
4:03Conan O'Brien Got VERY MAD at Mark Normand's Joke | We Might Be Drunk w/ Matteo Lane & Nick Smith
Mark Normand
27.9K views
9:31Conan Remembers The First Time He Met Arsenio Hall | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
27.8K views
8:20Nicholas Hoult Went 170 MPH In The Ferrari Challenge | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
27.6K views
3:28Danny McBride Felt Underdressed On Vacation With Walton Goggins | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
27.6K views
0:50When I Grow Up - Tim Minchin - Conan O'Brien
Tim Minchin
27.4K views
4:26W. Kamau Bell Was Happy To Be An Only Child | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
27.2K views
8:32Nate Bargatze’s Comedy Was Too “Mundane” For Letterman’s Show | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
27K views
5:53Conan Wants To Guest Star On “Ramy” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
26.9K views
1:47Preview: Mel Brooks—Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
26.5K views
5:39Arsenio Hall Recalls “Absurd” Encounter With Paramount Security | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
26.5K views
10:09Jerry Seinfeld Gave Leanne Morgan Advice About Her Sitcom | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
25.9K views
9:40Dan Levy & Conan Remember Catherine O'Hara | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
25.9K views
3:27Conan Reveals His DJ Name - "Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan"
Conan O'Brien
25.6K views
9:16Conan Told Sophie Turner To "Go For It" Before She Slapped Him On TV | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
25.3K views
10:48Michael Douglas Had To Fire His Dad From "Cuckoo's Nest" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
24.5K views
5:59Conan Shares His Proposal Tips | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
24.5K views
8:33Elizabeth Banks Got Banned From Catan For Being Too Intense | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
24.4K views
7:22Mike Birbiglia Wants A “Quarterly” Friendship With Conan | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
24K views
7:38Conan Can't Stop Quoting "Casablanca" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan
Conan O'Brien
24K viewsChannels on this page: Conan O'Brien, Jim Gaffigan, Mark Normand, Tim Minchin
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.
