Conan O'Brien - wikipedia Conan O'Brien Conan O'Brien O'Brien at the 2015 San Diego Comic - Con International Birth name Conan Christopher O'Brien ( 1963 - 04 - 18 ) April 18, 1963 ( age 54 ) Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. Medium Television Alma mater Harvard University Years active 1987 -- present Genres Improvisational comedy, sketch comedy, physical comedy, surreal humor, self - deprecation, black comedy, musical comedy, satire Subject ( s ) American culture, American politics, everyday life, pop culture, current events, human behavior, social awkwardness, gender differences, human sexuality Spouse Elizabeth Ann Powel ( m. 2002 ) Children Notable works and roles The Simpsons ( writer, producer, 1991 -- 93 ) Late Night with Conan O'Brien ( host, 1993 -- 2009 ) The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien ( host, 2009 -- 2010 ) Conan ( host, 2010 -- present ) Signature Conan Christopher O'Brien ( born April 18, 1963 ) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for hosting several late - night talk shows ; since 2010, he has hosted Conan on the cable channel TBS. O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and was raised in an Irish Catholic family. He served as president of The Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University, and was a writer for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News. After writing for several comedy shows in Los Angeles, he joined the writing staff of Saturday Night Live. O'Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons for two seasons until he was commissioned by NBC to take over David Letterman 's position as host of Late Night in 1993. A virtual unknown to the public, O'Brien's initial Late Night tenure received unfavorable reviews and remained on a multiweek renewal cycle during its early years. The show generally improved over time and was highly regarded by the time of his departure in 2009. Afterwards, O'Brien relocated from New York to Los Angeles to host his own incarnation of The Tonight Show for seven months until network politics prompted a host change in 2010. Known for his spontaneous hosting style, which has been characterized as `` awkward, self - deprecating humor '', O'Brien's late - night programs combine the `` lewd and wacky with more elegant, narrative - driven short films ( remotes ) ''. He has hosted Conan since 2010 and has also hosted such events as the Emmy Awards and Christmas in Washington. O'Brien has been the subject of a documentary, Conan O'Brien Ca n't Stop ( 2011 ), and has also hosted a 32 - city live comedy tour. With the retirement of David Letterman on May 20, 2015, O'Brien became the longest - working of all current late - night talk show hosts in the United States, at 22 years. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Saturday Night Live ( 1987 -- 1991 ) 2.2 The Simpsons ( 1991 -- 1993 ) 2.3 Late Night ( 1993 -- 2009 ) 2.3. 1 The Colbert / O'Brien / Stewart mock feud 2.4 The Tonight Show ( 2009 -- 2010 ) 2.4. 1 Departure from The Tonight Show 2.5 After The Tonight Show 2.5. 1 The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour 2.6 Conan ( 2010 -- present ) 2.7 Television writer / producer ( 2002 -- present ) 2.8 Voice work and guest appearances 2.9 Emmy host 2.10 Commercials and product placements 2.11 Nicknames 3 Influences 4 Personal life 4.1 Victim of stalking 5 Filmography 5.1 Film 5.2 Television 5.3 Video games 5.4 Music videos 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 Further reading 10 External links Early Life O'Brien was born on April 18, 1963 in Brookline, Massachusetts. His father, Thomas Francis O'Brien, is a physician, epidemiologist, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. His mother, Ruth O'Brien ( née Reardon ), is an attorney and partner at the Boston firm Ropes & Gray. O'Brien attended Brookline High School, where he served as the managing editor of the school newspaper, The Sagamore. In his second year, O'Brien was an intern for Congressman Robert Drinan and in his senior year, he won the National Council of Teachers of English writing contest with his short story, `` To Bury the Living ''. After graduating as valedictorian in 1981, he entered Harvard University. At Harvard, O'Brien lived in Holworthy Hall during his first year and Mather House during his three upper - class years. He concentrated in history and literature and graduated magna cum laude in 1985. O'Brien's senior thesis concerned the use of children as symbols in the works of William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor. During college, O'Brien briefly served as the drummer in a band called `` The Bad Clams '', was a writer for the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine, and developed a spoof of the popular video game One on One : Dr. J vs. Larry Bird in which the Boston Celtics play against a classical ballet troupe. During his sophomore and junior years, he served as the Lampoon 's president. At this time, O'Brien's future boss at NBC, Jeff Zucker, was serving as President of the school 's newspaper The Harvard Crimson. Career Saturday Night Live ( 1987 -- 1991 ) O'Brien in the offices of the writers of The Simpsons, 1992 O'Brien moved to Los Angeles after graduation to join the writing staff of HBO 's Not Necessarily the News. He was also a writer on the short - lived The Wilton North Report. He spent two years with that show and performed regularly with improvisational groups, including The Groundlings. In January 1988, Saturday Night Live 's executive producer, Lorne Michaels, hired O'Brien as a writer. During his three years on Saturday Night Live ( SNL ), he wrote such recurring sketches as `` Mr. Short - Term memory '' and `` The Girl Watchers '' ; the latter was first performed by Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz. O'Brien also co-wrote the sketch `` Nude Beach '' with Robert Smigel, in which the word `` penis '' was said or sung at least 42 times. While on a writers ' strike from Saturday Night Live following the 1987 -- 88 season, O'Brien put on an improvisational comedy revue in Chicago with fellow SNL writers Bob Odenkirk and Robert Smigel called Happy Happy Good Show. While living in Chicago, O'Brien briefly roomed with Jeff Garlin. In 1989, O'Brien and his fellow SNL writers received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series. O'Brien, like many SNL writers, occasionally appeared as an extra in sketches ; his most notable appearance was as a doorman in a sketch in which Tom Hanks was inducted into the SNL `` Five - Timers Club '' for hosting his fifth episode. O'Brien returned to host the show in 2001 during its 26th season. O'Brien and Robert Smigel wrote the television pilot for Lookwell starring Adam West, which aired on NBC in 1991. The pilot never went to series, but it became a cult hit. It was later screened at The Other Network, a festival of unaired TV pilots produced by Un-Cabaret ; it featured an extended interview with O'Brien and was rerun in 2002 on the Trio network. Things changed for O'Brien in 1991, when in quick succession, an engagement fell through ; Lookwell was not picked up ; and, burned out, he quit Saturday Night Live. `` I told Lorne Michaels I could n't come back to work and I just needed to do something else, '' O'Brien recalled. `` I had no plan whatsoever. I was literally in this big transition phase in my life where I decided, I 'll just walk around New York City, and an idea will come to me. '' Mike Reiss and Al Jean, then dual showrunners of The Simpsons, called O'Brien and offered him a job. The series was notorious in the writing community at the time ; O'Brien recalls `` everyone wanted to be on that show, but they never hired. '' O'Brien was one of the first hires after the show 's original crew. With the help of old Groundlings friend Lisa Kudrow, O'Brien purchased an apartment in Beverly Hills. He and Kudrow became involved as well, and Kudrow believed he should begin performing rather than writing. O'Brien disagreed, feeling that Kudrow was being overly flattering and that asserting he was happy as a writer. In his speech given at Class Day at Harvard in 2000, O'Brien credited The Simpsons with saving him, a reference to the career slump he was experiencing prior to his being hired for the show. The Simpsons ( 1991 -- 1993 ) I was very nervous when I started. They showed me into this office and told me to start writing down some ideas. They left me alone in that office. I left after five minutes to go get a cup of coffee. I heard a crash. I walked back to the office, and there was a hole in the window and a dead bird on the floor. Literally, in my first ten minutes at The Simpsons, a bird had flown through the glass of my window, hit the far wall, broken its neck, and fallen dead on the floor. George Meyer came in and looked at it, and said, `` Man, this is some kind of weird omen. '' -- O'Brien on his first moments at The Simpsons From 1991 to 1993, O'Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons. When O'Brien first arrived at the Fox lot, they temporarily gave him writer Jeff Martin 's office. O'Brien was nervous and self - conscious, feeling that he would embarrass himself in front of what he regarded as an intimidating collection of writers. O'Brien would pitch characters in their voices as he thought that was the norm until Reiss informed him that no one did such. He fit in quickly, commanding control of the room frequently ; Josh Weinstein called it a `` ten - hour Conan show, nonstop ''. According to John Ortved, one of his fellow writers ventured that if Conan had n't left to do Late Night, he was a shoo - in to take over as showrunner on The Simpsons. When not contributing to others ' scripts, O'Brien managed to craft what are regarded as some of the series ' most memorable and finest episodes : `` Marge vs. the Monorail '' and `` Homer Goes to College ''. Generally, critics, fans and even those who worked on the show agree that its sensibilities changed following `` Marge vs. the Monorail. '' The show was initially a highly realistic family sitcom ; after O'Brien's debut, the show took a rapid shift in the direction of the surreal. Along with those episodes, he has sole writing credits on `` New Kid on the Block '' and `` Treehouse of Horror IV '', on which he wrote the episode wraparounds. Wallace Wolodarsky described a `` room character '' Conan 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. He would spray Diet Coke all over himself, and that was always a source of endless amusement among us. '' Occasionally, fellow writers from the show would stop by O'Brien's Beverly Hills apartment. Meanwhile, Late Night host David Letterman was preparing to leave, prompting executive producer Lorne Michaels to search for a new host. Michaels approached O'Brien to produce ; then - agent Gavin Polone stressed that O'Brien wanted to perform, rather than produce. He arranged with Michaels that O'Brien would do a test audition on the stage of The Tonight Show. Jason Alexander and Mimi Rogers were the guests, and the audience was composed of Simpsons writers. Wolodarksky recalled the experience : `` Seeing this friend of yours, this guy that you worked with, walk out from behind that curtain and deliver a monologue was like something you could only dream up that you could n't ever imagine actually happening. '' The performance was beamed by satellite to New York, where Lorne Michaels and NBC executives watched. O'Brien was picked as the new host of Late Night on April 26, 1993. As the writers headed to the voice record for `` Homer Goes to College '', O'Brien received a phone call from Polone informing him of the decision. `` He was passed out facedown into this horrible shag carpet. He was just quiet and comatose down there on that carpet, '' recalled postproduction supervisor Michael Mendel. `` I remember looking at him and saying, ' Wow. Your life is about to change, in a really dramatic way. ' '' Fox, however, would not let O'Brien out of his contract. Eventually, NBC and O'Brien would split the cost to get him out of the contract. After O'Brien's departure, the writers at The Simpsons would watch videotaped episodes of Late Night at lunch the day following their midnight broadcast and analyze them. During his time at The Simpsons, O'Brien also had a side project working with Smigel on the script for a musical film based on the `` Hans and Franz '' sketch from Saturday Night Live, but the film was never produced. Late Night ( 1993 -- 2009 ) Main article : Late Night with Conan O'Brien Late Night with Conan O'Brien, originating from Studio 6A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, premiered September 13, 1993 to unfavorable reviews from contemporary critics. This reception was not completely unsurprising ; O'Brien wrote a self - deprecating New York Times piece titled `` O'Brien Flops ! '' on the day of the show 's premiere. Critics attacked O'Brien : Tom Shales of The Washington Post suggested that `` the host resume his previous identity, Conan O'Blivion. '' Generally, 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. '' The show was constantly at risk for cancellation ; at one low point in 1994, NBC threatened to put him on a week - to - week contract. Executives were anxious to replace him with Greg Kinnear, who followed O'Brien with Later at 1 : 30 am. Interns filled empty seats in the audience while affiliates began to inquire about replacement hosts. In one installment after a short stretch of reruns, sidekick Andy Richter described his vacation activities as follows : `` I sat back and reminded myself what it 's like to be unemployed. '' The in - joke referenced the rumors floating in the trades that NBC was near canceling the program. Things would improve slowly. Banter between O'Brien and Richter improved, and 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 news figure. The lips and voice of these characters -- frequently a party - crazed hillbilly interpretation of Bill Clinton -- were supplied by writing partner Robert Smigel. A turning point was David Letterman 's February 1994 appearance. `` It was a morale boost, '' said O'Brien. `` I 'm thinking, If the guy who created the 12 : 30 thing comes on and says we 're smart and funny, let 's go. '' The show went through a temporary wobble in January 1995 when Robert Smigel, feeling burned out, quit as head writer. The show 's quality improved slowly over time, and most credit O'Brien's growing comedic performance. Within a year, a comedic formula began to arise : the show would combine the lewd and wacky with a more elegant, narrative - driven remotes. Regular characters would typically include a `` Masturbating Bear '' and a famous remote found Conan visit a historic, Civil War - era baseball league. That piece was one of O'Brien's personal favorites, later remarking, `` When I leave this earth, at the funeral, just show this, because this pretty much says who I 'm all about. '' O'Brien's audience, largely young and male ( a coveted demographic ), grew steadily and the show began to best competitors in the ratings, which it would continue to do for 15 seasons. In the early days of the Internet, fans launched unofficial websites, compiling precise summaries of each episode. Even Tom Shales was a convert : he called the show `` one of the most amazing transformations in television history. '' Beginning in 1996, O'Brien and the Late Night writing team were nominated annually for the Emmy Award for Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series, winning the award for the first and only time in 2007. 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. In 2001, he formed his own television production company, Conaco, which subsequently shared in the production credits for Late Night. As of October 2005, Late Night with Conan O'Brien had for eleven years consistently attracted an audience averaging about 2.5 million viewers. The apotheosis of the Late Night remotes centered on the realization in 2006 that O'Brien bore a striking resemblance to the then female president of Finland, Tarja Halonen. `` We took the show to Helsinki for five days, '' O'Brien recalled, `` where we were embraced like a national treasure. '' 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. Will Ferrell, John Mayer, and the White Stripes also appeared. O'Brien ended the episode by destroying the set with an axe, handing out the pieces of the set to the audience, and thanking a list of people who helped him get to that point in his career. Among those thanked were Lorne Michaels, David Letterman, Jay Leno, and O'Brien's wife and children. The Colbert / O'Brien / Stewart mock feud Main article : Who Made Huckabee ? During the writers ' strike in 2008, O'Brien staged a mock feud with Comedy Central 's Jon Stewart ( of The Daily Show ) and Stephen Colbert ( of The Colbert Report ) over a dispute about which of the three were responsible for giving a `` bump '' to Mike Huckabee 's campaign to become the Republican presidential nominee. This feud crossed over all three shows during the 2007 -- 08 Writers Guild of America strike. The Tonight show ( 2009 -- 2010 ) Main article : The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien In 2004, O'Brien negotiated a new contract with NBC. As part of the deal, O'Brien would take over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2009. O'Brien was a guest on Jay Leno 's final episode of The Tonight Show. On June 1, 2009, Will Ferrell became Conan 's first Tonight Show guest on the couch and Pearl Jam appeared as his first musical guest. During the taping of the Friday, September 25, 2009, episode of The Tonight Show, O'Brien suffered from a mild concussion after he slipped and hit his head while running a race as part of a comedy sketch with guest Teri Hatcher. He was examined at a hospital and released the same day. A rerun was aired that night, but O'Brien returned to work the following Monday and poked fun at the incident. Departure from the Tonight show Main article : 2010 Tonight Show conflict O'Brien in Atlanta, Georgia, June 2010 On Thursday, January 7, 2010, NBC executive Jeff Zucker met with Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien to discuss how to get Leno out of prime time, where his ratings were lackluster, and back into late night, where O'Brien's ratings had collapsed before Leno 's prime time series began. A proposal was made that would see O'Brien remain as host of The Tonight Show, which would be moved to 12 : 05 am with Leno hosting a 30 - minute show at 11 : 35 pm On January 10, NBC Universal Television Entertainment chairman Jeff Gaspin confirmed that The Jay Leno Show would indeed end at the start of the Winter Olympics on February 12, 2010, and be moved to 11 : 35 pm following the Olympics coverage. Sources familiar with the situation told the New York Post that O'Brien was unhappy with NBC 's plan. Every comedian, every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and -- for seven months -- I got to do it. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second ( of it )... All I ask is one thing, and 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 does n'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. -- Conan O'Brien, on his departure from The Tonight Show, January 22, 2010 On January 12, O'Brien released this 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 is n't The Tonight Show. '' On January 21, 2010, it was announced that Conan had reached a deal with NBC that would see him exit The Tonight Show the next day. The deal also granted him $45 million, of which $12 million was designated for distribution to his staff, who had moved with Conan to Los Angeles from New York when he left Late Night. The final Tonight Show with Conan aired January 22, 2010, and featured guests Tom Hanks, Steve Carell ( who did an exit interview and shredded Conan 's ID badge ), Neil Young ( singing `` Long May You Run '' ), and Will Ferrell. For Ferrell 's appearance, Conan played guitar with the band and Ferrell sang `` Free Bird '' while reprising his SNL cowbell. Ferrell 's wife, Viveca Paulin, together with Ben Harper, Beck, and ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, also joined the band for this final performance. Jay Leno returned to The Tonight Show following NBC 's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Under the $45 million deal with NBC, Conan was allowed to start working for another network as soon as September 2010. Conan 's rumored next networks ranged anywhere from Fox to Comedy Central. After the Tonight show On February 8, 2010, it was reported that O'Brien was attempting to sell his Central Park West penthouse in New York with an asking price of $35 million. He had purchased the apartment in 2007 for $10 million. Two years earlier, O'Brien had purchased a home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles for over $10.5 million. Some industry insiders have speculated that O'Brien had chosen to stay on the west coast in order to facilitate a return to late night television and because he did not want to put his children through another move. On February 24, 2010, O'Brien attracted media attention for starting a Twitter account. His tweets, although primarily jokes, amounted to his first public statements since leaving The Tonight Show one month earlier. After about one hour, O'Brien's subscriber list had rocketed to over 30,000 members, and approximately 30 minutes later he was on the brink of passing 50,000 followers, already 20,000 more than the verified @ jayleno account. After 24 hours, O'Brien had well over 300,000 followers. In late May 2010, he surpassed the one million mark for number of Twitter followers, and as of March 2015 he has over fifteen million followers. O'Brien has been named to the 2010 Time 100, a list compiled by TIME of the 100 most influential people in the world as voted on by readers. 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. During the interview with Steve Kroft, O'Brien said the situation felt `` like a marriage breaking up suddenly, violently, quickly. And I was just trying to figure out what happened. '' He also said he `` absolutely '' expected NBC to give him more of a chance and that, if in Jay Leno 's position, he would not have come back to The Tonight Show. However, Conan said he did not feel he got shafted. `` It 's crucial to me that anyone seeing this, if they take anything away from this, it 's I 'm fine. I 'm doing great, '' said O'Brien. `` I hope people still find me comedically absurd and ridiculous. And I do n't regret anything. '' The Legally prohibited from being funny on television tour O'Brien performing in a replica of the costume Eddie Murphy wore in Eddie Murphy Raw Main article : The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour On March 11, 2010, O'Brien announced via his Twitter account that he would embark on a 30 - city live tour beginning April 12, 2010, entitled `` The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour ''. Co-host Andy Richter, along with members of the former Tonight Show Band, joined O'Brien on the tour. Max Weinberg, however, was not able to join, except for a guest appearance at one of Conan 's New York City shows. On April 12, 2010, O'Brien opened his two - month comedy tour in Eugene, Oregon, with a crowd of 2,500 and no TV cameras. The tour traveled through America 's Northwest and Canada before moving on to larger cities, including Los Angeles and New York City, where he performed on the campuses that house both of the NBC - owned studios he formerly occupied. The tour ended in Atlanta on June 14. Conan ( 2010 -- present ) Main article : Conan ( talk show ) On April 12, 2010, just hours before the start of his tour in Eugene, Oregon, O'Brien announced that he would host a new show on cable station TBS. The show debuted on November 8, 2010, and airs Monday through Thursday beginning at 11 : 00 pm ET / 10 : 00 pm CT. O'Brien's addition moved Lopez Tonight with George Lopez back one hour to midnight ET / 11 : 00 pm CT. Refusing at first to do to Lopez what had happened to him at NBC, O'Brien agreed to join the network after Lopez called to persuade him to come to TBS. In Canada, CTV would air the show and in Turkey, CNBC - e would air the show. Other networks that were reportedly interested in O'Brien include TBS ' sister networks TNT and HBO, Fox, FX, Comedy Central, Showtime, Revision3, and even the NBC Universal -- owned USA Network. On September 1, 2010, O'Brien announced via his Twitter account and Team Coco YouTube page that the title of his new show on TBS would simply be Conan. TBS has recently extended the show through 2018. 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. Conan O'Brien then visited Armenia. 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. His visit included a trip to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which resulted in O'Brien and Steven Yeun to also ' visit ' North Korea by stepping across the border line at the DMZ. Conan commented on the significance during the sketch, claiming, `` The idea that you and I could be in North Korea, talking and communicating freely, seems like kind of a cool message. '' Television writer / producer ( 2002 -- present ) In 2004, O'Brien apologized to Canadians for engaging in Quebec bashing, something which some felt reflected prejudice against Francophones. On March 7, 2006, NBC announced a new adventure / comedy series entitled Andy Barker, P.I., starring O'Brien's former sidekick, Andy Richter. O'Brien was executive producer and co-wrote the pilot. After six episodes and low ratings, the show was canceled despite being named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the Top Ten Shows of 2007. USA Network handed out a 90 - minute, cast - contingent pilot order to the medical - themed Operating Instructions from O'Brien's production banner. O'Brien served as an executive producer through his Conaco label. The script came from Just Shoot Me veterans Judd Pillot and John Peaslee who also executive produced. '' NBC ordered two pilots from Conaco in January 2010, the one - hour courtroom drama, Outlaw, and a half - hour comedy. Outlaw was produced in eight episodes and premiered on September 15, 2010. Voice work and guest appearances O'Brien's first guest appearance after beginning his late - night career was on the show he used to write for, The Simpsons. He played himself in the season five episode `` Bart Gets Famous '', interviewing Bart Simpson during his rise to fame as a catchphrase comedian. The episode was produced after O'Brien's audition to replace David Letterman, but before he was hired for the show. O'Brien recorded his part after his own show went on the air, though he believed his show would be canceled by the time `` Bart Gets Famous '' aired. In 2006, he voiced himself in a short South Park scene as part of the opening of the 2006 Emmy Awards. In 2005, he provided the voice of Robert Todd Lincoln in the audiobook version of Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. O'Brien has made multiple voice appearances on the Adult Swim series Robot Chicken, including the specials Robot Chicken : Star Wars, and Robot Chicken : Star Wars Episode II as the voice of the bounty hunter Zuckuss. On the TV show 30 Rock, O'Brien is depicted as an ex-boyfriend of lead character Liz Lemon, who works in the same building. In the episode `` Tracy Does Conan '', Conan appears as himself, awkwardly reunited with Lemon and coerced by network executive Jack Donaghy into having the character Tracy Jordan on Late Night, despite having been assaulted in Jordan 's previous appearance. O'Brien made an appearance on Futurama in the second - season episode `` Xmas Story ''. O'Brien plays himself as a head in a jar and still alive in the year 3000. O'Brien performs a stand - up routine at a futuristic ski lodge while being heckled by Bender the robot. O'Brien also made a cameo appearance on the U.S. version of The Office. In the episode `` Valentine 's Day '', Michael believes that he spots former SNL cast member, Tina Fey, but has actually mistaken another woman for her. In the meantime, Conan has a quick walk - on and the camera crew informs Michael, when he returns from talking to the Tina Fey lookalike. In January 2010, O'Brien appeared in The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special -- In 3 - D ! On Ice ! to honor the show he had written for in the early 1990s. O'Brien created a superhero character with veteran DC Comics animator Bruce Timm during one episode of Conan. Named `` The Flaming C '', the superhero bears a likeness to O'Brien, with a typically muscular superhero body and costume with chest insignia, but also with idiosyncrasies arbitrarily suggested by O'Brien like an oven mitt, a jai alai glove, marijuana leaf buckle, golf shoes, sock garters and fishnet stockings. O'Brien later aired a clip in which the character appears in Young Justice. Since 2011, O'Brien has hosted the Christmas in Washington special for TBS ' sister network, TNT, featuring celebrity performances and a special appearance by the Obama family. In late 2011, he starred as himself in the web series Web Therapy ( opposite Lisa Kudrow ) for three episodes. O'Brien provides the voice of the character Kuchikukan in the upcoming `` Operation : Lunacorn Apocalypse '' episode of Nickelodeon 's The Penguins of Madagascar. O'Brien provided the voice of talk show host Dave Endochrine in the 2013 DC Universe animated original movie Batman : The Dark Knight Returns ( Part 2 ). Twice Conan has served as the master of ceremonies for the White House Correspondents ' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., in 1995 and again in 2013. O'Brien hosted the 2014 MTV Movie Awards on April 13, 2014 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. Emmy host O'Brien hosted the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards on August 27, 2006, to critical acclaim. He had previously hosted the 54th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2002, the show was met with similar reviews. Commercials and product placements According to Marketing Evolutions, the company that produces Q Scores measuring the familiarity and appeal of celebrities and brands, almost 74 % of U.S. consumers are familiar with O'Brien. In spite of that high score, O'Brien has n't done many commercials for corporate America ; two recent examples are a 2009 appearance in a Super Bowl XLIII commercial for Bud Light, and one for American Express, which debuted on the same day as Conan. He donated his proceeds from the Super Bowl commercial to the Fresh Air Fund, a charity which sends inner - city New York children to the country for vacations. According to The Wall Street Journal, O'Brien was paid more than one million dollars to do the American Express commercial, which required him to spend three days in Jaipur, India filming it. While O'Brien has done few commercials, he `` does do plenty of promoting, weaving product pitches into his show '' ; he has said `` it 's increasingly incumbent to help with tie - ins ( but ) if it ca n't be funny, I 'd rather go hungry. '' Nicknames A poster created by Mike Mitchell during the 2010 Tonight Show conflict displaying his `` Coco '' nickname Conan acquired the nickname `` Coco '' after its use in the first `` Twitter Tracker '' sketch during the second episode of his Tonight Show run. Guest Tom Hanks used the nickname during his subsequent interview, even getting the audience to chant it. In reaction to the moniker, Conan remarked to Hanks in jest, `` If that catches on, I 'll sue you. '' In a March 23, 2011 interview with WWE Champion The Miz on Conan, The Miz dubbed Conan `` The Ginja Ninja '', a reference to Conan 's red hair and the fact that he came back fighting to get his new late - night talk show. A week later, `` Team Ginja Ninja '' T - shirts were available on TeamCoco.com. Influences O'Brien lists among his comedic influences David Letterman, Peter Sellers, Sid Caesar, Warner Bros. Cartoons, Johnny Carson, Ernie Kovacs, Robin Williams, Bob Hope, and Woody Allen. In turn, actors and comedians who claim O'Brien as an influence include Mindy Kaling, Pete Holmes, and James Corden. On Late Night, O'Brien became known for his active and spontaneous hosting style, which has been characterized as `` awkward, self - deprecating humor ''. Personal Life O'Brien with his wife Liza in 2007 O'Brien met Elizabeth Ann ' Liza ' Powel in 2000, when she appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in an advertising skit involving Foote, Cone & Belding, where she worked as senior copywriter. The couple dated for nearly 18 months before their 2002 marriage in Powel 's hometown of Seattle. O'Brien and Powel have a daughter, Neve ( born October 14, 2003 ) and a son, Beckett ( born November 9, 2005 ). O'Brien often affirms his Irish Catholic heritage on his show. On a 2009 episode of Inside the Actors Studio, he stated that ancestors from both sides of his family moved to America from Ireland starting in the 1850s, subsequently marrying only other Irish Catholics, and that his lineage is thus 100 % Irish Catholic. He has been a staunch Democrat since casting his first vote for President in 1984 for Walter Mondale. He considers himself a moderate on the political spectrum. O'Brien's longtime friend and former dormmate in Mather House at Harvard is Father Paul B. O ' Brien, with whom he founded Labels Are For Jars, an antihunger organization based in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and helped open the Cor Unum meal center in 2006. The two are not related. In January 2008, after his show was put on hold for two months owing to the strike by the Writers Guild of America, he reemerged on late - night TV sporting a beard, which guest Tom Brokaw described as making him look like `` a draft dodger from the Civil War. '' After leaving The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on January 22, 2010, O'Brien again grew a beard, which he kept until May 2, 2011, when it was partially shaved on the set of his TBS talk show, Conan, by Will Ferrell with battery - operated clippers ( and completely shaved off - screen by a professional barber ). The event was dubbed on the show as `` Beardocalypse '', and included a contest for fan - submitted artwork. O'Brien purchased a $10.5 - million mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, to prepare for his move there in 2009 from New York City to host The Tonight Show at Universal Studios Hollywood. As part of a long - running gag, he brought his 1992 Ford Taurus SHO with him to California, showcasing it on both the inaugural episodes of The Tonight Show and Conan. On June 12, 2011, O'Brien gave a commencement address to the class of 2011 at Dartmouth College. On October 21, 2011, O'Brien was ordained as a minister by the Universal Life Church Monastery, allowing him to perform a same - sex marriage while back in New York, then one of the few states in the US where gay marriage was legal, to tape a week 's worth of shows. The wedding, between a member of O'Brien's staff and his partner, was held on the stage of the Beacon Theatre on November 3, 2011, and broadcast on Conan. Victim of stalking Starting in September 2006, O'Brien was stalked by Father David Ajemian of the Archdiocese of Boston, who, despite multiple warnings to stop, sent O'Brien letters signed as `` your priest stalker '' and came into contact with O'Brien's parents. O'Brien and Ajemian had attended Harvard University at the same time. Frustrated that he had been denied a spot in the Late Night audience, Ajemian sent a letter to O'Brien stating that he flew to New York `` in the dimming hope that you might finally acknowledge me. '' He stated in another letter, `` Is this the way you treat your most dangerous fans ? ? ? You owe me big time, pal. '' In another letter, Ajemian seemed to make a death threat, saying, `` Remember Frank Costello once dodged a bullet in your building and so can you. '' Ajemian then tried to forcefully enter a taping of Late Night but was caught and arrested. He was previously warned by the NBC security team to stay away from the studio. After a psychological evaluation, he was deemed fit to stand trial. He was bailed out of jail. He was then reported missing by his father on November 10, 2007. He was found and underwent evaluation at a hospital. He was again found fit to stand trial on April 4, 2008. On April 8, Ajemian pleaded guilty to stalking, stating that he `` never meant to cause anxiety or to upset anyone. '' He was ordered to pay a $95 court charge and to sign a two - year restraining order barring him from coming near O'Brien. On September 11, 2008, Ajemian checked himself out of his treatment at a hospital against the wishes of his bishop, Seán Patrick O'Malley. Cardinal O'Malley then released a statement saying that, because he violated his bishop 's wishes, Ajemian could no longer serve as a priest in the Catholic Church. In late 2010, Ajemian was charged with harassing the TV host Anthony Everett while violating a restraining order. Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 1998 Tomorrow Night Himself Cameo 2001 Pootie Tang Himself Uncredited cameo 2001 Vanilla Sky Himself Cameo 2001 Storytelling Himself Cameo 2003 End of the Century : The Story of the Ramones Himself Documentary 2005 Bewitched Himself Cameo 2006 Queer Duck : The Movie Himself ( voice ) 2006 Pittsburgh Himself 2008 The Great Buck Howard Himself Cameo 2011 Conan O'Brien Ca n't Stop Himself Documentary 2012 Thunderstruck Himself 2013 Batman : The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 David Endocrine ( voice ) 2013 Now You See Me Himself Cameo 2013 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Himself Cameo 2017 The Lego Batman Movie Edward Nygma / The Riddler ( voice ) 2017 Sandy Wexler Himself Television Year Series Role Notes 1983 -- 1987 Not Necessarily the News none Writer 1987 -- 1988 The Wilton North Report none Writer 1987 -- 1991 Saturday Night Live Various 21 episodes ; also writer 1991 Lookwell none Pilot ; creator and writer 1991 -- 1993 The Simpsons none Writer and executive producer Also appeared in Episode : `` Bart Gets Famous '' as himself 1993 -- 2009 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Himself ( host ) 2,277 episodes ; also writer and executive producer 1995 Mr. Show with Bob and David Himself Episode : `` The Cry of a Hungry Baby '' The Single Guy Cameron Duncan Episode : `` Rival '' Arli $ $ Himself Episode : `` Colors of the Rainbow '' Favorite Deadly Sins Himself Television film 1997, 2002 Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist Himself ( voice ) 2 episodes 1998 Veronica 's Closet Himself Episode : `` Veronica 's Night Alone '' 1998 Spin City Conan Episode : `` Dead Dog Talking '' 1999 LateLine Himself Episode : `` Pearce on Conan '' 1999 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself Episode : `` Fire Ant '' 1999 Futurama Himself ( voice ) Episode : `` Xmas Story '' 2000 DAG Himself Episode : `` Pilot '' 2001 Saturday Night Live Himself ( host ) Episode : `` Conan O'Brien / Don Henley '' 2002 NBC 75th Anniversary Special Himself Television special 2002 54th Primetime Emmy Awards Himself ( host ) Television special 2003 Andy Richter Controls the Universe Freddy Pickering Episode : `` Crazy in Rio '' 2005 -- 2008 Robot Chicken Various voices 4 episodes 2006 O'Grady Chip ( voice ) Episode : `` Frenched '' 2006 The Office Himself Episode : `` Valentine 's Day '' 2006 58th Primetime Emmy Awards Himself ( host ) Television special 2006, 2013 30 Rock Himself 2 episodes 2007 Andy Barker, P.I. none 6 episodes ; creator, writer, exeuctive producer 2009 -- 2010 The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien Himself ( host ) 145 episodes ; also executive producer and writer 2009 The Backyardigans Santa Claus ( voice ) Episode : `` The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve '' Outlaw none 8 episodes ; executive producer 2010 -- present Conan Himself ( host ) Also creator, writer and executive producer 2011 -- 2014 Eagleheart none 34 episodes ; executive producer Also appeared in Episode : `` Honor Thy Marshal '' as himself 2012 Web Therapy Himself 2 episodes 2012 How I Met Your Mother Bar Patron Uncredited Episode : `` No Pressure '' 2013 Newsreaders Himself Episode : `` Jr. Newsreaders '' 2013 Deon Cole 's Black Box none 6 episodes ; executive producer Also appeared in Episode : `` Deon Tries to Reach Out to White People '' as himself 2013 Clear History Himself Television film 2013 White House Correspondents ' Dinner Himself ( host ) Television special 2013 Arrested Development Himself Episode : `` The B. Team '' 2013 Nashville Himself Episode : `` Never No More '' 2013 It 's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Himself ( voice ) Episode : `` The Gang Broke Dee '' 2013 Real Husbands of Hollywood Himself Episode : `` Rock, Paper, Stealers '' 2013 Brody Stevens : Enjoy It ! Himself Episode : `` Conan ! '' 2013 -- 2014 Super Fun Night none 17 episodes ; executive producer 2013 -- 2014 The Pete Holmes Show none 80 episodes ; executive producer 2013 Family Guy Himself ( voice ) Episode : `` Into Harmony 's Way '' 2014 2014 MTV Movie Awards Himself ( host ) Television special 2014 Maron Himself Episode : `` The Joke '' 2014 The Comeback Himself Uncredited Episode : `` Valeire Gets What She Wants '' 2014 Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda Himself Television film 2015 The Jack and Triumph Show none 7 episodes ; executive producer 2015 Ground Floor Himself Episode : `` The Mansfield Who Came to Dinner '' 2015 Stranger 's Soul ( Ուրիշի հոգին ) Unknown 1 episode 2015 Clipped Red - Head Customer Episode : `` Dreamers '' 2015 ArmComedy Himself 1 episode 2015 The Penguins of Madagascar Kuchikukan ( voice ) Episode : `` Operation : Lunacorn Apocalypse '' 2016 One More Happy Ending ( 한번 더 해피 엔딩 ) Himself 1 episode 2016 -- present People of Earth none Executive producer 2016 Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten Johnny J. Smith 1 episode 2017 Mi adorable maldición Joseph Robinson Episode : `` La fiesta de Apolonia '' 2018 Final Space none Executive producer Video games Year Video game Voice role 2012 Halo 4 Soldier # 1 2014 Lego Batman 3 : Beyond Gotham Himself Music videos Year Title Artist 2005 `` The Denial Twist '' The White Stripes 2016 `` Fire '' Park Jin - young ( feat. Conan O'Brien, Steven Yeun & Jimin Park ) See also List of awards and nominations received by Conan O'Brien References ^ Jump up to : Lynn Hirschberg ( May 20, 2009 ). `` Heeeere 's... Conan ! ! ! ''. The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Conan O'Brien to Debut New Late - Night Show on TBS ''. FOX News. Associated Press. April 12, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Frazier Moore, Associated Press ( April 12, 2010 ). `` Conan O'Brien to Make TBS His New Late - Night Home ''. ABC News. Retrieved April 12, 2010. Jump up ^ Raphael Chestang ( May 18, 2015 ). `` Conan O'Brien ' Uncomfortable ' With David Letterman Leaving ' Late Show ' ''. Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved May 25, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien ''. TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien Biography ( 1963 -- ) ''. Film Reference. Retrieved May 9, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Conan Christopher O'Brien ''. Ancestry. Retrieved May 9, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 2009 Jump up ^ `` Ruth Reardon O'Brien 1931 -- '' ( PDF ). Stanford.edu. Retrieved January 23, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Rehearsal Scraps : Andy Ruins Conan 's First Real Human Moment In 15 Years -- CONAN on TBS '' on YouTube Jump up ^ Coons, Phyllis ( December 3, 1980 ). `` Extra Credit : Starting Out with Style ''. The Boston Globe. Jump up ^ Beggy, Carol ( November 6, 2003 ). `` Monet goes to Vegas ; Kerry goes out on the town ''. Boston Globe. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Harvard College Freshman Dean 's Office ''. Harvard College. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ Laufenberg, Norbert B. ( 2005 ). Entertainment Celebrities. Trafford. p. 482. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4120 - 5335 - 8. Jump up ^ `` @ Google & YouTube present A Conversation with Conan O'Brien '', AtGoogleTalks, May 7, 2010. Jump up ^ Aucoin, Don ( August 31, 2003 ). `` Understanding Conan ''. The Boston Globe Magazine. Jump up ^ Conan O'Brien explaining his Harvard thesis ( interview at JFK Library, YouTube upload on Jul 11, 2012 ) Jump up ^ O'Brien, Conan. The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, NBC, January 15, 2010. Jump up ^ Maher, Jimmy ( June 20, 2014 ). `` Comprehend ''. The Digital Antiquarian. Retrieved July 11, 2014. Jump up ^ Longcope, Kay ( October 24, 1983 ). `` A Star Rising ''. The Boston Globe. Jump up ^ Finke, Nikki ( January 14, 2010 ). `` NO JOKE : Jeff Zucker Had Conan Arrested ''. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 24, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Rabin, Nathan ( August 30, 2006 ). `` Conan O'Brien ''. The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Host of Late Night With Conan O'Brien ''. Greater Talent Network. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ Boulware, Hugh ( June 24, 1988 ). `` Laugh Lines The Bits and Pieces That Get Comics into the Act ''. Chicago Tribune. Jump up ^ Bommer, Lawrence ( July 29, 1988 ). `` Live, From Chicago, It 's... ''. Chicago Tribune. Jump up ^ `` Jeff Garlin interview ''. Late Night with Conan O'Brien. 2007 - 09 - 07. ^ Jump up to : James Kaplan ( September 21, 1998 ). `` The Late Conan O'Brien ''. New York. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Ortved, 2009. p. 160 -- 161 ^ Jump up to : Ortved, 2009. p. 163 Jump up ^ Volonnino, Michael R. ( June 8, 2000 ). `` O'Brien Returns to Harvard ''. Harvard Crimson. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien's Commencement Speech for the Harvard Class of 2000 ''. everything2. August 8, 2000. Retrieved May 11, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Ortved, 2009. p. 162 Jump up ^ O'Brien, Conan. ( 2003 ). Commentary for `` Marge vs. the Monorail '', in The Simpsons : The Complete Fourth Season ( DVD ). 20th Century Fox. Jump up ^ The Family Dynamic EW.com. Retrieved on February 13, 2007 ^ Jump up to : Ortved, 2009. p. 164 ^ Jump up to : Ortved, 2009. p. 165 ^ Jump up to : Ortved, 2009. p. 166 - 167 Jump up ^ O'Brien, Conan. ( 2004 ). Commentary for `` Homer Goes to College '', in The Simpsons : The Complete Fifth Season ( DVD ). 20th Century Fox. Jump up ^ Jean, Al. ( 2004 ). Commentary for `` Cape Feare '', in The Simpsons : The Complete Fifth Season ( DVD ). 20th Century Fox. Jump up ^ Pearlman, Cindy ( July 8, 1994 ). `` Muscle - Man Bound ''. People. Retrieved December 3, 2010. Jump up ^ Interview with Kevin Nealon. Conan. December 2, 2010. Jump up ^ Conan O'Brien ( September 13, 1993 ). `` O'Brien Flops ! ''. The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2012. Jump up ^ Tom Shales ( October 19, 1993 ). `` Go Gently into That Good Night, Already ! ''. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013. ^ Jump up to : David Bianculli ( September 26, 2005 ). `` Conan on the Couch ''. New York. Retrieved December 21, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Tom Shales ( June 18, 1996 ). `` So I Was Wrong... Late Night 's Late Riser ''. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ David Bianculli ( June 15, 1994 ). `` NBC 's Conan O'Brien Awaits His Fate ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 21, 2012. Jump up ^ Dan Snierson ( February 9, 1996 ). `` Better Late Than Never ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 17, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Episode dated 21 February 2009 ''. Late Night with Conan O'Brien. February 21, 2009. NBC. Jump up ^ Mark Lasswell ( June 22, 1996 ). `` Who 'd Have Thought ? Conan Turns Cool ''. TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ Barish, Mike ( January 26, 2010 ). `` 5 places Conan should go on vacation ''. CNN. Retrieved January 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien Takes Ax To ' Late Night ' Set ''. kirotv.com. Archived from the original on 2011 - 09 - 29. Retrieved February 25, 2010. Jump up ^ Huff, Richard ( February 19, 2009 ). `` Conan O'Brien ends 16 - year run in New York to take over ' Tonight Show ' ''. New York Daily News. Retrieved February 25, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Conan, Stewart, Colbert unite in mock feud ''. TODAY.com. 2008 - 02 - 05. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 25. Jump up ^ Gomez, Fin ( February 6, 2008 ). `` Who Created Huckabee ? Conan, Stewart, and Colbert Fight it Out ''. Fox News. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ Steinberg, Jacques ( 2008 - 02 - 06 ). `` The Story Behind a Late - Night Brawl ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Will Ferrell Helps Conan Kick Things Off ''. Ok !. May 18, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ Elber, Lynn ( September 26, 2009 ). `` Conan O'Brien OK after hitting head in show stunt ''. The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 27, 2011. Jump up ^ `` O'Brien back on ' Tonight, ' joking about accident ''. USA Today. September 28, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ Carter, Bill ( January 8, 2010 ). `` NBC Wants Leno Back in Old Slot ''. The New York Times. Retrieved January 8, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Leno returns to late night : NBC ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. January 10, 2010. Archived from the original on January 12, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2010. Jump up ^ Daly, Sean ( January 11, 2010 ). `` Just Call Him Conan O'Flyin ' ''. New York Post. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Graham, Adam ( 2010 ). `` Classily, Conan exits the Tonight Show ''. DETNEWS. Retrieved January 22, 2010. Jump up ^ Conan O'Brien Says He Wo n't Host `` Tonight Show '' After Leno, New York Times, January 12, 2010 Jump up ^ Conan O'Brien : I Wo n't Do `` The Tonight Show '' at 12 : 05AM Archived January 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine., Zap2It.com, January 12, 2010 Jump up ^ Conan O'Brien Thanks Fans in `` Tonight '' Farewell, NY Times, January 23, 2010 Jump up ^ Exclusive : Conan, NBC Officially Splitsville, The Wrap, January 21, 2010 Jump up ^ NBC, Conan O'Brien Reach Deal for `` Tonight Show '' Exit, Broadcasting & Cable, January 21, 2010 Jump up ^ Conan O'Brien Signs Deal to Leave NBC, MarketWatch, January 21, 2010 Jump up ^ New York Times article : `` NBC 's Shift in Schedule May Be Up to O'Brien ''. Jump up ^ Business Insider article : `` Why Is USA Network, NBC 's Sister Station, Wooing Conan ? ''. Jump up ^ Gallagher, Brian ( January 22, 2010 ). `` Conan O'Brien Mulls Post The Tonight Show Options ''. MovieWeb.com. Retrieved February 26, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Business Insider article : `` Conan O'Brien Staying Close To Fox, Selling His New York Apartment. '' Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien's palatial Brentwood home ''. Los Angeles Times. February 27, 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ Behrens, Zach ( April 27, 2010 ). `` Conan Says He 'll Stay in L.A. for Cable Show, Will Appear on ' 60 Minutes ' Archived May 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. ''. LAist. Jump up ^ Conan O'Brien at Twitter Jump up ^ Entertainment Weekly article : `` Conan O'Brien's Twitter debut. '' ^ Jump up to : Chicago Tribune article : `` Conan, Ozzie and the Dalai Lama : Together on Twitter. '' Jump up ^ Cnet article : `` Conan joins Twitter, beats Leno in hours. '' Jump up ^ LA Times article : `` Conan O'Brien joins Twitter and doubles Jay Leno 's follower count in two hours. '' Jump up ^ Kanalley, Craig ( First Posted : 02 -- 24 -- 10 06 : 16 pm ; Updated : 04 -- 26 -- 10 05 : 12 am ). `` Conan O'Brien Joins Twitter : New Account EXPLODES With Followers ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 13, 2010. Check date values in : date = ( help ) Jump up ^ USA Today article : `` Tweet this : Conan reaches 1 million ; Britney overtakes Ashton. '' Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien on Twitter ''. Twitter.com. Retrieved 2013 - 07 - 25. Jump up ^ Lopez, George ( April 29, 2010 ). `` Conan O'Brien -- The 2010 Time 100 ''. TIME. Retrieved April 30, 2010. Jump up ^ Carter, Bill ( April 29, 2010 ). `` Conan O'Brien Opens Up About NBC Departure ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2010. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( May 2, 2010 ). `` Conan O'Brien ' 60 Minutes ' transcript ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 4, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2010. Jump up ^ Twitter page for Conan O'Brien : `` Hey Internet. '' Jump up ^ `` O'Brien's's Tour Site ''. Teamcoco.com. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien Announces Live Tour Across U.S., Canada -- ABC News ''. Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Coco Coast to Coast : Conan O'Brien announces his national tour ( UPDATED ) ''. Variety. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Jack White will perform in the first show '' ( spanish ) CYAN mag # 14 Archived November 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. November'10 Jump up ^ Carter, Bill ( April 12, 2010 ). `` How the Conan O'Brien - TBS Deal Happened ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Inside Shows -- CTV 2010 fall schedules and lineups announced ''. Shows.ctv.ca. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ `` > Blog > An Open Letter to Conan O'Brien ''. Revision3. January 18, 2010. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ HeadlinePlanet.com article `` Report : FOX, TBS, FX, HBO Among Networks Interested in Conan O'Brien ''. Jump up ^ Carter, Bill ( May 14, 2014 ). `` TBS Signs Conan O'Brien to 4 More Years ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ France, Lisa Respers ( February 16, 2015 ). `` Conan O'Brien Takes Show to Cuba ''. CNN. Retrieved February 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Snierson, Dan ( October 12, 2015 ). `` Conan O'Brien is taking his late - night talk show to Armenia ''. Entertainment Weekly. Jump up ^ Epstein, Adam. `` Watch American diplomat Conan O'Brien host a talk show on the North Korean side of the DMZ ''. Quartz. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien apologizes to Canadians ''. CNN. February 18, 2004. Retrieved March 31, 2010. Jump up ^ Flynn, Gillian ( December 21, 2007 ). `` Andy Barker, P.I. '' Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien scrubs up for medical drama -- Yahoo ! News ''. News.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Television -- News -- NBC orders pilot from Conan O'Brien ''. Digital Spy. January 27, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ `` NBC Unveils 2010 -- 2011 Primetime Schedule Accented by Five New Comedies, Seven New Dramas, and New Alternative Program ''. The Futon Critic. May 16, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2010. Jump up ^ O'Brien, Conan. ( 2004 ). Commentary for `` Bart Gets Famous '' in The Simpsons : The Complete Fifth Season ( DVD ). 20th Century Fox. Jump up ^ `` LoDingo ® -- Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell -- Audio Book Download ''. Lodingo.com. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ `` DVD : Robot Chicken : Star Wars with Hulk Hogan ( voice ) and Conan O'Brien ( voice ) ''. Tower.com. July 22, 2008. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ EvanHamilton ( July 11, 2011 ). `` '' 30 Rock '' Tracy Does Conan ( TV Episode 2006 ) ``. IMDb. Retrieved March 17, 2015. Jump up ^ WakenPayne ( December 22, 2013 ). `` '' Futurama '' Xmas Story ( TV Episode 1999 ) ``. IMDb. Retrieved March 17, 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Office : Valentine 's Day Episode Summary on ''. Tv.com. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ Abramson, Dan ( January 13, 2010 ). `` '' The Simpsons '' Anniversary : Memories From Sting, Conan O'Brien, And More ( VIDEO ) ``. Huffington Post. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Conan Gets Animated '', Conan, TBS, December 9, 2010 Jump up ^ `` '' The Flaming C '' Returns ! ``. Conan. Team Coco / TBS. January 10, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2011. Jump up ^ Zabriskie, Phil ( December 11, 2011 ). `` Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, others take the stage at ' Christmas in Washington ' ''. Washington Post. Retrieved December 12, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Penguins of Madagascar : `` Lunacorn Apocalypse '' S3 ``. Nickelodeon. Retrieved June 27, 2012. Jump up ^ `` It 's Official : Conan O'Brien To Host The 2014 MTV Movie Awards '' MTV.com, March 4, 2014 Jump up ^ Adalian, Josef ( August 27, 2006 ). `` article ''. Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Vranica, Suzanne ( November 8, 2010 ). `` Card for a Card : AmEx Hires Conan ''. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien Bud Light Super Bowl 2009 Ad ''. I4U. February 1, 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Twitter Tracker, 2 June 2009 ''. tonightshowwithconanobrien.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tom Hanks Interview Pt. 1, 2 June 2009 ''. tonightshowwithconanobrien.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tom Hanks Interview Pt. 2, 2 June 2009 ''. tonightshowwithconanobrien.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Look Out ! The Ginja Ninja T - Shirts Are Here ! ''. teamcoco.com. Retrieved April 8, 2011. Jump up ^ Houpt, Simon ( February 7, 2004 ). `` Conan gets creative with his Canadian invasion ''. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. R1. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien & Mel Brooks Remember The Brilliance of Sid Caesar ''. Jump up ^ `` A Q&A with Conan O'Brien ''. Vanity Fair. Jump up ^ `` Johnny Carson : King of Late Night -- About the Documentary ''. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien and the Legacy of Ernie Kovacs ''. Jump up ^ O'Brien, Conan ( May 26, 1998 ). `` Bob Hope Made Comedy What It Is Today ''. Sun - Sentinel via New York Times. Jump up ^ Inside Comedy, Season 4 Episode 6 Jump up ^ `` Mindy Kaling Was A Conan Intern -- CONAN on TBS -- YouTube ''. Jump up ^ `` # MeetPete Facebook Questions ''. YouTube. October 3, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2015. Jump up ^ `` James Corden : Conan ''. team coco. March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Awkward, Self - Deprecating Humor Makes A Return As Conan O'Brien Debuts in LA ''. Starpulse.com. June 2, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Conan meets Liza Powel at Foote, Cone & Belding ''. Vimeo. Retrieved June 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Serpe, Gina ( November 10, 2005 ). `` Conan 's Baby O'Brien ''. E ! Online. Archived from the original on 2009 - 02 - 17. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien and wife have baby girl ''. USA Today. October 15, 2003. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien & Wife Have Second Child ''. People magazine. November 11, 2005. Archived from the original on January 26, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Labels are for Jars ''. Labels are for Jars. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ Betances, Yadira, `` One year, 100,000 meals ; Cor Unum reaches milestone feeding the hungry '', The Eagle - Tribune, Lawrence, Massachusetts, September 28, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Watch Conan 's Beard Get Shaved For Real During The Commercial Break ''. TeamCoco.com. Retrieved 2011 - 05 - 04. Jump up ^ `` The Best of the Beardpocalypse Photoshop Contest ''. TeamCoco.com. Retrieved 2011 - 05 - 04. Jump up ^ Reardanz, Karen ( January 21, 2008 ). `` O'Brien Spends Big in L.A. '' San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Universal Life Church Monastery Minister Conan O'Brien to Perform Gay Wedding ''. Universal Life Church Monastery. October 28, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Video of Conan O'Brien Getting Ordained -- Universal Life Church Monastery ''. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Jump up ^ Conan O'Brien Officiates Gay Wedding Of Scott Cronick And David Gorshein On Air ( VIDEO ), Huffington Post, November 4, 2011. Jump up ^ Lambert, Bruce ( 2007 - 11 - 08 ). `` Priest Jailed in Stalking of Conan O'Brien ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Conan 's Alleged ' Priest Stalker ' in Court ''. Jump up ^ `` Conan Stalker Pleads Guilty ''. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien's Stalker Checks Out of Treatment ''. Huffington Post. September 12, 2008. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Priest in Conan O'Brien stalker case arrested again ''. New York Post. 2010 - 11 - 19. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 27. Jump up ^ `` David Ajemian, Conan O'Brien's Stalker Priest, Arrested AGAIN ''. Huffington Post. November 19, 2010. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Քոնան Օ'Բրայենը ' Շանթի `` Ուրիշի հոգին '' սերիալում ( տեսանյութ ) ( Conan O'Brien on Shant 's `` Another Man 's Soul '' ( Video ) ) ``. AraratNews. October 16, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien Makes Hilarious Appearance on `` One More Happy Ending '' ``. Soompi. February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten : US - Moderator Conan O'Brien über seine GZSZ - Gastrolle ''. www.rtl.de ( in German ). RTL Television. 12 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016. Jump up ^ `` Conan O'Brien realiza participación especial en ' Mi Adorable Maldición ' ''. televisa.com ( in Spanish ). Televisa. Retrieved 27 May 2017. Bibliography Ortved, John ( 2009 ). The Simpsons : An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. Greystone Books. pp. 248 -- 250. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55365 - 503 - 9. Further reading DeFrank, Ginny ( 2007 ). Marry me Conan O'Brien and other tales of well - planned self - delusion. University of Southern California. p. 608. `` Late night talk show host Conan O'Brien ''. NPR. September 8, 2003. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Rabin, Nathan ( August 23, 2006 ). `` Conan O'Brien ''. The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Rabin, Nathan ( August 30, 2006 ). `` Conan O'Brien ''. The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 11, 2008. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Conan O'Brien. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Conan O'Brien Conan O'Brien on Charlie Rose Conan O'Brien on IMDb Conan O'Brien on Twitter I 'm With Coco Facebook Media offices Preceded by Jay Leno Host of The Tonight Show June 1, 2009 -- January 22, 2010 Succeeded by Jay Leno Preceded by David Letterman Host of Late Night September 13, 1993 -- February 20, 2009 Succeeded by Jimmy Fallon Preceded by Ellen DeGeneres Host of Christmas in Washington 2011, 2012 Succeeded by Hugh Jackman Conan O'Brien Television Lookwell ( 1991 ) Late Night with Conan O'Brien ( 1993 -- 2009 ) Andy Barker, P.I. ( 2007 ) The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien ( 2009 -- 10 ) Conan ( 2010 -- present ) Related articles Awards Conaco Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog 2010 Tonight Show conflict The War for Late Night Conan blimp Happy Happy Good Show The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour Conan O'Brien Ca n't Stop Book Category 2010 Tonight Show conflict The Tonight Show Key people / organizations Jay Leno Conan O'Brien NBC NBCUniversal Jeff Zucker Directly affected television series The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien The Tonight Show with Jay Leno The Jay Leno Show Conan Lopez Tonight Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Last Call with Carson Daly Inspired works The War for Late Night Conan O'Brien Ca n't Stop `` Khonani '' ( 30 Rock episode ) `` I 'm with CoCo '' poster by Mike Mitchell See also 1992 host conflict David Letterman The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour Late Night with Conan O'Brien 2010 in American television Category Awards for Conan O'Brien Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series ( 1980 -- 89 ) Buz Kohan ( 1980 ) Jerry Juhl, Chris Langham and David Odell ( 1981 ) Jeffrey Barron, Dick Blasucci, John Candy, Chris Cluess, Bob Dolman, Joe Flaherty, Paul Flaherty, Stuart Kreisman, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, John McAndrew, Brian McConnachie, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, Mert Rich, Michael Short, Doug Steckler and Dave Thomas ( 1982 ) Dick Blasucci, John Candy, Bob Dolman, Joe Flaherty, Paul Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, John McAndrew, Martin Short, Michael Short, Doug Steckler and Mary Charlotte Wilcox ( 1983 ) Chris Elliott, Sanford Frank, Ted Greenberg, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Joe Toplyn, Matt Wickline and David Yazbek ( 1984 ) Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Eddie Gorodetsky, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Joe Toplyn and Matt Wickline ( 1985 ) Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Joe Toplyn and Matt Wickline ( 1986 ) Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Adam Resnick, Joe Toplyn and Matt Wickline ( 1987 ) Jackie Mason ( 1988 ) John Bowman, A. Whitney Brown, Greg Daniels, Tom Davis, James Downey, Al Franken, Shannon Gaughan, Jack Handey, Phil Hartman, George Meyer, Lorne Michaels, Mike Myers, Conan O'Brien, Bob Odenkirk, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Robert Smigel, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner and Christine Zander ( 1989 ) Complete list ( 1957 -- 1969 ) ( 1970 -- 1979 ) ( 1980 -- 1989 ) ( 1990 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2009 ) ( 2010 -- 2019 ) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series ( 2000 -- 2009 ) Eddie Izzard ( 2000 ) Eric Drysdale, Jim Earl, Dan Goor, Charlie Grandy, J.R. Havlan, Tom Johnson, Kent Jones, Paul Mecurio, Chris Regan, Allison Silverman and Jon Stewart ( 2001 ) Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Max Brooks, James Downey, Tina Fey, Hugh Fink, Charlie Grandy, Jack Handey, Steve Higgins, Erik Kenward, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Matt Murray, Paula Pell, Matt Piedmont, Ken Scarborough, Michael Schur, Frank Sebastiano, T. Sean Shannon, Robert Smigel, Emily Spivey, Andrew Steele and Scott Wainio ( 2002 ) Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Eric Drysdale, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Tom Johnson, Ben Karlin, Rob Kutner, Chris Regan, Jason Reich, Jason Ross and Jon Stewart ( 2003 ) Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Stephen Colbert, Eric Drysdale, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin, Chris Regan, Jason Reich, Jason Ross and Jon Stewart ( 2004 ) Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Stephen Colbert, Eric Drysdale, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin, Rob Kutner, Chris Regan, Jason Reich, Jason Ross and Jon Stewart ( 2005 ) Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Rachel Axler, Kevin Bleyer, Tim Carvell, Stephen Colbert, Eric Drysdale, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin, Rob Kutner, Sam Means, Chris Regan, Jason Reich, Jason Ross and Jon Stewart ( 2006 ) Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Dan Cronin, Kevin Dorff, Dan Goor, Michael Gordon, Berkley Johnson, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Tim Harrod, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O'Brien, Brian Stack, Mike Sweeney and Andrew Weinberg ( 2007 ) Bryan Adams, Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Peter Gwinn, Barry Julien, Laura Krafft, Jay Katsir, Frank Lesser, Tom Purcell, Meredith Scardino and Allison Silverman ( 2008 ) Rory Albanese, Rachel Axler, Kevin Bleyer, Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Wyatt Cenac, J.R. Havlan, David Javerbaum, Elliott Kalan, Rob Kutner, Josh Lieb, Sam Means, John Oliver, Jason Ross and Jon Stewart ( 2009 ) Complete list ( 1957 -- 1969 ) ( 1970 -- 1979 ) ( 1980 -- 1989 ) ( 1990 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2009 ) ( 2010 -- 2019 ) VIAF : 14032501 LCCN : n96027112 MusicBrainz : 210c1047 - 0e88 - 4b73 - 81ac - 13a026cefb01 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conan_O%27Brien&oldid=828129686 '' Categories : Conan O'Brien 1963 births 20th - century American comedians 21st - century American comedians 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors 20th - century American writers 21st - century American writers American male comedians American male film actors American male voice actors American male writers American people of Irish descent American male television actors American television producers American television talk show hosts American television writers Male television writers Harvard Lampoon alumni Harvard University alumni Irish - American culture in Massachusetts Late night television talk show hosts Living people Male actors from Massachusetts Massachusetts Democrats People from Brookline, Massachusetts Primetime Emmy Award winners Writers from Massachusetts American male screenwriters Comedians from Massachusetts People from Brentwood, Los Angeles Brookline High School alumni Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 errors : dates CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Use mdy dates from November 2015 Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected biographies of living people All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2013 Articles containing potentially dated statements from October 2005 All articles containing potentially dated statements Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2015 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Wikinews Wikiquote تۆرکجه Български Català Cebuano Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latina Lietuvių Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Русский Shqip Simple English Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 36 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 February 2018, at 18 : 55. 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Question: when did conan stop writing for the simpsons
Answer: 1993