Conan O'Brien: From Valedictorian to Late-Night Legend and Beyond

Conan O'Brien, an American television host, comedian, and writer, is best known for hosting late-night talk shows. His career began with Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993-2009) and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009-2010) on NBC, followed by Conan (2010-2021) on TBS. Before becoming a host, O'Brien wrote for Saturday Night Live (1988-1991) and The Simpsons (1991-1993).

Early Life and Education

Born on April 18, 1963, in Brookline, Massachusetts, Conan Christopher O'Brien grew up in a large Irish Catholic family. His father, Dr. Thomas O'Brien, was a physician and Harvard Medical School professor, and his mother, Ruth O'Brien, was an attorney. O'Brien was the third of six children. Described as "gracious and generous," the O'Briens frequently opened their home to their son's roommates. Luis A. Ubiñas, a former roommate and Ford Foundation President, described the O'Brien household as "this big, rambling, wonderful family house filled with wonderful family people and a loving mother and a loving father-it was almost the kind of family you dream of having but don’t think can be found anywhere."

Academic Excellence and Early Humor

O'Brien's academic journey began at Brookline High School, where he graduated as valedictorian. He also served as the editor of the school newspaper. His friend Edward L. Widmer noted that "with Conan, every single thing over the course of the day is an object of humor and observational comedy and wordplay-it was just always great to be around him."

Harvard Years: History, Literature, and Humor

After graduating from Brookline High School, O'Brien attended Harvard University, where he majored in History and Literature. He crafted a senior thesis entitled “The ‘Old Child’ in Faulkner and O’Connor.” The 72-page typewritten work argues that the New South’s emerging identity is manifested in the literature of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor via the motif of children that age too quickly, a phenomenon O’Brien termed “literary progeria.”

During his time at Harvard, O'Brien became the president of The Harvard Lampoon, a semi-secret social organization that occasionally published a humor magazine. By sophomore year, O’Brien had been elected Lampoon President. He became the first leader in the magazine’s 134-year history to reign for two terms. According to Widmer, O'Brien had "the body of Abraham Lincoln and the head of Martin Van Buren." O'Brien described the role as balancing "trying to make as many jokes as possible and appear as non-caring as possible, and yet caring enough to get things done."

Early Career: Writing for Comedy

After graduating from Harvard, O'Brien pursued a career in comedy writing. He wrote for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News. He moved to Los Angeles and wrote for several comedy shows. In 1988, he joined the writing staff of Saturday Night Live (SNL). He and the other writers won an Emmy Award for Best Writing on a Comedy or Variety Series in 1989.

The Simpsons

From 1991 to 1993, O'Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons. Mike Reiss and Al Jean, then showrunners of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, offered O'Brien a job. O'Brien wrote some of the series' most acclaimed episodes, including "Marge vs. the Monorail" and "Homer Goes to College." He also has sole writing credits on "New Kid on the Block" and "Treehouse of Horror IV," where he wrote the episode wraparounds. Wallace Wolodarsky described a "room character" O'Brien put on for the writers: "Conan used to do this thing called the Nervous Writer that involved him opening a can of Diet Coke and then nervously pitching a joke. After O'Brien's debut, the show took a rapid shift in the direction of the surreal.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

In 1993, Lorne Michaels selected O'Brien to take over David Letterman's position as host of Late Night. O'Brien arranged with Michaels that O'Brien would do a test audition on the stage of The Tonight Show. O'Brien was picked as the new host of Late Night on April 26, 1993. Late Night with Conan O'Brien, originating from Studio 6A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, premiered on September 13, 1993, to unfavorable reviews from contemporary critics. Critics viewed O'Brien as nervous and fidgety on-camera, and that he was "too smart, too East Coast, too sophisticated, too young and even too tall to be successful." Tom Shales of The Washington Post suggested that "the host resume his previous identity, Conan O'Blivion." The show was constantly at risk for cancellation.

Building Success

Late Night under O'Brien slowly but steadily acquired commercial and critical success. Sketches grew in popularity ("If They Mated", "Desk Drive", "In the Year 2000"). A reliable staple involved a TV screen, lowered behind O'Brien's desk and displaying a still photo of a news figure. The lips and voice of these characters were supplied by writing partner Robert Smigel. David Letterman's February 1994 appearance provided a "morale boost." In 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004, he and the Late Night writing staff won the Writers Guild Award for Best Writing in a Comedy/Variety Series. As of October 2005, Late Night with Conan O'Brien had for eleven years consistently attracted an audience averaging about 2.5 million viewers. On February 20, 2009, NBC aired the last episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The show consisted of a compilation of previous Late Night clips and included a surprise appearance by former sidekick Andy Richter.

The Tonight Show and the NBC Conflict

In 2004, NBC promised O'Brien that in five years he’d be hosting The Tonight Show. In June 2009, the first episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien aired.

Read also: Harvard and humor: Conan O'Brien

The Host Change Controversy

After seven months, NBC gave the show back to Jay Leno when O'Brien declined to accept a later time slot, a move he felt would have betrayed the show's integrity. Sources familiar with the situation stated that O'Brien was unhappy and disappointed with NBC's plan. On January 12, O'Brien released a statement: "I sincerely believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't The Tonight Show." On January 21, 2010, it was announced that O'Brien had reached a deal with NBC that would see him exit The Tonight Show the next day. The final Tonight Show with O'Brien aired January 22, 2010, and featured guests Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Neil Young, and Will Ferrell.

The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour

After his departure from The Tonight Show, O'Brien embarked on a 32-city live comedy tour titled "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour." This tour was the subject of the documentary Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011).

Conan on TBS

After being prohibited from making television appearances of any kind until May, O'Brien spoke about the Tonight Show conflict on the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes on May 2, 2010. He said the situation felt "like a marriage breaking up suddenly, violently, quickly. And I was just trying to figure out what happened."

A New Chapter

O'Brien then hosted Conan from 2010 to 2021. TBS extended the show through 2018 in 2014 and through 2022 in 2017. The show attracted loyal audiences, particularly younger viewers. In February 2015, following the onset of the Cuban thaw, O'Brien became the first American television personality to film in Cuba for more than half a century. O'Brien then visited Armenia for his next show abroad, during which he featured his assistant Sona Movsesian, who is Armenian American. In April 2016, O'Brien visited South Korea in response to a fan letter urging him to visit, as well as a growing fan base online. In late 2018, Conan took a three-month hiatus while O'Brien launched another national comedy tour. In 2019, Conan switched to a thirty-minute format.

Other Ventures

In 2018, O'Brien's production company, Team Coco, partnered with Earwolf to launch his own weekly podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. The podcast debuted November 18, 2018, with Will Ferrell as the first guest. Guests on the podcast have included Barack and Michelle Obama, Stephen Colbert, and Bob Newhart among others. In 2022, O’Brien launched Conan O'Brien Radio, a channel on SiriusXM Radio.

Read also: Who Can Be Valedictorian?

Conan O'Brien Must Go

On April 18, 2024, HBO released a four-episode international travel series titled Conan O'Brien Must Go on Max to widespread critical acclaim. The series featured O'Brien traveling to Norway, Argentina, Thailand, and Ireland to meet fans whom he had previously featured via video calls in his podcast series Conan O'Brien Needs a Fan. The show was renewed for a second season of six episodes in May 2024.

Comedy Style and Influences

O'Brien is known for his spontaneous hosting style, characterized by "awkward, self-deprecating humor." His late-night programs combine the "lewd and wacky with more elegant, narrative-driven short films." His remotes have also become some of his best-received work, including the international travel series Conan Without Borders. O'Brien lists Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart, David Letterman, Peter Sellers, and Sid Caesar among his comedic influences.

Personal Life and Recognition

O'Brien married Elizabeth Ann Powell in 2002. They have a daughter, Neve, born in 2003, and a son, Beckett, born in 2005. He has been a registered Democrat since casting his first vote for president in 1984 for Walter Mondale and considers himself a moderate on the political spectrum.

Mark Twain Prize

In January 2025, it was announced that O'Brien would be the 2025 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He received the award on March 23 at the John F.

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