Conan O'Brien dubbed this "eccentric" director his worst late night guest

Conan O'Brien's approval rating is sky high. He may no longer host a late night show, but he remains, for a certain generation of viewers, the gold standard for how to make late night entertaining. Part of Conan's appeal lies in his ability to connect with his guests.

That said, the comedian is not infallible. He met his match during a 1996 episode of his first talk show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He welcomed on acclaimed director Abel Ferrera, who not only gave a bizarre, stilted interview, but literally tried to flee the set before he was welcomed on.

Abel Ferrera tried to flee the set in 1996

Conan recounted the whole ordeal during an appearance on the podcast Armchair Expert. He said that Ferrera had to be tracked down by producer Frank Smiley because he decided he didn't want to be on the show at the last minute:

"He fled during the show before his segment. He ran away, got on the elevator and was out on the street running away and [my producer] gave chase."

Ferrera was convinced to go on and chat with Conan, but the whole ordeal was deeply awkward for the latter. Armchair Expert host Dax Shepherd asked if Ferrera was intoxicated during the interview, and Conan quickly responded: "If not, he should have been."

Conan never booked Abel Ferrera as a guest again

Abel Ferrera's films are renowned and reviled for their eccentricity and their willingness to delve into deplorable human behavior. King of New York (1990) and Bad Lieutenant (1992) are probably the best examples of his style. Those who have seen these films, and heard Ferrera talk about them, should not be surprised that he was a poor fit for a talk show.

Conan admitted the experience was memorable, but not in a pleasant way. "It was like if you ate 15 cloves of garlic," he explained. "You wouldn't say that was a great experience but you'd remember it." It's safe to assume Ferrera won't be handpicked as a guest on Conan's current venture, the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.