Sunday, September 27, 2009
Spouse
| Liza Powel | (12 January 2002 - present) 2 children |
Trade Mark
Since 9/11, no longer begins the show by jumping around the stage but still makes the big final leap onto his mark and then spins his arm to "throw" to Max.
Frequently lampoons how much he is "unknown," "disliked," or poorly paid compared to guests and his "competition," despite the fact that the opposite is true.
Frequently makes jokes at his own expense and at the expense of band leader 'Max Weinberg' and band member La Bamba.
Frequently knocks over the microphone at his desk, usually after an awkward moment or brazen joke.
The string dance (a little made-up jig where he pulls an imaginary string behind his back, which moves his hips, and finishes by cutting it).
His hair.
Usually ends his show with the phrase "bye, everybody, bye," spoken very rapidly.
Trivia
Worked as a warmup comic for the "The Wilton North Report" (1987).
Lived with Lynn Kaplan. [1994-1999]
Appeared as an extra and bit player on a number of skits on "Saturday Night Live" (1975) - notably as "Sheriff Andy" in a "Twin Peaks" (1990) parody with Kyle MacLachlan, and drinking in the bar in the "Irish Drinking Songs" commercial parody.
Born at 1:38pm-EST
His favorite episode of "The Simpsons" (1989) is "Marge vs. the Monorail".
Cousin of Denis Leary, Jack Leary and Ann Lembeck.
Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, with a BA in American History & Literature. [1985]
He was editor of the Harvard Lampoon for two years in a row, and he is the second person to have ever done this. It had been 85 years since it was done.
Has a golden retriever named Hudson.
Married Liza Powel on January 12, 2002, in a full Catholic Mass by Father Paul O'Brien (no relation) at St. James Cathedral in Liza's home town, Seattle. The couple met when Liza was a guest on Late Night.
Lives in Manhattan's fabled West Side apartment building, the Apthorp, whose residents include Rosie O'Donnell, Steve Kroft, Cyndi Lauper, Kate Nelligan and Lena Horne.
Older brother of Jane O'Brien.
A graduate of Brookline High School.
Once shared an apartment with Bill Cusack.
Took tap dancing lessons as a child
The name of his production company, Conaco, was chosen to echo the name of petroleum company Conoco.
Daughter Neve O'Brien born October 14, 2003 in New York (6 lbs., 10 oz.).
Calls where he does his monologue "The Laugh Zone."
Calls where he sits "The Chat Zone."
In the 2001 film, Sugar & Spice (2001), one of the cheerleaders is obsessed with "Conan O'Brien".
Replaced David Letterman in the late night slot on NBC after Letterman left for CBS. Virtually no one thought the show, now in its 11th year, would make it.
Plays guitar.
He will host "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993) until 2009 when he will replace Jay Leno as host of NBC's Tonight Show.
Will become the 5th host of "The Tonight Show" on its 55th anniversary.
Both of his parents are of Irish descent.
His show was cancelled for one night and brought back because the network's executives wanted to find a replacement show before cancelling the show. A replacement show was never needed.
In the beginning season of the show, he signed a new contract every week because the network was doubtful of the show's future and his ratings.
Originally wanted to name his daughter the old-fashioned Irish feminine name Niamh (pronounced "knee-vh" or "neh-v"), which means "radiance, lustre, brightness" -- but decided that her life would be easier if they Americanized the spelling to Neve.
Son, Beckett O'Brien, was born on November 9, 2005 in New York City, weighing in at 8 lbs. 4 oz.
Once shared an apartment with comedian/actor Jeff Garlin in Chicago across from Wrigley Field before both of them made it big.
When Burt Ward was asked to give a speech at Harvard about his role on "Batman" (1966), he brought the original costume, said to be valued at half a million dollars. Some students came up to him dressed as security guards and told him they would keep the costume safe. Then in the middle of the speech, one student stood up and asked, "When is a costume not a costume? When it's stolen." The lights dimmed and the students grabbed the costume and made off. After snapping pictures with one another in the cape, they later called Ward and gave the costume back. The ringleader of the gang? Harvard Lampoon editor, Conan O'Brien.
In one episode of his show, a Finnish man in his audience pointed out to him that he looked like President Tarja Halonen. He decided to support Halonen in the election campaign in 2006, and started a skit called "Pro-Finland, Anti- Sweden". Halonen met with him and Halonen gave to him as a gift, Moomin dolls for his family.
For Conan, the most beautiful woman in the world is Gisele Bündchen. He had the opportunity of telling her personally this when she was a guest on his show in 2005.
One of his all-time favorite television shows is "The Odd Couple" (1970).
Son-in-law of Seattle Dixieland band-leader Jake Powel.
Close friends with writer Chris Graves.
Owns a summer home in Norfolk, Massachusetts.
Is an avid fan of filmmaker Kevin Smith.
Met Lisa Kudrow in an acting class. They dated, and the two remain very good friends to this day.
Often criticizes the vegetarian and vegan community, subtly stating his dislike of the lifestyle.
Often tries to calm his Late Night audience with the term "Cool Babies". This is a lyric from the Talking Heads song Burning Down The House.
Claims he lost his virginity listening to The Who.
Was the last guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Personal Quotes
"The nightmare is you spend the rest of your life being funny at parties and then people say 'Why didn't you do that when you were on television?'"
"If you can really laugh at yourself loud and hard every time you fall, people will think you're drunk."
"I've always believed, in my heart of hearts, that it would be a better show if, when I crossed over to the desk, the band kept playing for an hour and I danced in a cage.
"If I existed 200 years ago, all the other farmers in my community would be like, 'That guy is worthless! He's sitting on a rock, jumping up like a frog, coming up with weird concepts and ideas, making faces, and combing his hair into a giant pastry.' It's a good thing I was born in this century, when superfluous television seems to be part of the economy."
Salary
| "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" (2009) | $14,000,000/year (2009-10) |
Where Are They Now
(February 2003) This year, Conan will celebrate 10 years as the host of NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993).
(February 2006) Visited Finland.
(May 2007) Maintains a country retreat in the secluded, Litchfield County town of Washington, Connecticut.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Conan O'Brien's Personal life
(who prior was dating actor Eric Schaeffer) in 2000 when she appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in an advertising skit involving Foote, Cone & Belding.[30] 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 in 2003)[31] and son Beckett (born in 2005).[32] 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.[6]O'Brien donated $500 to the Senate campaign of Christopher Dodd in 1997 and again in 2004.[33] 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,[34] an anti-hunger organization based in Lawrence, MA. 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.[35][36] 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.
(source: wikipedia.com)