Overview (4)

Born April 18, 1963 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA Birth Name Conan Christopher O'Brien Nicknames Consie

Coney

The Cone-Zone

Conando

Coco

Big Red

The Maestro

The Conebone Height 6' 4" (1.93 m)

Mini Bio (1)

Conan O'Brien grew up in a large, Irish Catholic family in Massachusetts. At an early age, he developed a love of comedy and goofing off, this carried on when he entered the prestigious Harvard University, acting out many pranks in his time, as well as become the president of the Harvard humor magazine, the Harvard Lampoon. After leaving Harvard, Conan found his way into a television writing job in LA. After jumping around on many unsuccessful shows, Conan moved out to New York to win an Emmy for his writing on Saturday Night Live (1975). Later, he moved on to work for Die Simpsons (1989), when SNL Executive Producer Lorne Michaels offered him the job of producer for the now vacant 12:30 slot on NBC. Conan, after searching for a new host, decided to audition for the job himself, and eventually wound up as the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993).

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Kevin Newcombe < bnewcom@ibm.net>

Spouse (1)

Trade Mark (11)

Since 9/11, no longer begins the show by jumping around the stage but still makes the big final leap onto his mark and then spins his arm to "throw" to Max



Frequently lampoons how much he is "unknown," "disliked," or poorly paid compared to guests and his "competition," despite the fact that the opposite is sometimes true



Frequently makes jokes at his own expense and at the expense of band leader Max Weinberg, and band member La Bamba



Frequently knocks over the microphone at his desk, usually after an awkward moment or brazen joke



The string dance (a little made-up jig where he pulls an imaginary string behind his back, which moves his hips, and finishes by cutting it)



Neatly combed and parted hair



Usually ends his show with the phrase "bye, everybody, bye," spoken very rapidly.



Beard



Towering height



Sometimes playfully hisses or purs at female guests like a cat or jumps around excitedly when flirted with



Often jokes about the audience's reaction to a previously said joke



Trivia (58)



Worked as a warmup comic for the The Wilton North Report (1987).

Born at 1:38pm-EST





His favorite episode of Die Simpsons (1989) is "Marge vs. the Monorail".



A distant cousin of Denis Leary

Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, with a BA in American History & Literature. [1985]



He was editor of the Harvard Lampoon for two years in a row, and he is the second person to have ever done this. It had been 85 years since it was done.



Had a golden retriever named Hudson, who was originally part of a sketch on "Late Night". He now has a golden retriever named Bosco.



Married Liza Powel on January 12, 2002, in a full Catholic Mass by Father Paul O'Brien (no relation) at St. James Cathedral in Liza's home town, Seattle. The couple met when Liza was a guest on Late Night.



A graduate of Brookline High School.





Once shared an apartment with Bill Cusack

Took tap dancing lessons as a child



The name of his production company, Conaco, was chosen to echo the name of petroleum company Conoco.



Daughter Neve O'Brien born October 14, 2003 in New York (6 lbs., 10 oz.).



Calls where he does his monologue "The Laugh Zone."



Calls where he sits "The Chat Zone."





In the 2001 film, Sugar & Spice (2001), one of the cheerleaders is obsessed with "Conan O'Brien".



Replaced David Letterman in the late night slot on NBC after Letterman left for CBS. Virtually no one thought the show would last. It did last, for 17 years.

Plays guitar.





Hosted Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) until 2009 when he replaced Jay Leno as host of NBC's Tonight Show. He was fired from The Tonight Show after less than a year because he refused to start the show later. He felt like that wouldn't really be The Tonight Show in a different time slot. Afterward he went on a nationwide comedy and music tour before taking a job at TBS as host of "Conan" in 2010.

Became the 5th host of "The Tonight Show" on its 55th anniversary.



Both of his parents are of Irish descent.



His show was cancelled for one night and brought back because the network's executives wanted to find a replacement show before cancelling the show. A replacement show was never needed.



In the beginning season of the show, he signed a new contract every week because the network was doubtful of the show's future and his ratings.



Originally wanted to name his daughter the old-fashioned Irish feminine name Niamh (pronounced "knee-vh" or "neh-v"), which means "radiance, lustre, brightness" -- but decided that her life would be easier if they Americanized the spelling to Neve.



Son, Beckett O'Brien, was born on November 9, 2005 in New York City, weighing in at 8 lbs. 4 oz.





Once shared an apartment with comedian/actor Jeff Garlin in Chicago across from Wrigley Field before both of them made it big.



When Burt Ward was asked to give a speech at Harvard about his role on Batman (1966), he brought the original costume, said to be valued at half a million dollars. Some students came up to him dressed as security guards and told him they would keep the costume safe. Then in the middle of the speech, one student stood up and asked, "When is a costume not a costume? When it's stolen." The lights dimmed and the students grabbed the costume and made off. After snapping pictures with one another in the cape, they later called Ward and gave the costume back. The ringleader of the gang? Harvard Lampoon editor, Conan O'Brien.

In one episode of his show, a Finnish man in his audience pointed out to him that he looked like President Tarja Halonen. He decided to support Halonen in the election campaign in 2006, and started a skit called "Pro-Finland, Anti- Sweden". Halonen met with him and Halonen gave to him as a gift, Moomin dolls for his family.





For Conan, the most beautiful woman in the world is Gisele Bündchen . He had the opportunity of telling her personally this when she was a guest on his show in 2005.



One of his all-time favorite television shows is Männerwirtschaft (1970).

Son-in-law of Seattle Dixieland band-leader Jake Powel.





Close friends with writer Chris Graves

Owns a summer home in Norfolk, Massachusetts.





Is an avid fan of filmmaker Kevin Smith



Often tries to calm his "Late Night" audience with the term "Cool Babies". This is a lyric from the Talking Heads song, "Burning Down the House".



Claims he lost his virginity listening to The Who

Grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts.



At 46 years old, he was the oldest person at the time to start hosting "The Tonight Show". When Jay Leno took "The Tonight Show" back over, if you consider that to be "starting" hosting again, then he would be the oldest now. Otherwise, his record still stands.





He was given the nickname "Coco" by Tom Hanks on the second episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009). Conan jokingly replied "If that sticks, I'm going to sue you!" The name "Coco" would later be used for the Team Coco online campaign to support him during the "Late Night Wars" in late 2009.



Prior to her death, Conan frequently parodied Anna Nicole Smith and made jokes about her being a gold digger and a ditzy blonde during his monologues but, after she passed away, he immediately stopped as a gesture of respect.

Maintains a country retreat in the secluded, Litchfield County town of Washington, Connecticut. [May 2007]





After leaving The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009), Conan kicked off a comedy tour and signed a contract with TBS to start his new show Conan (2010). [April 2010]

Visited Finland. [February 2006]



Ended his contract with the Tonight Show on NBC and may return to television in September. [January 2010]



Resides in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles.



Shortly after New York state legalized gay marriage, Conan became an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church so he could officiate the wedding of one of his producers on his show while it was being taped that week in New York City.



He hates mushrooms.





Is a huge fan of author Flannery O'Connor , "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" being his favorite of her books.

On a July 26, 2020 episode of his podcast, he revealed that Lorne Michaels had him be an extra in Coneheads (1993) but his scenes were deleted.





Born on the same date as Eric McCormack

Personal Quotes (10)

The nightmare is you spend the rest of your life being funny at parties and then people say 'Why didn't you do that when you were on television?'



If you can really laugh at yourself loud and hard every time you fall, people will think you're drunk.



"I've always believed, in my heart of hearts, that it would be a better show if, when I crossed over to the desk, the band kept playing for an hour and I danced in a cage.



If I existed 200 years ago, all the other farmers in my community would be like, 'That guy is worthless! He's sitting on a rock, jumping up like a frog, coming up with weird concepts and ideas, making faces, and combing his hair into a giant pastry.' It's a good thing I was born in this century, when superfluous television seems to be part of the economy.





[Final words at the final The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009)]: And all I ask is one thing and this is... I'm asking this particularly of young people that watch. Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism; for the record, it's my least favorite quality, it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, it's just true.

[jokingly, on similarities with Howdy Doody] I'm controlled by others, I have artificial joints, and I have no soul. These freckles are painted on.



If you wanted the most simple way to understand how America changed between 1954 and 2005, it would be [that] we've mutated from Howdy Doody to Triumph. That's either really good news or bad new for America. I'm suspecting it's bad news.



[returning from a trip to Cuba, 2015] Maybe it isn't a bad form of diplomacy to send a comedian over.



Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.



Where were you in the 80s and the 90s when nothing was going on for Cony? Then I get married and it's raining ladies!



Salary (4)