Conan O'Brien facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Conan O'Brien
O'Brien in 2024
Birth name	Conan Christopher O'Brien
Born	(1963-04-18) April 18, 1963 (age 62) Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
Medium	Television film podcast
Education	Harvard University (BA)
Years active	1983–present
Genres	Improvisational comedy sketch comedy physical comedy surreal humor black comedy musical comedy
Subject(s)	American culture everyday life pop culture current events social awkwardness self-deprecation
Spouse	Liza Powel ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	2
Relative(s)	Denis Leary (third cousin)
Notable works and roles	Saturday Night Live (writer, 1988–1991) The Simpsons (writer, producer, 1991–1993) Late Night with Conan O'Brien (host, 1993–2009) The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (host, 2009–2010) Conan (host, 2010–2021) Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend (host, 2018–present)
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Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is a well-known American television host, comedian, and writer. He is famous for hosting popular late-night talk shows. These include Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009) and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009–2010) on NBC. He also hosted Conan (2010–2021) on TBS.

Before becoming a host, O'Brien wrote for famous comedy shows. He worked on Saturday Night Live from 1988 to 1991. He also wrote for the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1991 to 1993. Since 2018, he has hosted the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. In 2024, he starred in the travel show Conan O'Brien Must Go on Max.

Conan O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He grew up in an Irish Catholic family. While at Harvard University, he was the president of The Harvard Lampoon, a humor magazine. He earned a degree in history and literature. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people. He received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2025.

Early Life and Education

Conan Christopher O'Brien was born on April 18, 1963, in Brookline, Massachusetts. His father was a doctor and a professor at Harvard Medical School. His mother was a lawyer. Conan has three brothers and two sisters. He is also a distant cousin of comedian Denis Leary.

Conan went to Brookline High School. There, he was the managing editor of the school newspaper, The Sagamore. He also worked as an intern for two Congressmen. In his last year of high school, he won a writing contest for a short story.

After high school, Conan went to Harvard University in 1981. He studied history and literature. He graduated with honors in 1985. While in college, he played drums in a band called the Bad Clams. He also wrote for the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine. He was even the president of the Lampoon for two years.

Conan's Career Journey

Early Writing Jobs

After college, O'Brien moved to Los Angeles. He joined the writing team for Not Necessarily the News, a sketch comedy show on HBO. He worked there for two seasons. During this time, he also took classes in improvisation.

In 1988, Lorne Michaels, the producer of Saturday Night Live (SNL), hired O'Brien as a writer. For three years, O'Brien wrote many funny sketches for SNL. He even won an Emmy Award for his writing in 1989. Sometimes, O'Brien appeared as an extra in the sketches.

In 1991, O'Brien left Saturday Night Live. He felt tired from working so much. He wanted to try something new.

Writing for The Simpsons

After leaving SNL, O'Brien got a call from The Simpsons. The show's producers, Mike Reiss and Al Jean, offered him a writing job. Everyone wanted to work on The Simpsons back then. O'Brien was one of the first new writers hired for the show.

From 1991 to 1993, O'Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons. He wrote some of the show's most famous episodes. These include "Marge vs. the Monorail" and "Homer Goes to College". His writing helped the show become more silly and surreal.

While working on The Simpsons, O'Brien was offered a chance to host a talk show. David Letterman was leaving Late Night. The producer, Lorne Michaels, wanted O'Brien to take over. O'Brien did a test audition on the stage of The Tonight Show. The audience was made up of Simpsons writers.

On April 26, 1993, O'Brien was chosen as the new host of Late Night. Fox, the network that aired The Simpsons, did not want to let him go. But eventually, NBC and O'Brien worked out a deal.

Hosting Late Night

Late Night with Conan O'Brien started on September 13, 1993. At first, many critics did not like the show. They thought O'Brien was nervous and too smart for late-night TV. The show was almost canceled in its early years. NBC even thought about replacing him.

However, Late Night slowly became very popular. The show's funny sketches became famous. O'Brien's humor grew, and the show became known for its silly and wild segments. One popular part was when O'Brien visited a historic Civil War-era baseball league. He said this segment showed "who I'm all about."

The show's audience grew, especially young men. Late Night started beating other shows in the ratings. From 1996 onwards, O'Brien and his writing team were nominated for an Emmy Award every year. They won the award in 2007. They also won the Writers Guild Award several times.

In 2006, O'Brien visited Finland. People there noticed he looked like their president, Tarja Halonen. O'Brien made funny ads supporting her, and he was welcomed like a national hero. He even met the president.

On February 20, 2009, the last episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien aired. O'Brien ended the show by destroying the set with an axe. He thanked everyone who helped him, including Lorne Michaels, David Letterman, and Jay Leno.

The Tonight Show Experience

A poster created by Mike Mitchell during the 2010 Tonight Show conflict displaying his "Coco" nickname

In 2004, NBC made a deal with O'Brien. He would take over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2009. Hosting The Tonight Show was a dream for O'Brien. He stayed with NBC because of this promise.

On June 1, 2009, O'Brien started hosting The Tonight Show. Will Ferrell was his first guest. O'Brien got the nickname "Coco" during his second episode. Guest Tom Hanks used the name, and the audience started chanting it.

By late 2009, the show's ratings were lower than when Leno hosted. In January 2010, NBC decided to move Jay Leno back to late night. They suggested that O'Brien's Tonight Show would start later, at 12:05 am. O'Brien was not happy with this plan. He felt it would hurt the show.

On January 21, 2010, O'Brien announced he would leave The Tonight Show. He made a deal with NBC for $45 million. Part of this money went to his staff. The final Tonight Show with O'Brien aired on January 22, 2010. It featured guests like Tom Hanks and Steve Carell.

Comedy Tour and New Show

O'Brien performing in a replica of the costume Eddie Murphy wore in Eddie Murphy Raw (2010)

After leaving NBC, O'Brien was not allowed to be on TV until May 2010. He spoke about the situation on 60 Minutes. He said it felt like a sudden breakup. But he also said he was fine and had no regrets.

On March 11, 2010, O'Brien announced a live comedy tour. It was called "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour". His co-host Andy Richter and band members joined him. The tour visited 30 cities across America and Canada. A documentary film, Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011), followed him on this tour.

On the same day his tour began, O'Brien announced a new show. It would be on the cable channel TBS. The show, Conan, started on November 8, 2010.

Conan and Conan Without Borders

O'Brien promoting Conan O'Brien Can't Stop at the 2011 SXSW convention

In February 2015, O'Brien became the first American TV personality to film in Cuba in over 50 years. He also visited Armenia and South Korea for his show. During his visit to South Korea, he even stepped into North Korea for a moment. These international trips became a special series called Conan Without Borders.

O'Brien at Al Udeid Air Base during "Conan in Qatar"

Conan Without Borders became very popular. It won an Emmy Award in 2018. O'Brien traveled to 13 countries for the series.

In late 2018, Conan took a break. The show returned in January 2019 with a new, shorter format. It no longer had a live band. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the show was filmed from O'Brien's home. Later, it moved to a theater with a small staff but no audience.

In November 2020, TBS announced that Conan would end in June 2021. The final show aired on June 24, 2021. It had a live audience and marked the end of O'Brien's 28 years as a late-night host. He then moved to HBO Max to focus on his podcast and travel shows.

Podcasting and New Travel Show

Sona Movsesian (left) and Matt Gourley (right) co-host Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.

In 2018, O'Brien started his weekly podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. He hosts it with his assistant Sona Movsesian and producer Matt Gourley. The podcast quickly became very popular. It has won many awards. By August 2021, it had been downloaded over 250 million times.

In February 2022, O'Brien made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live. He joined other famous hosts to welcome John Mulaney into the "Five-Timers Club".

In May 2022, O'Brien's podcast business, Team Coco, was sold to SiriusXM. This deal included all of Team Coco's podcasts.

On April 18, 2024, HBO released a new travel series called Conan O'Brien Must Go on Max. The show features O'Brien traveling to Norway, Argentina, Thailand, and Ireland. He meets fans he had talked to on his podcast. The show received great reviews and was renewed for a second season.

In January 2025, it was announced that O'Brien would receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He received the award on March 23, 2025. On March 2, 2025, O'Brien hosted the 97th Academy Awards for the first time. He was praised for his performance. The Academy announced he would host the 98th Academy Awards as well.

Other Work

Television Production

O'Brien has also produced other TV shows through his company, Conaco. He was an executive producer for Andy Barker, P.I. in 2007, which starred his sidekick Andy Richter. He also produced the drama Outlaw in 2010.

Voice Acting

O'Brien has lent his voice to several animated shows and movies. He played himself as a "head in a jar" on Futurama. He also voiced characters on Robot Chicken and The Penguins of Madagascar. In 2013, he voiced Dave Endochrine in the animated movie Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Part 2). In 2017, he voiced The Riddler in The Lego Batman Movie. In 2021, he voiced Glaxxon 5000 in The Mitchells vs. the Machines.

Guest Appearances

O'Brien has appeared as himself on many TV shows. He was on 30 Rock as an ex-boyfriend of the main character, Liz Lemon. He also had a quick cameo on The Office. In 2019, he appeared as the "Wandering MC" in the video game Death Stranding.

Hosting Events

O'Brien has hosted several major awards shows. He hosted the 54th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2002 and the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2006. He also hosted the 2014 MTV Movie Awards. He has been the master of ceremonies for the White House Correspondents' Association dinner twice, in 1995 and 2013. In 2016, he hosted the 5th NFL Honors.

Conan's Style and Influences

O'Brien demonstrating his long legs at SXSW in March 2024. He is known for his active, spontaneous, and self-deprecating humor.

Conan O'Brien is known for his active and spontaneous hosting style. People describe his humor as "self-deprecating", meaning he often makes fun of himself. This style is clear in his "remotes," where he goes out into the world and interacts with people. His international Conan Without Borders shows are great examples of this.

O'Brien has said that comedians like Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart, and David Letterman influenced his comedy. He also mentioned Johnny Carson and Woody Allen. When he retired from Conan, he said his goal was to find a "strange, phantom intersection between smart and stupid" in his comedy. Many actors and comedians today say O'Brien has influenced their work.

Personal Life

O'Brien with his wife Liza in 2007

Conan O'Brien met Elizabeth Ann "Liza" Powel in 2000. She appeared in a sketch on his Late Night show. They dated for about 18 months and got married in 2002. Conan and Liza have a daughter, Neve (born 2003), and a son, Beckett (born 2005).

O'Brien often talks about his Irish Catholic background. He has said that all of his ancestors came from Ireland in the 1850s. A DNA test later confirmed that his family history is entirely Irish Catholic. He found this very rare for an American.

He has been a registered Democrat since 1984. He sees himself as a moderate in politics. O'Brien also helped start an organization called Labels Are For Jars to fight hunger. He helped open a meal center in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 2006.

In January 2008, O'Brien grew a beard during a writers' strike. He grew another beard after leaving The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien in 2010. He kept it until May 2011, when it was shaved on his show Conan.

In 2009, O'Brien bought a house in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. He moved there from New York City to host The Tonight Show. He famously brought his old 1992 Ford Taurus SHO car with him. In 2016, he bought a beach house in Carpinteria, California.

On June 12, 2011, O'Brien received an honorary degree from Dartmouth College. He also gave the commencement speech there. On October 21, 2011, O'Brien became a minister. This allowed him to perform a same-sex marriage on his show Conan. It was the first same-sex marriage broadcast on American late-night television.

Film and Television Appearances

Film

Television

Video Games

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Conan O'Brien para niños