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Conan O'Brien
O'Brien in Atlanta, June 2010
Birth nameConan Christopher O'Brien
Born (1963-04-18) April 18, 1963 (age 61)
Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
MediumTelevision
NationalityAmerican
EducationHarvard University
Years active1985–present
GenresImprovisational comedy, Sketch comedy, Physical comedy, Surreal humor, self-deprecation
Subjectsself-deprecation, pop culture
SpouseElizabeth Ann Powell (since 2002)
(2 children)
Notable works and rolesThe Simpsons
(writer, 1992–1993)
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, and producer. He was born in Brookline, Massachusetts and raised in an Irish Catholic family. O'Brien landed his first comedy job as a writer for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News, after first serving as president of the Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles, where he wrote for several comedy shows, and later moved to New York City to work on the writing staff of Saturday Night Live, and later for The Simpsons. O'Brien went on to serve as host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien from 1993 to 2009, before going on to host the short-lived The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien for seven months.

On April 12, 2010, it was announced that O'Brien will host a new late-night talk show on cable TV network TBS entitled Conan beginning November 8, 2010.

Early life

O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, the son of Thomas O'Brien, a physician, epidemiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard, and Ruth O'Brien (née Reardon), an attorney and partner at the Boston firm of Ropes & Gray. He is the third of six children. O'Brien's family was Irish Catholic and descended from pre-Civil War era immigrants; In a Late Night episode, O'Brien paid a visit to County Kerry, Ireland, where his ancestors originated.

O'Brien attended Brookline High School, where he served as the managing editor of the school newspaper. In his senior year, O'Brien 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 freshman year, and Mather House during his three upper-class years. He concentrated in History and Literature and graduated magna cum laude. His senior thesis concerned the use of children as symbols in the works of William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor. Throughout college, O'Brien was a writer for the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine. He also briefly served as the drummer in a band called "The Bad Clams". 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 rival The Harvard Crimson.

Career

O'Brien in the offices of The Simpsons writers, 1992

Saturday Night Live (1987–1991)

O'Brien moved to Los Angeles after graduation to join the writing staff of HBO's Not Necessarily the News. He was 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 of which was first performed by Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz. O'Brien also co-wrote the sketch "Nude Beach" with Robert Smigel, a sketch in which the word "penis" was said or sung at least 42 times. While on a writers' strike from Saturday Night Live following the 1987-1988 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 was roommates 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 Lookwell, starring Adam West. The pilot 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 un-aired TV pilots produced by Un-Cabaret, featuring an extended interview with O'Brien and rerun in 2002 on the Trio network.

The Simpsons (1991–1993)

From 1991 to 1993, O'Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons, credited as writer or co-writer of four episodes. Of all the episodes he wrote, he considers "Marge vs. the Monorail" to be his favorite. Along with that episode, he has sole writing credits on "New Kid on the Block", "Homer Goes to College", and "Treehouse of Horror IV", on which he wrote the episode wrap-arounds. He was an active producer during seasons 4 and 5 as well, meaning he would frequently contribute to scripts from those seasons along with coming up with story ideas, plot points, and jokes. The style of the comedy of the show during this period was also somewhat influenced by his comic sensibilities. 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 hiring for that show. As of 2004, O'Brien's office at The Simpsons was being used as storage.

Late Night (1993–2009)

Main article: Late Night with Conan O'Brien

As executive producer, Lorne Michaels invited O'Brien to audition to host the successor show to Late Night with David Letterman. Premiering on September 13, 1993, Late Night with Conan O'Brien received generally unfavorable critical reviews during its first few years. The show remained on multi-week renewal cycles while NBC decided its fate. O'Brien would later poke fun at the first three years of the show when on his 10th Anniversary Special, Mr. T appeared to give O'Brien a gold necklace with a giant "7" on it. When O'Brien tried to point out that he's actually been on the air for ten years, Mr. T responded, "I know that, fool...but you've only been funny for seven!"

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.

A long-running joke, which stemmed from the recurring segment "Conan O'Brien Hates My Homeland", is that O'Brien resembles the first female President of Finland, Tarja Halonen. After joking about this for several months (which led to his endorsement of her campaign), O'Brien traveled to Finland, appearing on several television shows and meeting President Halonen. The trip was filmed and aired as a special.

O'Brien ad libbed the fictional website name "hornymanatee.com" on December 4, 2006, after a sketch about the fictional manatee mascot and its inappropriate web-cam site. NBC opted to purchase the website domain name for $159, since the website did not previously exist. The network was concerned that the Federal Communications Commission would hold NBC liable for promoting inappropriate content if a third party were to register the domain and post such material. The website had for a while material concerning Conan's initial manatee joke and other Tonight Show references, but today the site just redirects to NBC's main web page.

A popular recurring bit on the show was Pale Force, a series of animated episodes in which comedian Jim Gaffigan and O'Brien are superheroes who fight crime with their "paleness." As Gaffigan introduced each new episode, O'Brien protested the portrayal of his character as cowardly, weak and impotent. As of October 2005, Late Night with Conan O'Brien had for eleven years consistently attracted an audience averaging about 2.5 million viewers. O'Brien is an avid guitarist and music listener. When Bruce Springsteen and the Sessions Band appeared on the show as a musical guest, O'Brien joined the 17 piece band along with the Max Weinberg 7 and guests Jimmy Fallon & Thomas Haden Church, playing acoustic guitar and contributing backup vocals for the song, "Pay Me My Money Down". On the June 13, 2008, episode of Late Night, O'Brien simply walked onto the stage at the start of the show. Instead of his usual upbeat antics and monologue, O'Brien announced that he had just received news about the sudden death of his good friend, fellow NBC employee and frequent Late Night guest Tim Russert. O'Brien proceeded to show two clips of his favorite Russert Late Night moments. 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 that 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 writer's 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 2007–2008 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 May 29, 2009 before he became the host of the show. On June 1, 2009 Will Ferrell became Conan's first guest on the couch, and Pearl Jam appeared as the first musical guest with O'Brien as host.

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

On Thursday, January 7, 2010, NBC executives (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. 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. 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 ... 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 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."

Conan O'Brien, on his departure from The Tonight Show, January 22nd, 2010.

O'Brien released a statement on January 12 stating "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 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, $12 million of which was designated for distribution to his staff, which moved with Conan to Los Angeles from New York when he left Late Night.

The final Tonight Show with Conan aired January 22, 2010, featuring 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 is allowed to start working for another network as soon as September 2010. The rumored networks ranged anywhere from Fox to Comedy Central.

After Tonight

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 purchased the apartment in 2007 for $10 million. Two years earlier, O'Brien purchased a home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles for over $10.5 million. Some industry insiders have speculated that O'Brien has 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 number of subscribers had rocketed past the 30,000 following the official Jay Leno 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.

O'Brien has been named to the 2010 Time 100, a list compiled by Time Magazine 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 if in Jay Leno's position, he would not have come back to The Tonight Show. However, Conan does not feel as though he got shafted. "It's crucial to me that anyone seeing this take-- 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 don't regret anything."

The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour

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, 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. $695 VIP tickets offered the opportunity to meet O'Brien in person. On the same day, teamcoco.com—an apparently official website—was launched.

On April 12, 2010, O'Brien opened his two-month comedy tour, starting in Eugene, Oregon with a crowd of 2,500 and no TV cameras. The tour traveled through the 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. With tickets priced from $40 and up, "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour" was virtually sold out.

Conan

Main article: Conan (TV series)

On April 12, 2010, just hours before the start of his tour in Eugene, Oregon, O'Brien announced that he will host a new show on cable station TBS beginning as early as November 2010. The show will air Mondays through Thursdays beginning at 11:00 pm ET / 10:00 pm CT. O'Brien's addition will move Lopez Tonight with George Lopez back one hour to midnight ET / 11:00 pm CT. O'Brien refused at first to do to Lopez what had happened to O'Brien at NBC, but agreed to join the network after Lopez called to persuade him to come to TBS. In Canada, CTV will air the show.

Other networks that were reportedly interested in O'Brien include TBS' sister networks, TNT and HBO, plus 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 will be Conan.

Television writer/producer (2002–present)

In 2004, O'Brien apologized to Canadians for engaging in Quebec bashing, something which some felt to be racist towards Francophones. On March 7, 2006, NBC announced a new adventure/comedy series entitled Andy Barker, P.I.. O'Brien was executive producer and also co-wrote the pilot. The show starred O'Brien's former sidekick Andy Richter. 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 has handed out a 90-minute, cast-contingent pilot order to the medical-themed Operating Instructions from O'Brien's production banner. O'Brien will serve as an executive producer through his Conaco label. The script comes from Just Shoot Me veterans Judd Pillot and John Peaslee, who will also executive produce." NBC ordered two pilots from Conaco in January 2010, the one-hour courtroom drama Outlaw and a half-hour comedy. Outlaw was later green-lit to series and will premiere in Fall 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 audio book version of Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell.

File:Simpsonconan.jpg
O'Brien appearing as himself on The Simpsons episode "Bart Gets Famous".

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 believed that he spotted former SNL cast member Tina Fey, but mistakes 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 look-alike. O'Brien does not usually appear in TV commercials. He lampooned this in 2009 by starring in one of Bud Light's Super Bowl XLIII commercials as himself. In the ad, O'Brien agrees to do a Bud Light commercial where he dresses and acts suggestively and says "Vroom! Vroom! Party Starter!" The spot is only supposed to air in Sweden, but ends up being broadcast on the Jumbotron in New York City's Times Square. It shows Bud Light's slogan at the time, "The Difference is Drinkability", in Swedish. Super Bowl XLIII aired on NBC, O'Brien's network. In January 2010, O'Brien appeared in The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice! to honor the show that he had written for in the early 1990s.

Emmy host

O'Brien hosted the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards on August 27, 2006 to critical acclaim. He had previously hosted the Primetime Emmys in 2002, and co-hosted in 2003.

Comedy and mannerisms

On Late Night, O'Brien became known for his more active and spontaneous hosting style. He started off every show by saying, "We have a great show for you tonight" and ended nearly every show with a quick, quirky "Bye, everybody, bye!" His stage habits included, but were not limited to, mime, self-deprecation, dramatic expressions, various impressions, use of awkward pauses or responses, moving his hair and scalp back and forth and constantly buttoning up and unbuttoning his suit jacket. He frequently made fun of and interacted with the audience. He commonly made light of his own appearance including his hairstyle, his pale skin, his clumsiness and his height. He continued many of these themes into his position as host of The Tonight Show.

One of O'Brien's trademarks is to perform the "string dance". He also does intentionally poor and exaggerated impressions of celebrities which are often reduced to a specific characteristic, phrase or gesture that represents that person; among the most common are Larry King, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay Leno, Sarah Palin, and Donald Trump.

Personal life

O'Brien with his wife Liza in 2007

O'Brien met Elizabeth Ann 'Liza' Powell in 2000 when she appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in an advertising skit involving Foote, Cone & Belding. The couple dated for nearly 18 months before their 2002 marriage in Powell's hometown of Seattle. O'Brien and Powell have a daughter Neve (born in 2003) and son Beckett (born in 2005).

O'Brien repeatedly affirms his Irish Catholic heritage on his show. On a 2009 episode of Inside the Actors Studio, he stated that both sides of his family moved to America from Ireland 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, although he considers himself a moderate on the political spectrum. O'Brien's long-time friend and former roommate at Harvard is Father Paul B. O' Brien, with whom he founded Labels Are For Jars, an anti-hunger 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 due 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." He grew the beard in support for his writers, but shortly after shaved it off.

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 work his new job hosting 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 the inaugural episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

Victim of stalking

It was reported that since September 2006, O'Brien had allegedly been stalked by Father David Ajemian of the Archdiocese of Boston, who, despite multiple warnings to stop, had been sending O'Brien letters signed as "your priest stalker" and coming in contact with O'Brien's parents. Ajemian sent a letter to O'Brien, frustrated that he had been denied a spot in the Late Night audience. He stated in his letter to O'Brien that he flew to New York, "in the dimming hope that you might finally acknowledge me." He also stated in another letter that, "Is this the way you treat your most dangerous fans??? You owe me big time pal." Ajemian also seemed to have made a death threat to O'Brien in another letter; saying, "Remember Frank Costello once dodged a bullet in your building and so can I." 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 has since been 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. It is known that the two had attended Harvard University at the same time. He was found fit to stand trial on April 4, 2008. On April 8, 2008, Ajemian pleaded guilty to stalking, stating that "he never meant to cause anxiety or to upset anyone". He was ordered to pay a $95 USD court charge, and was also required 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 can no longer serve as a priest in the Catholic Church.

Nickname

A poster created by Mike Mitchell during the Tonight Show controversy of 2010 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."

Filmography

Appearances on talk shows
Other shows

Awards and nominations

Year Award Work Category Result
1989 Emmy Award Saturday Night Live (Alec Baldwin, host, show #637) Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program Won
1990 Emmy Award Saturday Night Live Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program Nominated
1991 Emmy Award Saturday Night Live (Roseanne Barr, host) Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program Nominated
1996 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
1997 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien ("3rd Anniversary Show") Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Won
1998 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
1999 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Nominated
2000 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Won
2001 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Nominated
2002 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Won
2003 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Won
2004 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Nominated
2005 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
People's Choice Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host Nominated
Telvis Award For the color spot of the year Special Telvis Won
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Won
2006 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
People's Choice Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Won
2007 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Won
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Nominated
2008 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
2009 Emmy Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Late Night with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Nominated
2010 Emmy Award The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien Outstanding Comedy, Music or Variety Series Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Nominated

References

  1. "Conan O'Brien Biography". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
  2. "Outstanding Comedy Series". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  3. ^ Associated Press (April 12, 2010). "Conan O'Brien to Debut New Late-Night Show on TBS". FOX News. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  4. ^ Frazier Moore, Associated Press (April 12, 2010). "Conan O'Brien to Make TBS His New Late-Night Home". ABC News. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  5. "Conan O'Brien Biography (1963-)". Film Reference. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  6. "Conan Christopher O'Brien". Ancestry. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  7. ^ Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 2009
  8. "Ruth Reardon O'Brien 1931-" (PDF). Stanford.edu. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
  9. Coons, Phyllis (1980-12-03). "Extra Credit: Starting Out with Style". The Boston Globe. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. Beggy, Carol (2003-11-06). "Monet goes to Vegas; Kerry goes out on the town". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  11. "Harvard College Freshman Dean's Office". Harvard College. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  12. Laufenberg, Norbert B. (2005). Entertainment Celebrities. Trafford. p. 482. ISBN 9781412053358.
  13. Aucoin, Don (August 31, 2003). "Understanding Conan". The Boston Globe Magazine. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, 15 January 2010.
  15. Longcope, Kay (1983-10-24). "A Star Rising". The Boston Globe. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. Finke, Nikki (2010-01-14). "NO JOKE: Jeff Zucker Had Conan Arrested". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
  17. ^ Rabin, Nathan (2006-08-30). "Conan O'Brien". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  18. ^ "Host of Late Night With Conan O'Brien". Greater Talent Network. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  19. Boulware, Hugh (1988-06-24). "Laugh Lines The Bits and Pieces That Get Comics Into the Act". Chicago Tribune. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. Bommer, Lawrence (1988-07-29). "Live, From Chicago, It's...". Chicago Tribune. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. "Jeff Garlin interview". Late Night with Conan O'Brien. 2007-09-07.
  22. "Conan O'Brien". IMDB. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  23. Volonnino, Michael R. (2000-06-08). "O'Brien Returns to Harvard". Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  24. "Conan O'Brien's Commencement Speech for the Harvard Class of 2000". everything2. 2000-08-08. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  25. The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for episode 9F10, "Marge vs. the Monorail" (DVD).
  26. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001558/
  27. Barish, Mike (2010-01-26). "5 places Conan should go on vacation". CNN. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  28. Steinberg, Jacques (2006-12-12). "So This Manatee Walks Into the Internet". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  29. Grigoriadis, Vanessa (2005-09-26). "Conan on the Couch". New York magazine. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  30. "Conan O'Brien Pays Tribute to Tim Russert".
  31. "Conan O'Brien Takes Ax To 'Late Night' Set". http://www.kirotv.com. Retrieved 25 February 2010. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  32. HUFF, RICHARD (February 19, 2009). "Conan O'Brien ends 16-year run in New York to take over 'Tonight Show'". http://www.nydailynews.com. Retrieved 25 February 2010. {{cite news}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  33. Gomez, Fin (2008-02-06). "Who Created Huckabee? Conan, Stewart, and Colbert Fight it Out". Fox News. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  34. Will Ferrell Helps Conan Kick Things Off
  35. "Conan O'Brien OK after hitting head in show stunt". The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  36. "O'Brien back on 'Tonight,' joking about accident". Hudson Valley Media Group. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
  37. Carter, Bill (2010-01-08). "NBC Wants Leno Back in Old Slot". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  38. "Leno returns to late night: NBC". CBC.ca. 2010-01-10. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  39. Daly, Sean (2010-01-11). "Just Call Him Conan O'Flyin'". New York Post. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
  40. Graham, Adam (2010). "Classily, Conan exits the Tonight Show". DETNEWS. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  41. Conan O'Brien Says He Won't Host "Tonight Show" After Leno, New York Times, January 12, 2010
  42. Conan O'Brien: I Won't Do "The Tonight Show" at 12:05AM, Zap2It.com, January 12, 2010
  43. Conan O'Brien Thanks Fans in "Tonight" Farewell, NY Times, January 23, 2010
  44. Exclusive: Conan, NBC Officially Splitsville, The Wrap, January 21, 2010
  45. NBC, Conan O'Brien Reach Deal for "Tonight Show" Exit, Broadcasting & Cable, January 21, 2010
  46. Conan O'Brien Signs Deal to Leave NBC, MarketWatch, January 21, 2010
  47. New York Times article: "NBC’s Shift in Schedule May Be Up to O’Brien".
  48. Business Insider article: "Why Is USA Network, NBC's Sister Station, Wooing Conan?".
  49. http://www.movieweb.com/news/NErxpxvwq6pAux
  50. ^ Business Insider article: "Conan O'Brien Staying Close To Fox, Selling His New York Apartment."
  51. LA Times article: "Conan O'Brien's palatial Brentwood home."
  52. Laist article. "Conan Says He'll Stay in L.A. for Cable Show, Will Appear on '60 Minutes'".
  53. Conan O'Brien at Twitter
  54. Entertainment Weekly article: "Conan O'Brien's Twitter debut."
  55. ^ Chicago Tribune article: "Conan, Ozzie and the Dalai Lama: Together on Twitter."
  56. Cnet article: "Conan joins Twitter, beats Leno in hours."
  57. LA Times article: "Conan O'Brien joins Twitter and doubles Jay Leno's follower count in two hours."
  58. USA Today article: "Tweet this: Conan reaches 1 million; Britney overtakes Ashton."
  59. George Lopez (April 29, 2010). "Conan O'Brien - The 2010 Time 100". Time. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  60. Bill Carter (April 29, 2010). "Conan O'Brien Opens Up About NBC Departure". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  61. "Conan O'Brien '60 Minutes' transcript". The Hollywood Reporter. May 2, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  62. Twitter page for Conan O'Brien: "Hey Internet."
  63. O'Brien's's Tour Site
  64. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/conan-obrien-announces-live-tour-us-canada/story?id=10073505
  65. Variety http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/03/coco-coast-to-coast-conan-obrien-announces-his-national-tour.html. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  66. Details about O'Brien's "meet and greet" ticket package
  67. "Conan Launches TeamCoco.com to Promote 30-City Comedy Tour".
  68. Bill Carter (April 12, 2010). "How the Conan O'Brien-TBS Deal Happened". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  69. http://shows.ctv.ca/allshows/article/CTV-2010-fall-schedules-and-lineups-announced#c_0
  70. http://revision3.com/blog/2010/01/18/an-open-letter-to-conan-obrien/
  71. HeadlinePlanet.com article "Report: FOX, TBS, FX, HBO Among Networks Interested in Conan O’Brien".
  72. "Conan O'Brien apologizes to Canadians". CNN. 2004-02-18. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
  73. Flynn, Gillian (2007-12-21). "Andy Barker, P.I." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  74. "Conan O'Brien scrubs up for medical drama — Yahoo! News". News.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  75. http://www.digitalspy.com/ustv/news/a199645/nbc-orders-pilot-from-conan-obrien.html
  76. "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.
  77. O'Brien, Conan. (2004). Commentary for "Bart Gets Famous", in The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season . 20th Century Fox.
  78. http://www.lodingo.com/_product_54365/Assassination_Vacation
  79. http://www.tower.com/robot-chicken-star-wars-hulk-hogan-dvd/wapi/111835834
  80. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0876931/
  81. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0584465/
  82. http://www.tv.com/the-office/valentines-day/episode/621947/summary.html
  83. http://www.i4u.com/article23001.html
  84. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/11/the-simpsons-anniversary_n_418370.html
  85. Adalian, Josef (2006-08-27). "article". Variety. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  86. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/06/02/awkward_self_deprecating_humor_makes_a_r_1
  87. Serpe, Gina (2005-11-10). "Conan's Baby O'Brien". E! Online. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  88. "Conan O'Brien and wife have baby girl". USA Today. 2003-10-15. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  89. "Conan O'Brien & Wife Have Second Child". People magazine. 2005-11-11. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  90. "Labels are for Jars". Labels are for Jars. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  91. Betances, Yadira, "One year, 100,000 meals; Cor Unum reaches milestone feeding the hungry", The Eagle-Tribune, Lawrence, Massachusetts, September 28, 2007.
  92. Reardanz, Karen (2008-01-21). "O'Brien Spends Big in L.A." San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  93. "Guess Who Will be Bunking in Brentwood" (Blog). realestalker.blogspot.com. January 2008.
  94. "Conan's Alleged 'Priest Stalker' in Court".
  95. "Conan Stalker Pleads Guilty".
  96. "Conan O'Brien's Stalker Checks Out of Treatment".
  97. "Twitter Tracker, 2 June 2009". tonightshowwithconanobrien.com. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
  98. "Tom Hanks Interview Pt. 1, 2 June 2009". tonightshowwithconanobrien.com. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
  99. "Tom Hanks Interview Pt. 2, 2 June 2009". tonightshowwithconanobrien.com. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
  100. As stated on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, May 29, 2009.
  101. ^ Internet Movie Database staff (2010). "Awards for Conan O'Brien". Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
  102. ^ "Conan O'Brien". NBC.com — The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. www.tonightshowwithconanobrien.com. 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
  103. ^ "62nd Primetime Emmy Award Nominations" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2010-07-08. Retrieved 2010-07-08.

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Media offices
Preceded byJay Leno Host of The Tonight Show
June 1, 2009–January 22, 2010
Succeeded byJay Leno
Preceded byDavid Letterman Host of Late Night
September 13, 1993–February 20, 2009
Succeeded byJimmy Fallon
Preceded byEllen DeGeneres Host of Emmys
2002
Succeeded byEllen DeGeneres, Brad Garret, Darrell Hammond, George Lopez, Himself, Bernie Mac, Garry Shandling, Martin Short, Jon Stewart, Wanda Sykes
Preceded byConan O'Brien Co-Host of Emmys
2003
Succeeded byGarry Shandling
Preceded byEllen DeGeneres Host of Emmys
2006
Succeeded byRyan Seacrest
Conan O'Brien
Television
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The Tonight Show
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Category
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series (1980–1989)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series (2000–2009)

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