Conan O'Brien Closes out Nearly 30-Year Late-Night Career With Star-Studded Farewell, Emotional Fan Response
After almost three decades on late-night TV across three talk shows, Conan O’Brien bid farewell [...]
Interspersed with memorable clips (and pompadours) from the past 11 years on the TBS talk show, including packages that featured remote clips like him trying out jobs like a Mary Kay beauty consultant, being a commercial actor and modern dancer, his trips to Cuba, South Korea, Armenia, Israel, Australia, Mexico, Ghana, Germany, Japan, Greenland and Italy were also featured as part of his series, Conan Without Borders.
I am emotional. Goodbye, Conan. Thank you for helping me through dark times and for inspiring me in so many ways. My hero. #CONAN #conanfinale pic.twitter.com/vevpd3galO
— ChronoKatie (@ChronoKatie) June 25, 2021
prevnextOne of the first times I was on TV was dressed as a robot for a @ConanOBrien sketch at 30 Rock. It might have been cut. And here I am 2 years ago cosplaying as Conan for one of his Comic Con shows. He is a hero. A legend. And he, along with his writers, have shaped us all. #CONAN pic.twitter.com/Qt4Au28uXx
— Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) June 25, 2021
O'Brien celebrated his farewell with Jack Black as well, who also stopped by and revealed his first appearance on late-night TV with the host, sharing he was "scared as hell" and "petrified" as he had never been in front of a late-night audience before.
Thank you, Conan O’Brien, for providing us with nearly 3 decades of laughter on late night television. You’ll always be the greatest late night host in my book. May the next chapter in your life bring you much success and happiness. We’ll miss you, @ConanOBrien.#CONAN @TeamCoco pic.twitter.com/0YeAhzLFbJ
— Mr. Grimmace (Jason Hintz) (@mrgrimmace) June 25, 2021
prevnextFarewell to the 👑 of Late night. @ConanOBrien @AndyRichter #CONAN pic.twitter.com/TjJdcawCmH
— Chris Gant (@ChrisGant101) June 25, 2021
But it was O'Brien who made him feel incredibly comfortable. "You were so smart and funny and kind. It was the best way to enter the late-night television world. I will always feel a special connection with you and worship you," he said. Black had initially planned for a musical number, during which the actor would fake an injury. However, the joke turned to reality when the actor and musician sprained his ankle for real during a taping.
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"I was so bummed because I wanted to be the best guest of all time for your final episode, and instead, I am literally the lamest guest of all time," Black said to which O'Brien replied, it was "fitting" for the show. "When all these legends go off the air, everything is meticulous. Of course, we would think of a bit with Jack where Jack pretends to get hurt and while shooting it, Jack gets hurt. Don't you think we're the only show in the history of the medium that would ever do that? It's somehow fitting."
Nice touch outside Caroline’s on Broadway. #Conan pic.twitter.com/Dpm5I8jzNQ
— Cynthia Littleton (@Variety_Cynthia) June 24, 2021
I’ll miss you @ConanOBrien Truly the funniest man on Late Night. #CONAN pic.twitter.com/Tm1UHf5IiB
— Adam Jackman (@AdamJackman4) June 25, 2021
prevnextI watch or listen to #CONAN content almost every day. Will miss the nightly show dearly. Much love to @ConanOBrien 🐐 the best to ever do it pic.twitter.com/QMktYyslgF
— BT (@beabeaiii) June 25, 2021
Other guests in the audience included his wife Liza, and his long-running assistant Sona Mouvsesian, who surprised him by attending despite being close to giving birth to twins. The episode, taped at the Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles, also included a number of guests over the years Martin Short, Zack Galifianakis, Nicole Byer, Andy Samberg and Lea Delaria in video packages.
LIZA IS THEREE😭😭😭 #Conan #ConanAtLargo pic.twitter.com/208MmpHgM6
— Dr. Dani Sanchez,MFA, PhD. (She/They) (@analgesicsleep) June 25, 2021
#CONAN messing with sona, Jordan schlansky n staff members are the best videos n proof that he's the funniest ever pic.twitter.com/QGn4n5ejGS
— DRAMA QUEEN (@thugglife92) June 25, 2021
prevnextEnd of an era. Thanks for all the fun Conan and Andy, can't wait to see what you guys have coming up next! #CONAN pic.twitter.com/V3TPFeBkB1
— Ryan (@rfiles90) June 25, 2021
In the last moments of O'Brien's farewell, he thanked the network, producers, writers, staff, family, and his long-time friend and sidekick Andy Richter. The 59-year-old expressed his gratitude to Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels for giving him his start and his friend, Lisa Kudrow, for encouraging him over the years before offering a heartfelt goodbye.
"And now just close with this one though I have devoted all of my adult life, all of it, to pursuing this strange phantom intersection between smart and stupid. And there's a lot of people that believe the two cannot co-exist. But God, I will tell you, it is something that I believe religiously. I think when smart and stupid come together, it's very difficult. But if you can make it happen, I think it's the most beautiful thing in the world. I am so grateful to all my staff and the fans in this country and around the world who have joined me in this really crazy and seemingly pointless pursuit to do things that are kind of stupid but have something smart in there somewhere.
Conan, thank you for 28 wonderful years of late night shows. Now, can I claim the title of “palest host?” pic.twitter.com/GIeJfdqroc
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) June 25, 2021
This is my favorite Late Night bit that I stayed up for almost every night back in high school. Being able to perform on Conan’s show was a bucket list moment - thanks for the laughs all these years @ConanOBrien #CONAN pic.twitter.com/cBPl59atx1
— Kent Garrison (@KentGarrison) June 25, 2021
"And then there's a little tiny sort of flicker of what is a kind of a magic. I think that's what I believe. So my advice to anyone watching right now, and it's not easy to do, but try. Try and do what you love with people you love. And if you can manage that, it's the definition of heaven on earth. I swear to God, it really is. So, a good night. Thank you very much."
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Set to premiere a new weekly variety show on HBO Max soon, O'Brien announced the end of his talk show, Conan, this past November, joking it was a decision that stemmed from former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson's advice. "In 1993 Johnny Carson gave me the best advice of my career: 'As soon as possible, get to a streaming platform,'" O'Brien said. "I'm thrilled that I get to continue doing whatever the hell it is I do on HBO Max, and I look forward to a free subscription."
prevFun Fact: The watch Conan is wearing on tonight's #CONAN is the same watch he wore for his first episode of "Late Night." pic.twitter.com/Bn0oBxBZnB
— Team Coco (@TeamCoco) June 25, 2021