Conan O’Brien with firefighters near his still-standing house in the Riviera. This photo was taken about 10 days after the fire began. (Photo: Instagram)
By BERNICE FOX
You don’t have to tell Conan O’Brien how fortunate he is. He knows it.
His home in the Riviera survived the January fire. He’s hosting Sunday’s Oscars. And a few weeks after that, he’s being honored for his humor.
We’ll start with the fire, which certainly remains tops on the minds of most Palisadians.
A few days after the fire broke out, O’Brien’s team, called Team Coco, posted this on Instagram: “All members of Team Coco are safe from the devastating fires in Los Angeles. Our hearts are with those affected by this ongoing situation. Please stay safe.”
Though safe, O’Brien’s assistant lost her home in the Eaton fire.
In mid-January, O’Brien was back in the Riviera, checking out his in-tact home and his street, where most homes, but not all, are still standing. He posted a photo of himself posing with four firefighters in front of a fire truck from the Redondo Beach Fire Department. He wrote “Just ran into these heroes in my neighborhood. Thank you to them and all the brave firefighters who have been working tirelessly to keep us safe.”
Now it’s on to the Oscars for O’Brien. Earlier this week, for show, he helped the crew roll out the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. He’ll be back Sunday, March 2, to host the show.
Conan O’Brien helping the crew roll out the red carpet on Wednesday for Sunday’s Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
O’Brien has some experience hosting. He’s hosted the Emmy Awards, his own late-night shows and even the White House Correspondents Dinner.
He says the situations you don’t expect can make for a good show.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned after all these years of hosting is that mistakes aren’t mistakes. If something goes wrong, if there’s a mishap of some kind or if something strange happens, that’s actually a gift. Go with it, acknowledge it, maybe have fun with it. Hopefully, have fun with it. I think a big misconception is that you’re hoping everything goes perfectly.”
So, O’Brien says he’s “someone who hopes that things sometimes go a little off the rails because that’s where the real memorable moments happen in late night television and on the Oscars.”
He’s watched Oscar broadcasts enough over the years to know the show often runs way over its planned three or three-and-a-half hour length. He jokes that this year as host, his “biggest goal is to enjoy the nine hours of the Oscar telecast.”
This Sunday’s Oscars air on ABC with an early start time of 4 p.m. A list of nominees is available at https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2025
O’Brien has a few weeks to recover from the Oscars. Then he’ll be in Washington, D.C. to receive an award. It’s the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented by, and at, the Kennedy Center on March 23.
With the Mark Twain era in mind, O’Brien uses his sometimes “out there” humor to thank the Kennedy Center.
“I am honored to be the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humor, but for my work as a riverboat pilot.”
O’Brien is the fifth current or former Pacific Palisades resident to receive the Mark Twain Prize. The previous local honorees are Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Billy Crystal (2007), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018) and Adam Sandler (2023).
The event honoring Conan O’Brien will premiere on Netflix at a date to be announced later.
Nice to see that Los Angeles Fire Department had the chance to surround Conan for the celebratory shot over the rubble of their ruins. Too bad none of them showed up for the actual fire which is why we have no town anymore.