After 25 years at the Late Night desk, Conan realized that the only people at his holiday party are the men and women who work for him. Over the years and despite thousands of interviews, Conan has never made a real and lasting friendship with any of his celebrity guests. So, he started a podcast to do just that. Deeper, unboundedly playful, and free from FCC regulations, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend is a weekly opportunity for Conan to hang out with the people he enjoys most and perhaps find some real friendship along the way.
Chris Martin
Musician Chris Martin feels really great about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Chris sits down with Conan to discuss the voices that encouraged him, the improbable story of finding drummer Will Champion, using SubPacs to make Coldplay concerts more accessible, and more. Plus, Conan responds to a curious listener’s voicemail about his “sock game.”
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62:22 | 3/20/23 | |
Swipeout
Conan chats with Avril in Dublin about working in reality tv, the typical Irish dating app experience, and how Conan would market himself for online dating.
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21:27 | 3/16/23 | |
Neil Young And The Songs That Inspired Him
Neil Young sits down for a special conversation with Conan about the songs that inspired him. Follow along with the full list of songs here: Four Strong Winds (Ian & Sylvia)The Wayward Wind (Gogi Grant)Baby, What You Want Me to Do (Jimmy Reed)Ballad of a Teenage Queen (Johnny Cash)Bob-A-Lena (Ronnie Self)
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61:27 | 3/15/23 | |
Michelle Zauner
Musician and author Michelle Zauner feels elated about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Michelle sits down with Conan to talk about her book Crying in H Mart, the impact her relationship with her mother had on her career and the success of her band Japanese Breakfast, drawing inspiration from video game music, and more. Later, Conan reviews fan-submitted drag name suggestions.
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61:41 | 3/13/23 | |
DJ Jazzy Josh
Conan talks to Josh in Cape Town, South Africa about working on impact games and his history as an auctioneer.
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20:41 | 3/9/23 | |
Norah Jones
Singer-songwriter Norah Jones feels ecstatic about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Norah sits down with Conan to discuss her podcast Norah Jones Is Playing Along, collaborating with Ray Charles and Willie Nelson, serendipitous run-ins, and more. Plus, Conan responds to a voicemail with a state senator’s official invitation to the USS Sequoia.
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71:05 | 3/6/23 | |
We DO Talk About Bruno
Conan talks with Bruno in Madrid about working as an airline pilot and tips for giving alarming news from the cockpit.
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18:49 | 3/2/23 | |
Elizabeth Banks
Actress Elizabeth Banks feels cautiously optimistic about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Elizabeth sits down with Conan to chat about standing up to her childhood bullies, communion, and mixing horror and comedy in her new film Cocaine Bear. Plus, a Neil Diamond song takes Conan on a trip down a memory lane of misheard lyrics.
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62:29 | 2/27/23 | |
Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
Conan speaks to Jack from Abingdon about working for Yellow Submarine Charity, playing in a ukulele ensemble, and the best and worst places Conan has ever slept in.
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24:19 | 2/23/23 | |
Jason Segel
Actor Jason Segel feels very happy about being Conan O’Brien’s friend.Jason sits down with Conan to chat about the real-life inspiration behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall, joke texts from Anthony Hopkins, and his new tv series Shrinking. Later, Conan and his team get administered a professional hearing test.
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61:35 | 2/20/23 | |
Conapotamia
Conan chats with Moataz in Alexandria, Egypt about meeting his wife playing a video game and their subsequent virtual wedding ceremony.
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17:11 | 2/16/23 | |
Jane Fonda
Actress and activist Jane Fonda feels so, really deeply happy and excited to be sitting opposite Conan for a conversation. Jane sits down with Conan to discuss all the ways in which the world has changed around us since she was growing up, connecting with her father Henry Fonda and how his films influenced her activism, touring Appalachia with Dolly Parton, and more. Plus - Conan issues a very positive State of the Podcast address. Join Jane Fonda in her climate work at www.janepac.com
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64:26 | 2/13/23 | |
Keepin' It In The Family
Conan chats with Ellen from Tullamore, Ireland about going to law school while working in a whiskey distillery and how Conan takes his dram.
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16:52 | 2/9/23 | |
Sarah Silverman Returns
Comedian and actress Sarah Silverman feels ambivalent about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Sarah sits down with Conan once more to share her most irrational fear (and most embarrassing childhood memory), stories of family know-it-alls, and the thrills that come along with age-related hearing loss.
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68:35 | 2/6/23 | |
Name Name
Conan talks to Anna in Bangkok about how to get her mom to stop yelling across the house, the most popular names in Thailand, and what it would be like to bring Conan to a ping pong show.
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19:33 | 2/2/23 | |
Vir Das
Comedian Vir Das feels unique about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Vir sits down with Conan to discuss faking appendicitis as a child, the first laugh he ever got on stage, the controversy over his “Two Indias” monologue, and his new special Vir Das: Landing. Later, Sona and David Hopping recount their adventures visiting every single Friends filming location.
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58:42 | 1/30/23 | |
Underground Museum Coffee
Conan chats with Simon from Slovenia about his favorite specialty coffee shop and its unusual location.
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15:59 | 1/26/23 | |
Timothy Olyphant Returns
Timothy Olyphant feels splendiferous about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Timothy and Conan sit down once more to discuss their unique friendship, being shot at in New Orleans while filming Justified: City Primeval, and a possible new talk show featuring the two of them.
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66:31 | 1/23/23 | |
C.S.I. Kansas City
Conan talks to Allan in Missouri about working as a crime scene investigator, surprising scenes she’s investigated, and which of Conan’s team would make the most skilled investigator.
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30:07 | 1/19/23 | |
Ramy Youssef
Actor, writer, and comedian Ramy Youssef feels the inevitability of God coming into our lives about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Ramy sits down with Conan to discuss sharing personal history with castmates on his Hulu comedy series Ramy, the universal concept of “refinancing” with God, and filming in the West Bank. Plus, a bacteria sharing Conan’s name inspires debate over Conan and his team’s relative celebrity status.
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73:09 | 1/16/23 | |
Red Ass-fault
Conan chats with Carles about working as a video game designer and what drag persona Conan would create for himself.
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23:05 | 1/12/23 | |
Bryan Cranston Returns
Actor Bryan Cranston feels stimulated about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Bryan sits down with Conan once more to dive into the details of his wild first sexual encounter in Salzburg, transitioning from physical comedy in Malcolm in the Middle to the high-stakes drama of Breaking Bad, how kindness and hard work are the key to a satisfying career, and the upcoming season 2 of Your Honor. Plus, Conan regretfully comes to terms with how Joop! cologne has impacted his life.
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71:33 | 1/9/23 | |
Klingons and Cowboys
Conan speaks with Jill from Vulcan, Alberta about growing wetland plants in a commercial greenhouse, fainting goats, and what Conan would name a wetland species of his own discovering.
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22:12 | 1/5/23 | |
Penn Badgley
Actor Penn Badgley feels the dull echo of imposter syndrome about being Conan O’Brien’s friend.Penn sits down with Conan to discuss his journey to Hollywood as a child actor, the value of educating yourself, and THAT scene from his Netflix series YOU. Conan shares his love of Gossip Girl and pitches an alternate version as a sketch. Stick around for the end, where Conan and the team try on Tracy Morgan's favorite cologne.
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67:23 | 1/2/23 | |
Undercover Rabbi
Conan talks to David from New Rochelle, NY about being a congregational rabbi and what a clergy team meeting with Conan and the chums would look like.
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24:34 | 12/29/22 | |
Ed Helms
Actor and comedian Ed Helms feels humbled about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Ed sits down with Conan to chat about the real-life Andy Bernard, learning the banjo, and exploring history’s greatest screwups with his podcast SNAFU. Plus, Conan and his team read a review of the podcast written by an AI.
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58:10 | 12/26/22 | |
Ashley Flowers from Crime Junkie
In this special episode of Conan O’Brien IS a Fan, Conan sits down with Ashley Flowers of the podcast Crime Junkie to discuss what got her into true crime, why LA is the place to be for the genre, and her novel All Good People Here.
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17:05 | 12/22/22 | |
Michelle Obama Returns Again
Former First Lady Michelle Obama feels less cautious about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Michelle returns to sit down with Conan once more to discuss her new book The Light We Carry, developing tools to deal with anxiety, the importance of working with one’s hands, and preparing for the empty nest.
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64:45 | 12/19/22 | |
Welcome to the Jungle
Conan chats with Jackie from Ontario about working at the Toronto Humane Society, studying baboons, and tricks to get your cat to love you.
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19:57 | 12/15/22 | |
Randall Park
Actor Randall Park feels neither here nor there about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Randall sits down with Conan to discuss coming out as an actor to his parents, honing his comedic talents in workplace training videos, and his new show Blockbuster. Plus, Conan helps his team come up with age-appropriate toy ideas for their kids.
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65:42 | 12/12/22 |