Conan O’Brien had a blink-and-you-missed-it run as “Tonight Show” host. After only a year, he was unceremoniously laid off in 2010 by NBC due to a contractual dispute and replaced by former host Jay Leno, followed by Jimmy Fallon in 2014.
But despite his short-lived reign, O’Brien cemented himself as a wickedly funny and whip smart performer, as well as a master of recurring gags, self-deprecating humor and engaging conversation…not to mention developing a reputation for being a pretty great guy off the air.
Which is why fans were excited to see O’Brien appear as a “Tonight Show” guest for Tuesday’s episode, marking a return to his old stomping grounds for the first time in 14 years. And let’s just say…O’Brien’s comeback did not disappoint.
During parts of the interview, O’Brien exuded that same amount of candid poise that he famously maintained throughout the 2010 controversy. Like when he talked about podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” the project that followed his “Tonight Show” exit, he said he still considered hosting a late-night show “the best job in the world,” but shared his appreciation for the podcast format since it allows for longer, more in-depth conversations with guests.
But along with all the sentimentality were trademark rapid fire zingers and absurdly dramatic outbursts, especially when talking about how “weird” it felt to be back at Rockefeller Center.
“I was here for 16 years doing the ‘Late Night’ show,” O’Brien told Jimmy Fallon (both “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show” filmed in the same building.
“When someone else is in your studio it feels weird. So I walked in and said, ‘Who’s in my old studio?’ And they said ‘Kelly Clarkson’. And I love Kelly Clarkson, who doesn’t love Kelly Clarkson? But still I felt like, IT’S NOT RIGHT! BLASPHEMY! THEY SHOULD HAVE BURNED IT TO THE GROUND!”
“And then Kelly came out to say hi and I said, DON’T TALK TO ME! YOU MAKE ME SICK!!”
Man, O’Brien really knows how to commit to the bit. Watch:
O’Brien’s interview was so well received that fans seemed to fall in love with him all over again.
“Conan returns to the Tonight Show in TRIUMPHHH being one of the greatest of all time.”
“Conan is going down in history as one of the greatest to ever do it!”
“Conan’s career is a true testament to the saying ‘Everything happens for a reason.’”
“This hit me right in the feels.”
“The man’s a national treasure, give him everything.”
If you’re left wanting even more Coco, O’Brien has a new series, “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which debuts on April 18 on Max. Talk about a full circle moment.
