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 193 to 216 of 1,584.
8:27Matt Gourley Regrets Naming His Favorite L.A. Treat On The Podcast | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
656.5K views
11:08Adam Scott Was Freaked Out To Be The Face Of "Severance" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
655K views
11:51Ad-Rock & Mike D Remember Adam Yauch | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
654.4K views
10:19Conan Is Enraged By His Webbed Toes | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
647.9K views
9:39Conan Wants A Library Named After Him | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
647.5K views
7:58Jimmy Carr Doesn’t Think He’s Punching Down | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
643.8K views
7:46Conan Isn’t Happy About Matt Gourley’s New Podcast | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
640.2K views
1:06:20Mick Jagger (Full Episode) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
635.5K views
8:56Conan Ran Into Matt Damon & Ben Affleck At A Boston Bar in The ‘90s | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
635.5K views
14:25Sona Brought Conan Edibles | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
635K views
1:06:04Taylor Tomlinson (Full Episode) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
634.6K views
11:44Sona Has Never Had The "Sunday Blues" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
633.7K views
7:51John Mulaney Explains His Beef With The SNL 50 Afterparty | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
632.2K views
9:29Sona Calls Out Conan For His Weird Gum Habit | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
630.3K views
7:52Nathan Lane Almost Turned Down His Role In “The Birdcage” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
628.7K views
1:03:47Martin Short Returns (Full Episode) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
627.5K views
3:50Conan’s Chaotic Bidet Ad Read | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
624.5K views
10:22John Mulaney & Conan Were Attention-Seeking Children | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
624.3K views
8:27Conan Got His Mouth Washed Out With Soap | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
623.4K views
7:24Larry David Was Not A Good Fit For “SNL” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
620.4K views
9:18Eric Idle: The Beatles Were As Funny As Monty Python | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
617.9K views
1:26Conan O'Brien Editors: Apple Final Cut Pro X Is Easy To Use | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
615.9K views
14:01Jimmy Carr & Conan Get Deep | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
613.8K views
1:00:45The Rest Is History Podcast Hosts (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
613.4K 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.
