On his travel show, Conan O'Brien is on a treasure hunt for the unexpected

“Conan O’Brien Must Go” wraps it’s three-episode 2nd play connected Thursday with a travel to Austria.

(Pamela Littky / Max)

If we had planned it amended (and had the fund for it), this interrogation with Conan O’Brien would person been amended suited to hap successful Vatican City alternatively than a Zoom room.

Our speech coincided with the commencement of the papal conclave, the hush-hush assembly of cardinals who gathered to elite a successor to Pope Francis, and O’Brien can’t assistance but notation the lawsuit erstwhile explaining his flimsy delay: “Sorry, it took maine a 2nd to fig retired determination was a passcode to get into this concealed room,” helium says. “It felt similar I was joining a conclave.”

“I deliberation you and I should enactment our ain ballot in,” helium continues. “Why can’t they perceive to us? Are you paying attention? Are you rooting for somebody?”

“I’m not rooting for anyone but Stanley Tucci,” I archer him, referring to the actor’s crook arsenic a shrewd and calculated cardinal successful past year’s “Conclave.”

“I emotion that you privation Tucci. I emotion that you blurred the enactment betwixt world and drama.” (As we cognize by now, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected arsenic the archetypal U.S.-born pontiff, taking the sanction Pope Leo XIV. Sorry, Tucci.)

Absorbing the country extracurricular St. Peter’s Basilica alongside thousands of visitors from astir the satellite is the benignant of happening O’Brien and his unit mightiness revel successful connected his Max question amusement “Conan O’Brien Must Go.” The series, which volition reason its three-episode 2nd play connected Thursday, plays similar a video postcard of silly and enlightening adventures arsenic O’Brien travels astir the satellite to conscionable with fans and acquisition antithetic cultures. It carries connected the contented from his speech amusement epoch of planetary getaways and blends it with his podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.”

Conan O’Brien and Javier Bardem successful Season 2 of “Conan O’Brien Must Go.”

(Team Coco / Max)

After venturing to Norway, Ireland, Thailand and Argentina successful the show’s debut season, the 2nd landed him successful Spain, wherever hijinx included cuddling with histrion Javier Bardem and doing Spanish voice-overs, and New Zealand, wherever helium got lessons from 1 of Aotearoa’s starring taste advisors and attempted to interruption a haka satellite grounds with filmmaker and histrion Taika Waititi. It culminates with this week’s finale, which was filmed successful Austria.

At this moment, he’s not connected the go. He is beaming successful from his location successful Pacific Palisades, which helium precocious returned to aft months of surviving successful a edifice portion fume remediation and different restorative measures took spot successful the aftermath of January’s wildfires.

“We were truthful lucky, brainsick lucky,” helium says. “We unrecorded acold capable truthful that we don’t person that happening wherever you locomotion retired your beforehand doorway and it looks similar you’re connected the moon.”

It’s 1 crushed wherefore the play is truncated: “Initially we were going to bash 4 [episodes], but betwixt my parents passing distant and the Oscars and the fires, we conscionable were like, ‘We could bash three.’ I anticipation it doesn’t consciousness excessively abbreviated to people, but this is what we could bash this clip around.”

O’ Brien discussed standout moments from this play of “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which has been renewed for a 3rd season, his plans for his Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and making his diagnostic movie debut.

You cuddled with Javier Bardem. You did Spanish voice-overs. You dressed arsenic Freud. You went to the snowfall globe museum. What infinitesimal stood retired for you from these trips?

You can’t cuddle with Javier Bardem and hitch it from your memory. Be you man, beryllium you pistillate — I don’t attraction which. It doesn’t matter. He crosses implicit each sex barriers. It was truly amusive to beryllium successful these ridiculous pajamas. A item with him is, there’s a country wherever we’re eating unneurotic successful a edifice and we’re doing improv together. I’ve done improv with each the champion improvisers successful entertainment, he’s arsenic bully arsenic anybody.

I loved being connected the elevation wherever Julie Andrews did “The Sound of Music.” And 1 of our writers, Jose Arroyo, wrote — obviously, you can’t bash that opus — this opus astir however we can’t bash the song, which I loved and it’s 1 of the things I emotion to do, is travel adjacent to the thing. Like connected the Oscars, bash a philharmonic fig called “I won’t discarded your time” — I emotion doing the happening and making it astir not doing the thing. I person to say, [dressing up as] Freud was a standout, due to the fact that I deliberation I went a small insane. Sometimes erstwhile you enactment maine successful constitution and formal maine up, I go the happening that I’m pretending to be.

And doing the haka [a accepted creation signifier of the Māori people] successful New Zealand with thousands and thousands of people. I thought we were conscionable going to bash it once. As we’re doing it, I’m uncovering retired successful existent clip — because, you cognize me, erstwhile I bash something, I bash it 110% whether it’s going connected “Hot Ones” oregon dancing the haka, I volition enactment each the dials to 11 — truthful erstwhile I commencement dancing, I’m going each retired and I’ve got Taika and I’ve got this full assemblage with me. Then I realized they’re not stopping. They’re doing it implicit and implicit and implicit again and you can’t halt due to the fact that you’re successful a stadium. When that was done, I felt similar I needed to spell to the hospital.

Conan O’Brien successful lederhosen successful the play finale of “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which has the big traveling to Austria.

(Max)

When you travel up that hilltop successful the lederhosen, I conscionable thought, “What would Martin Short person to accidental astir these shorts?”

Oh my God, you’re right. Marty Short would person 1,000 jokes astir my legs: spam, freckles, pale. He would conscionable beryllium an contiguous encyclopedia. I person to marque definite that that occurrence does not aerial successful Toronto, due to the fact that I deliberation helium goes to Toronto for the summer.

A infinitesimal that killed maine was astatine the snowfall globe depository erstwhile you asked astir that life-size doll connected the shelf, and the pistillate said it’s her father. But that wasn’t the champion part. When you asked what his champion proposal for her was, and she said, to “f— astir arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable arsenic agelong arsenic you’re not married.”

What’s amusive is it reminds maine of that happening that I’ve learned implicit and implicit and implicit again, and it’s 1 of the things that the question amusement takes vantage of, and remotes [on determination segments] successful wide instrumentality vantage of: You’re ever connected the hunt for a mistake. You’re ever connected the hunt for idiosyncratic to accidental thing you don’t expect. I couldn’t successful a cardinal years publication what she said. The doll is truthful creepy that’s peeking retired the window. I deliberation 1 of the things that I truly emotion astir the question amusement is I’m funny astir different cultures. I’m funny astir different people. I’m benignant of connected a ngo to amusement Americans arsenic humble and consenting to beryllium laughed at. But the eventual treasure is idiosyncratic saying thing awkward oregon weird that I wasn’t expecting to me; erstwhile I get 1 of those, I’m similar Gollum with the ring. I’m similar [imitates Gollum voice], “Yes, yes, I tin spell backmost to my cave now,” and conscionable “my precious, my precious.”

“Conan O’Brien Must Go” is fundamentally enactment trips. But however would your household picture your traveling persona?

I would accidental my wife, Liza, is the 1 who wants to beryllium astatine the airdrome portion they’re inactive gathering the plane. If she could, she’d beryllium determination days successful advance. She’s the 1 who takes the pb on, “Here’s wherever we’re staying; I got a usher for this, I got a usher for that.” She is precise organized astir those things, which is simply a luxury. On the flight, I don’t slumber that much. My extremity is amusement up successful a state and get connected their slumber docket instantly — that I’m spiritual about. If that means I person to get a java enema, I’m getting a java enema. I’m going to bash immoderate I person to do, to enactment up and get connected their clip zone.

I emotion to conscionable wander. This is wherever my woman and I disagree — and it volition be, eventually, the happening that destroys our matrimony — is that she wants to spell to the spot that has the precise champion food. “Oh, it’s been written up successful each these nutrient magazines.” I don’t attraction astir that. I privation to spell to the spot wherever you beryllium extracurricular and you spot everybody. I emotion a tourer trap.

Conan O’Brien connected uncovering a location for his caller Mark Twain Prize: “I’m weird astir awards. I thin to enactment them successful a closet. This one’s a small unusual due to the fact that it’s Mark Twain and he’s bare-chested.”

(Pamela Littky / Max)

The amusement has been renewed for a 3rd season. Are you successful the process of narrowing down the places you’ll visit?

Yes, we’re successful the process of looking done [locations].

Are you disquieted astir the Trump tariffs? What this volition mean of however you’re received oregon what’s possible?

It’s possible. I went to Haiti during Trump’s archetypal term, aft helium called them a “s—hole country.” We went determination and, astatine 1 point, determination was a radical of men who seemed precise hostile; our interpreter said, “They’re not happy. They cognize you’re American and they’re not blessed astir you being here.” My instinct is ever to spell toward the happening and not just, “Get successful the van and let’s get retired of here.” With my interpreter, we showed them clips of who I americium and what I do. We looked astatine astir 3 minutes of “Conan” clips, and they’re like, “OK, he’s harmless. He seems to person nary dignity, truthful let’s permission him alone.” But it’s a changing world. We’re successful a infinitesimal close present wherever we look to person a person oregon a authorities that’s terrified of the extracurricular satellite and wants to say, “OK, let’s physique a moat and America first.” My instinct is known. I mentioned it successful the Twain grant speech, but present much than ever, we request to beryllium retired determination representing our state successful a affirmative mode and trying to dispersed positivity. I’m hoping that we won’t beryllium affected by it, and if we are, if we brushwood a hostility, if we brushwood difficulty, that volition beryllium portion of the show. And if it’s not peculiarly funny, the amusement tin let for maine making an effort to span a spread oregon marque a friend.

Speaking of your code for the Mark Twain Prize, person you recovered a spot for the grant present that you’re backmost successful your home?

I’m weird astir awards. I thin to enactment them successful a closet. This one’s a small unusual due to the fact that it’s Mark Twain and he’s bare-chested. It’s like, what? Why can’t helium enactment connected a shirt? I mightiness bargain a small garment for him, a small achromatic suit. I’ll bash something. I’ll fig it out. I don’t similar a bare-chested Mark Twain, I’m sorry. I deliberation it stops close astatine the nipple.

Conan O’Brien receives the 26th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

(Clifton Prescod for Netflix)

You ever look similar you’re having fun. Does the enactment you bash present gratify you immoderate otherwise than it did erstwhile you were starting out?

I’ve been reasoning astir it a lot, and it’s not that I didn’t similar what I did before, but you person to conscionable immoderate property you are. You person to conscionable wherever you are successful your life. When I started successful 1993 down a table successful that format, I loved it. It was terrifying astatine times and determination were a batch of difficulties and we astir didn’t marque it, but I loved going successful determination and surviving successful Studio 6A; past I loved the antithetic iterations of the amusement implicit the years, and adjacent the little clip I was doing “The Tonight Show.” But past I got to a constituent wherever it became wide to me, “I’ve done this for 28 years. I request to spell and research these different things.” Because you can’t enactment still. You person to, for deficiency of a amended word, evolve. And determination was a bully bid of events — trying the podcast, which is present astir six years old, and realizing: Oh my God, I’ve talked to these radical earlier for a full of 7 minutes astatine a clip and past I would person to propulsion to commercial, and the set would play. Now I’m talking to them for 45-50 minutes and it’s magical. That, of course, led to the question amusement — besides the erstwhile question shows had shown maine that I had a existent wanderlust. When you’re astatine a speech amusement desk, the thought of going to Geneva and getting into an altercation with idiosyncratic astatine a cocoa bunny mill conscionable sounds amazing. I was doing that adjacent earlier I had clip to bash it connected the TBS show. And present being capable to bash it astatine Max affords america the quality to bash it with drones. I emotion the unfastened of our amusement due to the fact that it’s sets conscionable the close code truthful solemn and aforesaid important and and besides vicious towards me. All of that makes maine truly happy.

How astir deciding to enactment successful “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”? Did it consciousness similar you were pushing yourself retired of your element?

I was decidedly pushing myself retired of my element. When I said yes to the Oscars, it was, “You get 1 life, effort these things.” “Legs” happened due to the fact that [the film’s writer and director] Mary Bronstein contacted me; she had a publication and she said, “Please work the script. It’s an A24 script.” Adam Sandler besides called maine connected behalf of the Safdies [Josh Safdie is simply a shaper connected the film] and said [launches into his Sandler impersonation], “Buddddy, buddddy ... work the script.” I work the publication and loved it. I person nary aspirations to beryllium an actor. I tried to speech to Mary Bronstein; I said, “You could get a existent actor.” And she was like, “I’m telling you, I envision you doing this.” To her credit, she was tough. She said, “I’m going to travel retired to L.A. and I’m going to enactment with you.” And she trained me. It was similar a “Rocky” montage. She would enactment with me. She would inquire me, “Who is this character? Let’s dive heavy connected this character. Let’s rehearse these lines.” Then connected set, she is specified an awesome person, Mary. And I person to say, who isn’t successful emotion with Rose Byrne? When I heard Rose was doing it, I was a small intimidated due to the fact that I deliberation she is simply a stellar actor. I realized each my scenes are with Rose, and they tin get beauteous intense. I don’t privation to fto her down. I person to beryllium a bully country spouse for Rose Byrne. I was scared. And there’s nary audience. It’s not my show. It’s not maine being me. I’m a precise antithetic person. I adjacent look different. I saw the movie and I deliberation they did an astonishing job. I’m truthful arrogant of Rose and Mary.

The nighttime earlier your archetypal time of shooting, could you sleep? Do you get signifier fright?

I could sleep, but I volition archer you ... it was changeable connected a determination successful what mightiness really beryllium a therapist’s office; precise tiny country connected the Upper West Side. There’s a batch of fussing around. Then everyone leaves the country and they unopen the door, and it’s conscionable maine with Rose; and you perceive mode down the hall, “Action!” And the archetypal clip around, I was successful my head. I knew it wasn’t good. But to her credit, Mary came backmost successful and she was like, “Great, great, great.” And she said the subtlest thing. She didn’t say, “Conan, what the hell! I’ve made a mistake.” She conscionable said, “On this adjacent one, conscionable a small much this way.” I realized, “Oh, you get a mates of chances.” She gave maine a bully note. By the 2nd time, 3rd clip and the 4th time, I conscionable wasn’t reasoning astir it. I was not successful my head. I was conscionable doing it.

You’re returning to big the Oscars; this clip you person a small spot much runway. Do you person a consciousness of erstwhile you’ll commencement prep?

You truly can’t get the country unneurotic and afloat up until aboriginal January, conscionable due to the fact that that’s erstwhile you person the fund to truly bring the writers successful and everything. We request to hold to spot what comes retired — what’s the narrative? Who are the players? But I cognize me, I volition commencement the process earlier we officially commencement the process. One thought is that I person extremist facelifts now, truthful that radical erstwhile I locomotion retired successful the adjacent calendar twelvemonth arsenic the Oscar host, I privation determination to beryllium an audible gasp from the audience, like, what has helium done? I mean, I’ve got injections, fillers, things are pulled back, things are misaligned. Hairline is down, eyebrows are gone.

Or you tin travel retired arsenic Freud.

And psychoanalyze each the movies connected a Freudian level. Hey, you’ve got bully ideas. If you privation in, I’ll get you in. You tin springiness america immoderate ideas.