Conan O’Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, and one of the most recognizable figures in late-night television. Born on April 18, 1963, in Brookline, Massachusetts, he attended Harvard University, where he studied History and Literature. After graduating, he began his career as a comedy writer for Saturday Night Live and later for The Simpsons, where he contributed to several classic episodes.

In 1993, O’Brien was chosen to replace David Letterman as host of NBC’s Late Night. Despite being relatively unknown on television and having an uncertain start, the show found its footing and ran for 16 years. Over the next sixteen years, his offbeat humor, absurd sketches, and strong writing team built a devoted audience. After Late Night, he briefly hosted The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien in 2009 before moving to TBS to host Conan, which ran from 2010 to 2021.

In 2018, O’Brien launched the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, which grew to over 660 million downloads. Since 2024, he has been hosting the travel comedy series Conan O’Brien Must Go on Max. He also hosted the Academy Awards in 2025 and 2026, bringing the Oscars ceremony its best U.S. ratings in five years.