As Conan O'Brien prepares to host the 98th Academy Awards this Sunday, the moment comes with more than the usual excitement of Hollywood’s biggest night. For O’Brien, returning to host the ceremony for the second consecutive year also taps into something deeper, both personally and professionally.
Long before O’Brien became one of television’s most recognizable comedians, he was a kid growing up outside of Boston trying to connect with his dad. That connection often came through comedy, specifically through late-night TV legend Johnny Carson.
“When I was growing up, I'd look at my dad and I would think, ‘What's my dad into? And is that a way to connect with my dad?’ And he used to watch Johnny Carson,” O’Brien recalled.
In addition to staying up and watching The Tonight Show with his father, O'Brien also got to see Carson host the Academy Awards during a stretch in the late '70s and early '80s. Seeing the comedian make his father laugh made a lasting impression on O'Brien.
"I remember very clearly Johnny Carson hosting the Oscars and watching my father watch Johnny and watching my father laugh thinking, wow, okay, that's cool," O'Brien shared. "That man is making my father laugh and it's a triangle. So to think that maybe now I'm part of that equation somehow and in a cosmic way links me to my dad is pretty amazing.”
That story reflects where O’Brien finds himself at this stage of his career. Years removed from the grind of nightly television, the former host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show now operates in a space where he can choose projects that resonate on a personal level.
Hosting the Oscars is, of course, a prestigious assignment. But for O’Brien, it's not one he needs (especially for a second time). But the appeal seems to go beyond the spotlight. The father-son connection he describes adds an emotional layer to the job.
Conan O'Brien's Johnny Carson connection
Then there's the professional connection that sees O'Brien once again following in the footsteps of Johnny Carson. Both captured a sizeable late-night TV audience through a unique brand of humor. Both influenced an entire generation of comics. And both hosted The Tonight Show and took multiple turns running the Academy Awards.
For the 2026 Academy Awards, O'Brien may take another page out of Carson's playbook. Recent hosts like Jimmy Kimmel have leaned heavily into political and cultural commentary during the broadcast. O’Brien, by contrast, has historically favored absurdity, self-deprecation, and playful show-business satire. But that doesn't mean he'll leave a joke on the table if it's there, just as Carson did decades ago.
“I think there was one year when the Oscars was of course running long and Johnny took the stage and at the time it was during the hostage situation in Iran and Nightline was doing its Day 300, Day 310,” O’Brien said. "And Johnny said, ‘Well, it is Day 444 of these Oscars.’ And it was such a funny topical joke that touched on something everyone was thinking about and at the same time got a big laugh and was unifying. And that was meaningful to me.”
It just so happens that Iran is back in the headlines, giving O'Brien an opportunity for his own Carson moment. If Carson’s influence is any guide, O’Brien’s goal may be something as simple as finding the shared experience in the room and turning it into a joke everyone can laugh at.