2024-02-26 01:01:22
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.
Hi, my name is Adam Sandler and I feel sad about being Conan sad.
No, no, no, just because I'm...
We've known each other 35 years.
No, I'm sad because I should give you more.
I should give you more.
Fall is here, hear the yell, go back to school, ring the bell, brand new shoes, walk in blues, climb the fence, books and pens. I can tell that we are going to be friends.
I can tell that we are going to be friends. I don't know if you're doing anything.
Oh, almost, almost.
Don't do it.
No.
Welcome to Conan, O'Brien needs a friend.
Hey, welcome to Conan, O'Brien needs a friend and this is a great way to start any episode. Because just as we counted down, I looked at a little table that's between Sona and I. And I saw that she had her chapstick there and she was really enjoying blowing on her tea, so I picked up the chapstick, tossed it and it went right into her tea. And the place exploded in joy and, of course, Sona, miserable. And then you said, we're here and that's what we're starting off.
Too good not to kick it off.
Yeah, that's a great.
We should kick off every episode with me just having thrown something unhygienic into your tea. Come on, man, no, I think that's a bad idea. First of all, you tried this.
It's a giant wad of pee. Yeah, thank you. It's an audio medium. I did this. You're like a mime.
And then I did this.
I'm just mad, I don't know how to react. Chapstick's better That was fantastic, the chapstick went right into your tea.
It made a satisfying clink and then a splosh.
Oh, yeah, you were happy about that.
I'm not unhappy.
Okay, oh, you should try. And can you isolate the sound of it going in? Let's play that now, see if you can hear it.
Don't do it. Oh no, yeah, that's cool, that's fantastic. what a great...
That's AsMr.
Yeah, and also you're still going to use that lip balm, aren't you? Well, I'm going to use the chapstick, but I can't drink my tea, why not? because of all the germs that are on that chapstick.
That's a hot tea. All the germs are dead, that doesn't....
That's not how it works and the germs on the chapstick that you put on your lips.
Yeah, it's on the tube outside.
That's why there's a lid, Gourley.
Oh, wow, oh so when you walk around, it's not even a. When you walk around and you see like, dog shit on the sidewalk, you take out your chapstick and you just roll it around in the dog shit, what are you doing?
That's so toxic. Look, the exterior of the chapstick touches so many different surfaces, and it's picking up germs.
What are you doing with your chapstick? Yeah.
It's everywhere it's on this table.
It was on this table.
Why are you shouting? because I'm so angry right now.
Because I really wanted to drink that tea.
But you can still drink the tea. It's fine. I promise you, it's fine, you won't get sick or anything. The tea is fine.
How would?
What are you?
Why are you acting like you know things? My father is a microbiologist, his father is a microbiologist. Would you say Marco? My father is Marco Polo?
You drink it?
You drink my tea, I would happily drink your tea.
And I'll use your chapstick.
Pass it over, pass it over. I use my chapstick, I'm going to use your chapstick and then drink your tea, don't use my chapstick.
Yeah, I don't know about your lips, come on.
Now you can't use it.
God, I hope you get my herpes. I really do. I really do. I wish I had an outbreak right now. Oh, I would kill for herpetic sores.
Then I'd get some sympathy from the showbiz community.
You two are disgusting human beings.
Come on, oh, stirring the tea with the chapstick. Oh my God, let me see if I can recreate that sound.
Almost, how did I miss it? I know it was inches away, I held it.
You know what's crazy? I swear to God. I held it an inch from an open, wide mouth.
Gigantic Cup.
And I swear to God, here we go. Oh, that's a lovely sound. I love that sound, you love ruining things for me.
Don't leave it in there. Oh, it's fun, it's like a little boat. Come on, anyway, Sona tea's not good for you.
That's all.
What same with chapstick? yeah.
It'll kill you. What do you guys? you guys don't know anything.
Yeah, my dad's a Marco by a bulldozer.
Thanks for sticking up for me. Of course, she knows her dad's a micro Mac Bogdanovich.
Uh oh, I hate this place, God, you know what? When Sona Forrest laughs like that, that means she really is mad. Are you really mad?
No, I could have another tea brought in here by David. I don't know. do not make David bring in tea for me. No, don't do it.
Someone get David, don't do it, I won't allow, I will not take tea that David brings me why.
Because we're peers and it's just weird. He's your replacement, you still are above him in the chain of things. That's not true.
I can't fire him. What if you told me David's got to go? He'd be gone like that? Can I fire David? Can I fire?
Can I fire David? Yeah, where is David David?
Try it and see if it works. David try firing him, yeah.
Tell me if it works. Yeah, see if it works, David, come on in here, David, David.
David.
You better have tea.
They're going to pull this up, what?
You know what, David, pack your shit up.
You're fucking done here, I'm so sorry. Okay, you can assist Conan.
No, no, no.
Please come back. please come back, David. Quick question You are the assistant that was hired because Sona was no longer really assisting me that much, okay?
I went on maternity leave. well, whatever, I had babies, I had twin babies. I still don't buy this whole maternity excuse.
But anyway, I'm so glad you said it. Only two babies at once and you get time off. I think three babies at once should get you out of work. But anyway, David Sona said that she can't ask you to get her tea.
I ruined her tea. Do you even listen to the podcast? When you're out there? I had other things. What were you doing? I was talking to Paula and Gina.
Okay, really important things about your calendar and your podcast bookings? Okay, so anyway, I brought you in here for it to be fun and interesting, and that was awful. Well, it's like you have a lot of dates coming where you're busy.
That's okay, I'm very busy. We were working on it. Popular celebrity anyway? Definitely a list or top B list.
A b a B rising. Anyway, I ruined Sona's tea by throwing a chapstick into it. Well, that wasn't nice, thank you.
It's kind of funny, think about it again and then think about your job, that's hilarious. So anyway. And then I said, Well, just David will get you another tea because she doesn't want to drink this tea. And then she said, I can't do that.
And I said, Why not? and she said, Because David's a peer and I honestly don't. I think you're great David, You're amazing, thank you.
But I do, you can stop there. No, no, I think Sona.
Thank you so much. Isn't Sona a click above you? Yeah, No, I don't think so. Do you think that Sona could fire you?
No, no, I don't think, you know, I'm thinking about it now. I don't know if Sona's called you up and said, you're out and don't and lose Conan's number.
I would call you, then, you'd call me and he'd be rehired immediately. Yeah, you're right, you're right.
Sona can't fire you, I can't fire, but also he's your assistant, so why would he be bringing me tea? I would bring you a tea as like a friend.
Yeah, you can ask people as a friend, yeah, but I could just wait and then go get myself tea. This tea is seriously fine. It had a chapstick floating in it, but it's not like the chapstick was contaminated or anything.
I have a big problem with that, with just foreign objects landing in my drinking beverages. I remember this from New York, when Sona refused to ride in a New York cab because she said, anyone can have sat in those seats. And I was thinking, What are you talking about? When you travel the world, you're constantly getting in transportation and sitting on things where someone else has sat.
She said They were covered in jizz, I believe.
Yeah, a lot of other things, a lot of fluids, yeah, but the good thing about jizz is it forms a protective coating when it hardens. Oh.
What? It's like a layer, it's like a shellac. Most sneeze guards are made out of dried jizz. That's true.
That's a true fact.
That's true. Yeah, come on.
Yeah, they use them, it's porn runoff, and then they harden and they cut them into sheets, and they're used as sneeze guards.
Porn runoff.
Yeah, they have little channels in the floors when they shoot porn. And it collects all the extra semen. And then that's laid out in sheets, it dries, it's cut into sheets, and then it's made into sneeze guards. They're in the condoms, that's where the jizz is.
No, that's why during Covid, so many plexiglass things were in need, and the porn industry just rose.
Okay, oh, all right, we're doubling down on it, yeah, but Jizz isn't clear.
Some churches have mistakenly used a stained glass window. I'm just, I went too far, okay, but what I'm saying is it can be used as a glass and it should be recycled. Let's have a happy, healthy earth.
I'm also taking an Uber home today, so I mean, Ubers are basically taxis now. Yeah, so it just kind of, I don't know, for some reason, Ubers. I'm like, yeah, that's cool, it's like my friend's car.
And then taxis. I'm like, Yuck, so sorry to cut off your story by enjoying this wonderful you know what? And I have chapstick.
I don't wear chapstick and you think you can tell, because my teeth are like just shredded old snakes. Your teeth. What have your teeth got to do with it? My teeth and my lips?
I love when you misspeak, I do, I really enjoy it. I love when you say the wrong thing. It must be really fun.
Yeah, it is fun to watch a man's brain decay. And then two years from now, when I'm gone and neurologists are saying you could watch the whole thing fall apart when you listen.
Listen to the podcast. You can see it all happen and you're laughing, it's funny and Liza's there, weeping.
She would be laughing, we would all be laughing, We'd be like, remember when he said teeth instead of lips? and we would laugh about it.
Remember when he said he accused you of having public display of affection, but he called it a PDF? I don't remember that.
Do you remember Blink 187?
That was me, No, no, it was him, yeah.
But I think I said it was me and then it got written into history that way, yeah.
No, no, it was me. But I just think Blink 187 is an improvement. Come on.
No, I just knock it up. A few numbers can I just say. Last week, Conan asked me where his sunglasses were and they were in his hand. Oh my God.
Oh, I love that, but see, what I'm saying is if there's a neurologist listening, if you're listening and this is your field. I do think that I misspeak more than I used to, and I think that there could be an issue here. And everyone's laughing. And later on, David, you're going to feel pretty, pretty bad.
Didn't we have a neurologist on to discuss this very thing? Someone called in.
I don't know, I forget. Oh no.
Oh, no, is this how you ask for medical advice?
Yeah, it's free. Instead of just going to a neurologist, you're like, Hey, any listeners, can you guys just listen to the podcast?
Maybe there's a fan sourcing free medical care.
I could just go down to the hospital and get it checked, but instead, I'm going to ask a bunch of strangers who's not checking your credentials? I also want a pair of bootleg jeans, I want them with a gold stitch.
Come on, let's get on it, people, all right, let's get into it. We have a what a dumb opening that was.
I know, and for you know what? and for this person specifically, he deserves better, he does deserve better, but he's not getting it. My guest today is a hilarious actor and comedian.
He starred in such movies as Billy Madison, The Waterboy and Uncut Gems. I think people know who we're talking about now. Now you can see him in the new Netflix movie, Spaceman. You still don't know they say their name in the beginning of the episode.
I do know, and it's written in the title. Here comes the big surprise.
Oh my god, oh my God.
Someday I'm going to listen to this podcast. I'm excited he's here today, you won't guess it.
Adam Sandler, welcome.
I passed your house again maybe two days ago, screaming out, Conan.
You always yell, I tell people this. No one in L..A. Everyone lives near each other, but no one, everyone lives behind a hedge, yes.
And everyone's real cool about where everyone else lives, and one of my favorite things is this man when he's outside your house, he'll go cody.
Yeah, Cody.
I do.
And my kids wait for me to say it now, they just go all right. He's going to do his thing, I conan.
Conan.
And then they go back to tell me something in their life.
And then the times that you've come over, when you come over to my house, the first thing you say is, I got to go.
No one wants me here. I'm like, No, people are very happy to see you, everyone's happy to see you.
The party was great, it was nice Christmas bash.
We had a good time.
Perfecto Yeah, I saw your son is a big boy now.
Yeah, he grew fast.
I can't believe it. What a nice guy, though. he's nice, sweet as hell. He did good.
Doesn't love his old man, that's for sure.
No, no, he's running away, running away from them.
Oh man, I wish you had been here for because a good friend of yours was on this podcast, Jim Downey.
All our favorites.
Everybody.
We put him as the number one. When Downey gave you a joke for one of your skits, I for me, I was like, Oh my god, Downey gave me gold. Were you like that too with Downey? Yeah, when he gave you something?
If you could get his attention.
Yes.
Because he liked to stay in his office with the door shut. Yeah, and we'd all wait for him. Yes, and Schneider was the most aggressive.
And he always figured out a way to get in there. I don't know if it was because he's small or what, but he, like, went in through the keyhole. But we were always mad, like, God, damn it. How did Schneider get in there?
Yeah, they got good.
And then the door would open and Downey would come out and I'd go, Oh, hey, Jim. So I had this idea. And he'd be like, walk with me, Coney, walk with me, oh yeah, and walk with me, meant follow him to the bathroom.
He'd use the urinal and I'd stand next to him, yeah, yeah, yeah, and I'd be like, Yeah, so anyway, it's a caveman, and then he finds a time machine and uh-huh, uh-huh, flush.
Washing the hands.
Right, right.
Then door shut and then I could hear Schneider in there again.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, ah, caveman. Where are we ordering in from?
Yeah, no.
But I think back on those days a lot, with a lot of fondness, because you were the most.
Enthusiastic person.
Back then, yeah.
You were so enthusiastic and your attitude was, We're at Saturday Night live. Yeah, this is amazing. Let's get milkshakes, Oh, yeah.
You loved milkshakes? Yes, yes, and then they'd bring food in.
They'd pay for them. You couldn't believe it, yeah.
Everything was so wondrous to you. Do you know what I mean? And now it's like, Okay, the Netflix jet is here. It's like, Yeah, there's a time when you're young.
Yeah, yeah, and you're only that young once.
I was 23, yeah, were you 23 when you got on that show?
I think I would have been 24 when I got started. I have this memory of it's like high school, of when the day people first showed up, so I remembered you showing up. You were very excited and very confident. Spade was nervous.
He stayed up late, though. I remember Schneider used to always say to David, We're here all Tuesday night. Try to stick around and spade around 11, you'd see spade like, my neck hurts, man.
I'm going home.
But we did stay late, you always stayed late.
I would sleep there, yeah.
We had the best those mornings when you'd wake up nuts and your stomach hurt from a whole night of being no sleep. And then the read-through was around 3 o'clock or 4 o'clock or something, you were so off.
Like an idiot, when you're that young, you think this is cool. I'm like a fighter pilot, that's true, because I was so wanted to be. I want to be the fastest gun, I want to be on the edge.
I didn't sleep for two days, I did these two women who were my roommates in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Lynette and Anya. And I'd come in and I'd almost like, bragging, like, I haven't slept in 52 hours, and they'd be like, you should just go to bed. My stool is a white gel.
Like, I think this is cool.
And then I realized later on, you don't do good work when you haven't slept.
Yeah, that's true.
Terrible.
And then making sure that they typed it up, right, remember, because it was back before computers, I think yes, it was. You hand it, you wrote it.
On a legal pad.
On a yellow pad, we'd write it and hand it to anybody. ClaIre I remember used to work there, a bunch of people, you hand it, just get in, and if it was a word off.
We're all sleep-deprived and some of us have bad handwriting anyway. And then so these very nice people would come up to us.
Oh my god.
At 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock in the morning? And they'd say, What is this? what is this word right here? And usually it was a filthy sketch. You'd have to say, that's masturbation, jizz machine.
It's very nice, you know?
Yeah, yeah, oh, I know.
A 35-year-old woman would go, Okay, all right.
But you, I probably told you this before. But when you got the show, when we found out you were hosting the show and taking over for Letterman, right? Is that what it was? Letterman? Yeah, it was unanimous.
With our reaction, everyone was like, Oh wow, yeah, that's great. There was nobody going. Oh shit, why come? I didn't get that. everybody who was Conan's name? everybody just went, Yeah, wow, that's perfect.
What a great idea. You were sharper than everybody, wrote, the coolest shit, but you never came across nervous. I remember watching your first night. Who was the guest? It was Goodman.
Goodman was the first guest, and then Drew Barrymore.
Wow.
And then Tony Randall came out wearing a tuxedo. And then he and I sang Edelweiss. Oh wow, we wanted to on the first show, tell everybody this is the kind of show it's going to be. So he and I sang Edelweiss. And they cut to the crowd and there was a weeping Nazi.
We just wanted to tell everybody this is what this show is going to be. You were cool.
We were all pulling for you, we all knew you were the best and we were like, Wow, it's official, you're that guy now.
It's so funny, it doesn't feel that way for the longest time.
You still feel like you're auditioning every night in the beginning.
Yeah, for a long time, but I remembered you had had. We all knew you were really funny, but Robert Smigel immediately knew that you were fantastic. And the other person this is really interesting is Jim Downey is such a giant brain. What's interesting is, remember, Jim Downey. Sort of looking at you and saying, it's funny because you're doing like your take on a Jerry Lewis sometimes. But don't be fooled.
I think he's smarter than any of us. Like. That was his analysis, which I thought was very fascinating because people that took some of the buffoonery at face value didn't understand.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
That you're a really smart motherfucker.
In my own way.
No, I mean, but you are, you've always been, and that was always the plan. That, okay, this is what I'm doing now, but then I'm going to start laying other stuff in.
And actually, which I didn't even know at the time. But I would talk to you and you would talk about serious acting, and you knew you could do it.
I think I did that when I did the Wedding Singer. I probably was like, yeah, let me try not to be too goofy in this movie, just to maybe slowly ease into doing other stuff. One day. Of course, PTA. He's the one who put me in like a.
That's Paul Thomas Anderson.
Paul Thomas Anderson.
Not the PTA committee.
Yeah, well, he's the guy who helped me get into doing just a straight up, serious movie. But in my head, I knew I could eventually handle something like that and I should do something like that. I always my family when I first moved to went to NYU acting. My grandmother was always like, Yeah, you're the next James Caan, you're the next James Caan.
She always used to say that to me, so part of that line made me go, Oh shit. I better do some real movies too one day, so my grandmother can accept this life.
I probably told you this, but I met James Caan when I was young, came out, I was on the Paramount lot, I'm walking, I had an audition.
And James Caan is with his buddies throwing a football around. And he had a black eye. And I was like, Oh, shit, you get a famous James Caan, kind of fight or something, but but he was just.
He was shooting misery and he had to make the makeup.
Right?
And so I was like, Oh fuck, I didn't realize it until, like, a year later, I said, Oh shit, that's why.
But I walked by him and I said, I got to say something to James Caan, man, and so I did that douchebag kind of walk up to him. I see everyone going, what the fuck he's having fun, James Caan throwing a football around.
Why is this guy interrupting? And I said, Hey, my grandmother said I'm the next you. He goes. What I said. My grandmother said, I'm the next you, and he goes, You don't want to be me.
Oh, wow.
He was one of the people talk about who are the coolest people ever in movies.
Was he on your show?
Oh yeah, James Caan was on the show, and what I remember is you could, even as even when he was getting older. You could take a carpenter's level, tell me if I'm right, you could take a carpenter's level and put it on his shoulder. And the bubble would go right to the middle.
He had the craziest straight, and you can see it in The Godfather. There's a lot of scenes where Sonny's wearing, like, What was known? or the Wife Beater t-shirt. But he's just got like the white strap on t-shirt and look at his shoulders.
His shoulders are just crazy. He's got that ridge of fluff, oh yeah, and then the fluff, a little bit of fluff there.
He would keep little treats in there for later. He's got a lot of little lifesavers and a starburst. But no, I've met him, and, you know, the times that I've met anyone from the Godfather, I lose my mind a little bit.
They all love him, too.
They all love him, yeah.
All the Godfather guys would be. When you say his name, they go, Oh, he just had a coolness about him and he would fight anybody. He did have that go time, kind of, like, if somebody says the wrong thing.
Oh no, he looked like a guy who would drop his sandwich and punch you if that was called for.
Yeah, I had to, I had to do that.
I'm always that way, I don't want to bother these people. I get you, you said you were that way about McCartney.
McCartney.
Tell us what happened.
McCartney was at a restaurant the other night, and it's actually my friend's restaurant. Everybody knew he was coming. I was with my wife and her friends and my friends, and they were like, You've met McCartney.
Go say hello. I said, Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I got up. I saw a side shot of his head, he was eating.
And I was like, Come on, man, just say hello. And then I saw Ringo was at the table too and he looked up and I went. I can't fucking handle it and I just kept going.
And I ran past him and all my friends are like, What happened? And then my wife goes, Go back, Ken, you're going to never forgive yourself, go.
And I said, Yeah, you're right, went back in, saw the side shot. He was talking to his wife. I think I just fucking kept walking.
Faked a hand wash in the bathroom? Then I was like, What are you doing, man? go fucking do this, just say hello, this is amazing.
I love it. You're Adam Sandler, the Adam Sandler did, and you know what else didn't help? Other people were watching Adam Sandler be nervous.
And they were just going, Is he going to fucking talk to McCartney or not? And I just bolted out, but you know what?
I get it because someone like that. I think he's been famous since about a year before I was born, and when I say famous, like the most, one of the four most famous faces in the world. And then?
Lunchbox in the house.
Yeah, there were people that I have no problem walking up to, and sometimes I really give them attitude like, Look, you're a C-lister at best. So I'm going to say, hi, I'm a real dick about it.
Obama Yeah.
You were president, now I'm President. Conan. That doesn't make sense.
You've never been president, but anyway, yeah, I would not.
Athletes do that to me, some superstar athletes where everybody says, go over, say hello. Oh, the worst was KG. I went to a Clifford game with Kevin Garnett and after it was ending, he was on the Clippers.
He knows them all. He's like, let's go back, say hi. I said, No, no, no, no, man, you go.
He goes, Come on man, I go, No, I don't want to go in the locker room, man. He goes, Come on man and blah, blah, blah. I go in there, just feeling so goofy.
They're all, you know, the clothes are off. I'm in there just after a game. Just there's no reason. Adam Sandler's in the locker room. They're all hugging KG. I'm staring at him, giving some head nods.
And then somehow it was me alone. For a second, I spread out me and Kawhi was in there, just kind of sitting there thinking about the game. And I'm just standing there, just me and Kawhi, and I'm just like, Yeah, this is a bad moment for Kawhi.
Didn't say nothing, just froze.
I was just thinking about this because I think he was on TV last night, but it was Joe Buck came up to me. I was at a bar with a friend and Joe Buck walks up to me and he's with John Elway.
Yeah, that's cool.
But John Elway doesn't say anything, and Joe Buck is just like, Oh man, I always love coming on your show. But when we were chatting and John Elway isn't saying anything, he isn't really making eye contact with me. And then Joe Buck says, Well, anyway, I think our table's ready, but so great to see you.
And I'm like, Yeah, good to see you too. And he walks away and John Elway is left standing looking at me for one second, and he looks at me and he goes, We're fans and then walks away.
And it was so clear to me he doesn't know who the fuck I am.
And I respected him for it, I respect him. But just the generic is, we're fans and it's like, first of all, who's we? Because Joe Buck is gone.
Do you mean America?
Yes, do you mean the Elways?
The Broncos.
Do you mean the NFL? Yeah, we're fans and then Zing and he's gone, but now you've got the thing where you have that on the other side.
I was there, part of a group of people honoring you in Washington when you got the Mark Twain prize. And it was just funny to see how many people came out and how you're that guy to them. You know what I mean, like, a Pete Davidson is telling stories about, Oh shit, there's Adam Sandler.
That's funny, we're those guys now to the young guys. Yeah, he's a funny bastard, that kid, he's always texting.
He's just enjoying his life and then also nervous. He certainly seems to be. He enjoys it, but he's nervous about it. But he's a very nice kid. And yeah, I don't know.
That was quite a weekend, man. You were such a great man to me because I was so not enjoying it the first time.
Why weren't you enjoying it? So you get this big honor, the Mark Twain prize, and everyone turns out, and it's going to be at Kennedy Center. And I ran into you. I checked in at the hotel in Georgetown in the lobby.
And I walked through and I'm thinking, well, I guess I'll see Adam at some point, maybe when I go up on stage to give my speech. And I see you standing, as you always are, in basketball shorts in the lobby alone. And I go up and I go, Dad, what's going on? You're like, I don't know Cody, and you were in a bit of a well.
I just get nuts when I have all my family, all friends. And then the thing that was bugging me the most was I knew everybody came because they were doing. I felt like everyone was doing me a favor, so I was like, God damn, this is a weekend everybody would probably like to have their own weekend.
I really wanted my own weekend.
But you made it, you said. We all want to be here, it's good, let's just enjoy it. I swear to God. It was like 5 o'clock at night on a Friday.
And I went, Yeah, yeah, yeah, OK, let me just play this on once in a lifetime.
Well, also, yeah, take a second, you're such a workaholic, you're working all the time.
You are, too.
Yeah, but it's good to take a moment every now and then and say, OK, this is nice. All your friends turned out and it was really a great time.
It was a really good time, we all hung.
But I don't know if you're this way. I would always hate it. When I knew Family was in the audience, they would always say, Yeah, we're coming, we're going to be in the late night audience.
And I'd say, Well, why don't you just I say this to my brother Neil? I'd say, just hang out in the dressing room, you can watch it. No, I want to be in the crowd where everyone else is.
And I'd say, I kind of prefer it if you were, because I can see everybody, and if I, if I can see you in the crowd. It's weird that my brother's there and I'm trying to be a talk show host. And you're the guy who beat the shit out of me. When I was five and took more than your share of the sugar cereal, so I don't.
Six pop tarts and there's six kids, and so you come down, there's only three popcorn. No one's had any, and he's got crumbs on his belly and he's laughing at all of us. But. But I would say to him like I would really prefer.
And he would look me and go like that, Yeah, that's what this is, what I like, and then he'd just be there. And then, of course, you would always find a way to talk to the celebrity guest backstage. Oh, Mary Tyler Moore.
So nice to see you.
So when you worked on a show called Bennigan's Revenge in 1966, it premiered in color, but then the second season was in black and white. Why was that? He has that kind of mind. He went up to Elvis Costello and was like, Hey, I saw you at Live Aid.
I was in the crowd. Oh, I was thinking, the crowd at Live Aid, that's a big crowd at Wembley Stadium. No, I was wearing a blue t-shirt.
No.
They changed, they changed my vibe, too. My my. My dad told my mom. My dad came to see me in Boston one night when I was doing stand up and I just was getting going.
And I was cursing a lot and my father, no matter what, even when I did bad. Oh, that was terrific, you were great, terrific, and I said that thing, I said, blah, blah, blah.
I didn't do well. He'd be like, that was terrific, you'll figure it out, but he would say, Don't have mom come see you.
And so my mother, every time I had a show, my mom would go. Your father says, I shouldn't come. Do you want me to come? I'd be like, Well, dad said not to do it, maybe it's better. And then my I did my album and was filthy.
And my father played my mother the record, he listened to it first, and then my mother would tell me I listen to track one, five and eleven, those are the ones that Daddy said.
But I did change my vibe whenever my parents or my family is something about my act. As a stand up, I don't really tell the truth ever. Yeah, I have the start of the truth and do some goofy joke. And any time I've looked at a family member and I start my joke, they have a look.
I'm like, this isn't true, and so it throws my head off. I'm like, you know, my mother never came to see me. Do stand up because that was the instructions, but I my I opened for Seinfeld.
Seinfeld was cool he, he liked me. He let me open for him in Boston one night, and my parents are in New Hampshire and I went to open for Seinfeld.
I don't think he told me to, but I I said, Oh, he doesn't curse, so I can't curse. And I told my dad and mom, Hey, I'm doing. Seinfeld. Oh, that's a big deal.
And they were so excited. I said, I'm doing 15 minutes before he. He goes on, If you guys want to come and I, because I'm not allowed to curse.
And so my father's like, Judy, we'll go and I. They both came and I had because it was a clean set. I wasn't used to it and I fucking ate it for 15 minutes and my poor parents were watching me just fail, miserably.
And then Seinfeld went on, And it was fucking, you know, two hours of destruction. Yeah. And just the whole car ride home is like, And how about when? He said, Yes, that was very good? My mother's like, you'll get there, you'll get there.
That's nice, I love that your your dad is, you know? The production company logo that always comes up is the golf ball.
Terrific.
And then, and then, terrific, and I guess that was your dad's. everything was terrific.
Everything was terrific, always about your golf swing, about everything, school. You'd come home with a report card, all right?
Terrific, you're doing, OK. He had a great attitude, but my dad passed away.
And that terrific is actually me. I did it and then a microphone and they lowered it and put it in the thing. And my mother for a long time thought it was my dad, it happened when Daddy said.
And then I think I broke it to her recently, I said, That's me.
Oh, you destroyed it all.
I don't know, I liked hanging out with your mom and sister, and it was just my two sisters.
Your two sisters, that's right. Yeah, yeah. How about when my sister took over the speech that the first night?
There's a night before at the at the you get the Twain Award, there's a night before they have another night. And yeah, your sister came out and like, did a set, she did.
She did a 20 minute hit, yeah.
And she took over.
She made me sit down on stage.
She said, Get up here, I made you sit and there was nothing you could do. Your sister was in this.
Was she said like, This is my moment? Yes, and I'm taking it.
She and not a didn't try to be funny or was funny and also just nice and real. Didn't have the thing that we have of like, I got to kill. She was just like taking her time and telling stories about me and but had me locked in there.
Pretty good, but it was, it was sweet, everybody was nice.
I love it when Spade's like, mom has been around. Yeah, I'm sure I've told that story about Spade's mom. Just I love it when these people that I came along with, when their parents are around, I love it. Like I said, when your mom's around. And I went to an event and it was an event that you were throwing for.
I think it was one of your daughter's bar mitzvah.
Oh yeah, the bar mitzvah.
And I'm sitting at a table with David Spade's on one side, his mom's on the other side, and sitting across the table from us. Is Dustin Hoffman, that's right. And she leans over to me and she says, Conan, that's Dustin Hoffman, and I want to go say hi to him.
I love Dustin Hoffman. He's in my second favorite movie of all time, and I said, Oh, that's yeah, you should say hi to me. He's in my second favorite movie of all time.
And I said, Well, you know, what you should do, Mr. Spade is just say, you're. Like, in my favorite movie of all time, I said, What was it? and he said, Well, it's like, Tootsie is my second favorite movie of all time.
And I'm trying to remember. I said, like, Well, what's your, you know? And she said, I just said, just say it's your favorite, and she said, It's, you know, it's not. My favorite movie of all time. My favorite movie of all time is Nine to five. My second favorite movie of all time is is Tootsie.
And my third favorite movie, you know of, of all time. And then she, she had a third favorite. And I said, just just don't, you don't have to say all that.
One of my favorites.
You don't have to do it, just go up to Dustin Hoffman and just say, You're my favorite movie of all time. Tootsie, that's all. And she looked at me and she said, But it's not my favorite, and so I said, David, help me here.
And David was like, Mama, just say you really love Tootsie, that's all you have to do, all right? So she goes around and there's all this music playing, it's a bat mitzvah.
And I see her walk around and she goes up to Dustin Hoffman and she starts talking. And then she holds up three fingers and then she does one. And I see her mouthing it, and it's not Tootsie, and I see Dustin Hoffman listening. Like, and he doesn't even know it's David Spade's mom.
He just knows it's this older woman.
Yeah.
Now my favorite movie, You're not in it, Hold on, You're in the list, but not at number one. And I was just dying.
That's good.
Yeah, my mother does, the if I someone famous is in the room, my mother, I'll introduce my mother, go.
You're wonderful, you're wonderful. Congratulations and thank you so much. you were wonderful.
We love you so much. And then the walk away and then like, who is that?
This is years ago doing late night, but I had an impromptu party at my house and Jim Carrey just happened to be. And this is like he had like five number one movies in a row, and he everywhere he went, there were. They had to shut streets down. It was crazy and he came by my small late night party in my apartment and my mom was there.
And at one point, I see my mom over in the corner, talking to Jim, and you know, you just get that feeling like, Okay, I hope this goes all right. And then, sooner or later, my mom drifts back to me and I go, Mom, what were you talking to that guy about? And she went well, he, he wants to, you know, he's in comedy and he's an actor.
And I told him, Listen to me, my son. A lot of people gave him a lot of guff when he started out. But he kept pushing and he kept pushing and he made it. And if you stick with it, you too are going to make it. And so I put my hand on my mom's shoulder and I said, Mom, she was still working at the time at this law office in Boston. I said, Mom, I want you going back to Boston tomorrow.
And I want you to tell everybody on Monday, gather everyone at Ropes and Gray Law Firm and tell them that you met Jim Carrey and you told him to just stick with it. And she was saying, why, why? why? is that funny? why?
Why would I do that? Who is he, who is he? And I said, Just do it, just do it.
So then she called me from work. Why? Well, I didn't know. And you could hear people laughing in the background.
My mother sat next to Dice Clay on the on a flight out and she was just telling me, This nice boy, very nice. We talked the whole flight and very sweet. And you should get to know him. His name is Dice.
And he's very nice, he's from Brooklyn.
And I said, Are you with dice clay?
He's a giant star. Yeah, yeah, well, he's very wise, handsome.
Nice head of hair, he told me. The loveliest little nursery rhyme.
Hickory, Dickory, Dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
He was always nice. Every time I'd see dice, I'd say hi to your mother. Oh yeah, he was the shit, and then what about fucking Dennis when he would go, what the fuck?
But Dennis, what is it? Jimmy crack, Jimmy crack, corn and I don't fucking care. And the whole place would go nuts.
Something like that.
Yeah, did you get along with Dennis back on the show?
He got me on the show.
Oh, he was the one that got you on the show.
He called Lauren about me, Yeah, yeah.
That's nice.
He was great to me and he used to take us out. Before SNL, we were just goofy comedians. Schneider and Spade. He used to take us out golfing all the time at Woodset in the Valley.
And we'd play with him and got to know him, and then he watched our acts and told us what was good and bad and that kind of shit. And then he's like, Sandman, he used to call me Sandman, I think he was like the first guy.
My friends when I was a kid used to call me Sandman and then nobody did that. And then I think he used to go Sandman. And he's like, Yeah, you'd be good on the show, Sandman, and then I'd be on the show.
And I remember I wasn't doing great in the beginning. It's a hard place to get it going, but I was definitely. Schneider hit big and some of the youth was starting to get there and I was not getting there.
And then I remember, in the hallway, he goes. I thought this would have caught on by now.
Not yet, not yet, it'll get there.
But you knew you were always pretty confident that you'd get there, right?
I guess so yes. I kept going, but yeah, he was great to me. He did scare the shit out of you.
He didn't exactly almost like the McCartney thing. Like, you just get a little fucking out of your head and nervous and you're going to say the wrong thing to Dennis. And guys who were just better than us back in the day, who else had that? Phil? Phil was warm.
Phil was warm. He used to make you feel calm. Phil was warm.
Phil Hartman But you always thought you didn't know the real Phil?
That's right.
Phil would walk in and see us and go keep them flying, boys.
That's right, keep them flying.
And then you'd go in and you'd tell him about a sketch and go, and he'd say, What's up, fellas? All right, let's take a look.
Got it?
You know, and he was a machine, he could do it, but it's not like I ever had a heart to heart with Phil.
No, no, no, I never shat the shit for real, but he was sweet, he was sweet and lovitz.
Lovitz was pretty goddamn nice to us back in the day.
He was funny because John Lovitz just wore his heart on his sleeve. He was who he was, he was kind of. It was all there, like he had no armor, right?
So many comedians have armor, and John Lovitz would say, I've got an idea, he always would pitch you these ideas. Because he was always looking for a new catchphrase after the liar, he was always wanting a new catchphrase. And he'd be like, I've got an idea for a character, he says. Get to know me.
And you'd go, Yeah, I don't really know. I think it would be really good. Come on. He'd get sort of like a kid, but he was very sweet.
Really nice guy, very sweet guy, absolutely. But just felt like his inner child was exposed.
But those guys were bigger than because we were younger than them, we always were a little nervous around them. Yeah, of course.
That's just how it works. I'm in awe of people. People that were on TV when I was a kid are just always, I mean, they're all dying now. But if they were on television or in the movies when I was a kid, I'm in complete awe of them.
We owe something to them.
What I have found is that people can be absolute icons, make the biggest stars in the world. But if they came along five years ago, I'm very happy to meet them, but they don't have that effect on me. Sure, I'm not like, Oh my god.
Taylor Swift Because what she means to my kids, I get a little fucking jumpy. I have this guy because I don't want to blow it for my kids. So I'm a little like, Taylor Taylor, you know? Like, I talk a little too loud or something, I don't act as cool as I –.
You yell her name outside her house, Taylor.
Taylor.
Talk to me, speak to me. Yeah, she's, I mean, she's this whole other level now.
People talk about the Beatles of it All and her just Man, I mean, fuck, so many smash hits. There's not a word my kids don't know.
Yeah, my daughter, it means so much.
I know them too, by the way, but they know them inside and out. But it's just remember the Beatles, every fucking song on the record, you knew, that's Taylor Swift, too. It's not a song you skip.
You go, Oh, that one's pretty damn cool.
Very few people have hit that level of fame for that long. Me, Oh boy.
You've been outside with me, people, just, you know, they're like shouting out different sketches and bits. No, no, they're just like, Do I know you from something?
How do I know you, big man? What's up, big man?
Taylor has called me and said, like, how long will this go on? how do I handle it? And I go, Look, you've just got to be chill, you know? You've got to breathe into it. That's what I always say.
Never have, you know. What's very cool is I think you have had an extremely continue to have an extremely unique career. I'm just it's amazing the vantage point I've had meeting you that first day you showed up at SNL.
And then just seeing this body of work that you've made, which is so varied. That when people come up to you and they're touched by something you did, or they love something you did, there's a lot of people who they know what's coming. Yeah, you like that one movie, but for you, you never know what it's going to be because you've done so much.
You've done so much stuff that's affected people in different ways.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, shit, the latest that Leo movie, Leo, Yeah, my daughter's obsessed. Oh yeah.
She loves that and it's such a good movie because I watched it with her three times, that's fantastic. Yeah, it's like a joke. Bag feels great.
Bill Burr Smygo crushed it. I'm so happy.
I also love, too, that the voice you did in Leo.
Oh, Bernie.
We all know it's, you know, my former representation, your former Bernie Brillstein, had this just unbelievable voice, I mean, first of all, he looked –.
You used to do him, you and Smygo used to do him talking about your Adam West pilot.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And you do, Sandy better than everybody.
But this was this great Bernie Brillstein was this iconic figure, and they don't make him like that anymore, right? And he wore all Black, he was a very heavy guy with a big white beard.
And he looked like a Jewish Santa Claus with A, and he'd wear dark and he'd say it's slimming. Well, apparently it's not, but he was. Everyone did a Bernie Brillstein impression, and but you took that voice and then changed it.
Yeah.
And if you had told me? This massive hit movie, Leo, is coming out and kids are going to love it and it's going to be an instant classic. And the main character is the voice of Bernie Brillstein.
That was –.
Out of set?
Do you remember that, you guys, I think Smygo used to do Bernie if he was a Cannibal?
No.
He used to go, you know, be giving advice and be like, you have to tell Paramount Pictures. Whatever he'd be saying, he'd be like, Let me you have a wonderful head, let me feel that head for a sec.
It's such a specific I love a really specific impression.
Yeah, that was good, the kids coming up talking about that fantastic feeling.
And then you have this. I just watched it last night.
You got the spaceman.
Spaceman, which is, I really loved it, and it's quite different from other work that you've done and it's got a great premise. I don't know how much I want to say to give anything away, but it's someone who's about as far away from Earth as you can get.
Right, who gets some upsetting news and feels like something in his relationship with his wife has gone wrong? And you're literally on the other side of Jupiter, and then there's this element that comes into the movie that's really fantastic and you don't expect it.
And I thought it was a beautiful movie, that's cool, it really did great, great.
Well, it's this director, great guy, Johan Rehnke, just a great person. you would love him. He's from Sweden. He directed Bowie's last video.
He's a really cool guy.
I love that video, by the way, I've seen it, I love that video.
It's cool, it looks cool. Bowie, He has great stories about Bowie, and he did Madonna and just cool stuff, and he was a singer himself.
And he gave me the script and it was very different. And this guy visually makes cool shit and let me be in it and I love it.
You're in this enviable position where you can do whatever you want, you can decide. You know, I'm going to do an Uncut Gems and work with the Safdies before that was even a thing, you know, and I think you can make Leo. Then you can come out with Spaceman, which has very much got like a 2001 vibe and has a lot of different, darker textures in it.
I think, okay, this is this amazing place to be in right now, where you can be as goofy as you want. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then.
I did get lucky there. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Half the time. I'm like, Shit, I got to make a movie, I want to make a movie, I love making them.
What the fuck am I supposed to do? I just want. I like doing comedies. I like when there's an idea that we're freaking out over and we can't wait to get it going and try to write it and all that shit. But it's a weird age right now, it's a new, new new age.
I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to really talk about, what I'm supposed to be, what kind of movie I'm supposed to make right now. But it all, it all eventually gets there.
Well, I think my take on you is, I think, your secret weapon, and I like to think I've been this way too. But you've mostly been interested in make, in pleasing yourself, and you decided a long time ago. I'm not going to read anything about me and I'm not going to try and make certain people happy. I'm just going to do what I think is it is is right and what I want to do.
And it's kind of a masterclass and what more people should do, you know, because I think it has. I think that's a great way to go through, especially a comedy career. But just make yourself happy, and if you stick to that, chances are the worst thing that happens is you've made yourself happy.
And in your case, you've made everybody else happy, too, so that's a beautiful thing.
And it does feel, yes. There are times in your career you go, I guess you do something that you weren't 100 percent sure of, and then you just go. I can't ever fucking do that again. That didn't feel good, like doing whatever makes me feel like, at least I like it. Like you were saying, and just, it's just lucky, lucky.
Me and you are very lucky. How about how long you've been getting to do this and kill and this, this new building, you got the greatest man.
I love it. Yeah, I always wanted a little tree house. that's what this feels like. It's like a very nice tree house.
Yeah.
And it's packed with people who look happy as hell.
Yeah, they don't do anything, that's all right. Super happy checks.
Checks keep coming.
And every picture on the wall is of me.
You know, I don't want to keep you any longer, but I'm just honored to be your friend.
Me too, man, I love you always.
Happy, so happy for you.
And I'm doing a stand up special and I dropped your name in it in a good way.
Oh, in a good way.
You have nothing to fear. I hate when somebody says that I heard your name at a comedy club. I'm like, Oh, geez, that could go the other way. Yeah, but no, this is a good way.
Friend of Epstein Oh, no.
Well, listen, I love you and I'm so happy for you and proud of you for you. Just I don't know you're. You're. You're following your own, your own North Star, and whatever you're doing is perfection. Thank you buddy.
Thank you, I love you, Conan.
I love you too, and I love you too. Gourley, what?
Yeah.
Oh, I'm sorry, different. Gourley Yeah, sorry, that feels better.
I didn't have my glasses on.
Thank you, that was close, thanks.
I have a tale to tell and it's an embarrassing tale and I think these are the ones you guys like. These are our favorites. This is a true story. I just flew in from Boston.
I was seeing my family there. I check out my family, I check out my family. Hey, you guys are looking. Hey mom, dad, you guys are looking good.
Sexy nuclear unit No. I was checking in on my family and seeing my my, my fam, my sibs. And then I go to Logan Airport and I'm going to take the flight from Boston to Los Angeles. You wait in the line to hand your stuff over, put it on the conveyor belt, so you're a little distracted, but I'm taking my belt off.
They always say you can leave your belt on, but it always sets it off. So now I take everything off, I'm pretty much naked when I go through that thing, but I'm taking everything off, I'm putting it down into this bucket.
And this very nice kid who's wearing a white sweater and he has glasses and dark hair, and he says, Oh, hi, Conan. And he could not have been nicer, he said. Your TV show meant a lot to me I've listened to.
Conan O'Brien needs a friend all the time. He is Armenian, he introduces himself, and I think he said his name was Armand.
He could not have been nicer, and he's talking about beautifully, talking about what, what the work is meant to him and all that. And I just had, like, the nicest conversation with him, and he was kind of holding his phone. But we were just about to go through, you know, when you go through the the, the whatever, the x-ray machine, the magnetic thing.
And so he had to put his phone in, and I was kind of thinking, I think he wanted to do a photo, but he didn't. OK, hold on. But anyway, we go through and I'm thinking that guy was so nice.
Then they they want to look again at one of my bags. I think it's, you know how many men travel with nine bottles of hairspray? So it was suspicious. And it's Aquanet, it's for old women.
They don't even make it anymore. Like a two day trip, it was a day and a half trip.
And so it's all, not all for my, for my hair, but anyway, no, I'm saying I inhale that stuff. It's an incredible high shout out to Aquanet.
But anyway, I get through and I get some of my stuff and I stand up and standing there. White sweater, glasses, dark hair guy. And I walk up to him and say, Hey, let's do a selfie. And he said, OK. And he starts to fish around in his luggage for his camera, and I'm thinking he was just holding his camera and he doesn't seem that interested.
What the fuck, that's weird. I thought I was being super nice because he said all those nice things. And he starts to pick it up and he goes, OK. And I went and look at him and I go, wait a minute.
Oh, no, it's not that guy, I just, I swear to God, I just so this guy who's just a guy who's wearing. And I look over and I see the other guy listen to me.
I see, listen to me, I'm not kidding this, I swear to God, this is all exactly happened.
I see the other guy, he's wearing a sweater that is practically identical, they look very similar. He's got glasses and I see him standing over at a post, holding his cell phone.
And I'm thinking, why wouldn't he take a selfie with me? And I'm looking at this guy and he goes, OK, and he takes a selfie of us. And so look at it from his perspective. He's sitting there, waiting for another relative, a girlfriend or whatever to come through.
And Conan O'Brien walks up and goes, Hey, let's do a selfie.
He must have thought you were insane.
He thought I was fucking insane and so then I start to go, No, no, no. I thought I thought you were him. And I'm pointing to the other guy, and the other guy isn't even looking at me at that point.
He's looking at his phone because he just got a text and there's no good explanation for why. You would walk up to a stranger and say, Hey, buddy, let's get a selfie. You're going to want this, you're going to want this. So somewhere out there, there's a guy who isn't a fan, doesn't care, maybe actively dislikes what I do.
I came up to him and made him take a selfie.
And so then I walk up to the other guy and I said, I'm sorry, I thought he was you and the other guy. I'm just, you know, there's no. Now he just thinks, Oh so, all non-celebrities look alike to you.
I know I think what happened is there was no first guy and you just got a bad reaction from someone you wanted to take a selfie with. And those first guys. You're like, fight club Tyler Durden.
No, no, no, no, no, nice, nice try. Yes, that I see phantom people. No. I loved it was so perfect. And I don't have photos, but if I could show you a photo of what both of them were wearing, you would laugh because.
Some of these selfies exist, though.
It's as if it's as if a higher being God said This is going to be really funny. I'm sending down two people who look somewhat alike and they're both in, and they're both wearing this very similar sweater and and like dark jeans. So whatever that happened, oh my God.
I just keep thinking about this guy, just like, OK, where's? where's Sarah? I just got to wait for Sarah to come through. Hey, hey, let's take a selfie.
What are you? Let's do it right now. Come on, get the camera out, you're doing him a favor.
Hey Buddy, yeah, and now I think I've chosen you.
Hey, guess what? Randomly, every hundredth person gets to win the ultimate lottery. You're getting a selfie with Conan O'Brien? I'm sorry and you do what?
Come on Late Night Show, 90s, 2000s, NBC, TBS, Come on.
Come on, podcast, Come on, come on, get the camera.
Let's do it.
Incredible.
That's it, that's it. That's just happened. That happened 36 hours ago, and I the minute it happened, I said, These exist.
This is why I have the podcast, because this is fresh. This just happened. Hey buddy, let's do it, get the camera out, let's get that selfie.
I love that you said. These two selfies still exist, but that guy probably just deleted it. He never took it. He was like, Yeah, oh yeah, I took it.
There you go, and you know what? He said? He said, Click, he said click, and I was like, I didn't think he pushed the phone.
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