Conan O’Brien Prepares for Oscars Hosting Gig with Humor and Insights

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Conan O'Brien, the acclaimed comedian and television host, is gearing up to host the 97th Academy Awards for the first time on March 2, 2025. In a recent appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” O’Brien humorously reflected on the pressures of the prestigious role, admitting he might have made a mistake by accepting the gig.

During a lighthearted chat with Kimmel on February 26, O’Brien expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We’re going to have a great show. Things for me come together very late, so I started working on the Oscars about four hours ago and I’m going to pull an all-nighter.” He later reassured fans, “We’ve been working hard and I think we have some fun ideas and some great surprises.”

The conversation turned personal as O’Brien acknowledged Kimmel’s previous experiences hosting the Oscars. “One of the first calls I got after agreeing to host the Oscars was from Jimmy Kimmel,” O’Brien noted. He humorously disclosed that he initially didn’t answer because he saw Kimmel’s name on caller ID. But ultimately, he reached out for advice. “You said, ‘I’ve hosted this several times… I will give you some tips along with my wife Molly, who has produced the show,’” O’Brien recalled.

Kimmel, joking about the advice he offered, remarked, “I would never give you tips on jokes or any of that stuff. But I did have some kind of old man tips like ‘Try to sit down during the show.’” O’Brien riffed on this, playfully asking if Kimmel was “Franklin Roosevelt,” indicating that Kimmel seemed overly focused on sitting down.

The light-hearted banter continued with Kimmel asking if O’Brien had watched all the nominated films. O’Brien claimed to have seen all 35 movies, quipping about the challenge, “Let me make something clear, when we were coming along as young people there were five movies nominated, right? Now you gotta watch a lot of movies.” He later admitted that he has watched a lot but not all of them.

In a deeper discussion, O’Brien shared personal insights from his life, including reflections on fatherhood. He expressed how becoming a dad transformed his perspective, saying, “[Parenthood is] such a profound change in your life. Everything goes from black and white to color. It’s absolutely transformative and great.” O’Brien and his wife, Liza Powel O’Brien, welcomed two children, Neve and Beckett, and he takes pride in their accomplishments.

As Oscar night approaches, O’Brien anticipates celebrating the entire entertainment industry rather than just focusing on celebrities. “It’s a celebration of an entire industry and people from every walk of life who give their blood, sweat, and tears for show business,” he shared. “There’s no such thing as getting to a point professionally where there are no nerves if you’re working in comedy. I like to meet a challenge. If I think something could be funny, I’ll do it to my own detriment.”

With excitement building as the Academy Awards draws near, Conan O’Brien is ready to embrace the challenge of hosting, blending his comedic talents with heartfelt appreciation for the industry he loves.