The 97th Academy Awards take place on Sunday in Los Angeles, and late night talk show presenter Conan O’Brien will be hosting the Oscars for the first time just months after suffering a personal tragedy. The 61 year old comedian sadly lost both his parents within three days in December last year. His father, Dr Thomas O’Brien, died on December 9 at the age of 95, while his 92 year old mother, Ruth Reardon O’Brien, passed away three days later at her home in Massachusetts. Her obituary read: "O’Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O’Brien, M.D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024.".
Conan opened up about his father in a touching Boston Globe interview released the same day, writing: "Science has said there’s no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong.". He remembered how his father's laughter was the loudest he'd ever heard, especially watching Peter Sellers in a Pink Panther movie, and described his unique personality by saying, "For the rest of my time on earth I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad. I’ve never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father. If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, I’d think: ‘Who the hell is this guy? He’s the most interesting person I’ve ever met'.".
Conan previously shared a hilarious story about his mum meeting movie star Jim Carrey at a Christmas party and not recognising him. During an appearance on Ryan Tubridy’s Virgin Radio show in 2024, Conan said: "Years and years ago I had a Christmas party at my house. This was at the height of Jim Carrey mania, you know, he was coming off of his fourth massive hit film, and it was like The Beatles, everywhere Jim Carrey went there was a riot.".
"Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother having a long chat with Jim Carrey, and I got nervous. When the party was over, I said: ‘Mom, what were you talking to that man about?' And she said: ‘Oh ... he told me that he’s a comedian, and I told him: 'Well my son’s had his difficulties but he just keeps at it, and eventually made it. So if you just keep at it Jim, you’re gonna make it too'. And I said to her: ‘Mom, I want you to go home to Boston and tell everyone you told Jim Carrey to keep at it!".
Conan’s parents married in 1958, and dad Thomas trained at Harvard Medical School, becoming the institution’s first director of the infectious diseases division. He continued to work as a doctor and professor for more than 60 years before he retired in 2019 at the age of 90.
Conan’s mum Ruth was one of only four women in her law class at Yale Law School, and was the second woman to become a partner at the Boston firm where she worked. The couple had six children including Conan, along with Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke.
Conan began his career writing for shows including Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, before taking over from David Letterman as the host of Late Night in 1993. While he has hosted the Emmy Awards and the MTV Movie Awards, he will be hosting the Oscars for the first time on Sunday, taking over from Jimmy Kimmel who hosted in 2024.
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