Who is Conan O’Brien’s wife, Liza Powel O’Brien?

COMEDY king Conan O’Brien not only won the hearts of audiences with his television show, but also that of his wife Liza Powel O'Brien. The pair first met on the set of Late Night with Conan O'Brien and have been married for over 20 years. She will undoubtedly be supporting her husband as he prepares to host the 2025 Oscars just months after the tragic deaths of both his parents in December 2024.

The pair met in 1999 when she worked for an advertising agency which was hired by Late Night producers for a comedy sketch. Powel, who was 29 at the time, fell for the funnyman while filming a bit for the show with their first few interactions caught on camera.

The loved-up couple have been inseparable ever since after tying the knot in 2002. Liza Powel O'Brien is a copywriter, playwright and podcaster from Bainbridge Island, Washington, who was born on November 12, 1970. She began her career as a writer after graduating with an MFA in Fictional Writing from Columbia University’s School of the Arts.

Liza has written at least 12 plays including "Ruthie Goes Shopping," "John Wayne Times," "Apostrophe," and "The Distinguished Gentleman". Her work has been performed at a variety of venues including The Geffen Playhouse, Echo Theater Company, and the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival.

She also worked at Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Conan O'Brien Can’t Stop which is where she met her husband-to-be. At the time, Liza was a senior copywriter for the advertising agency Foote, Cone & Belding which was hired by Late Night producers.

In July 2022, she expanded her talents by becoming the host of a new history podcast. Significant Others on Conan's podcast network Team Coco tells the stories of those who were on the edges of the spotlight such as the wives of Salvador Dali, Karl Marx, and Mahatma Gandhi.

In 2022, Conan praised his wife's show on his own podcast "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend". He said: "I really love it and I'm excited about it and very proud, as your goofy partner in life, that you have made this really cool podcast that we're going to share with people.".

Tying in with her look back at historical figures and their little-known partners, relatives, and friends, Liza is studying for an undergraduate degree at Yale University. She is set to graduate in 2026. Liza also has a bachelor's degree from Vassar College in New York.

Conan and Liza met in 2000 and the comedian instantly fell for her. He confessed to Piers Morgan about meeting her, saying: “Somewhere, in the vault at NBC, there’s footage of me literally falling for my wife on camera.”. Conan told Piers that he learned Liza was intelligent, funny, and a good person after speaking to her on the phone.

The pair officially tied the knot on January 12, 2002, at the St. James Cathedral in Seattle, Liza's hometown. Her parents spoke about the couple's whirlwind romance in an interview with The Seattle Times in 2010. They said Liza "brought him [Conan] home, he brought her home, and a year or so later, Liza and Conan were sitting with Madison Park florist Martha Harris, picking out flowers for their wedding.".

Since tying the knot, Conan and Liza have welcomed two kids. They first welcomed daughter Neve in 2003 and then son Beckett in 2005. While the O'Brien siblings might have a high-profile father, they often stay out of the spotlight. Though their father cannot resist regularly making them the butt of his jokes on social media.