Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Robert Smigel (and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog)

Episode Date: December 4, 2023

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog feels very proud to be Marc Maron’s friend. Robert Smigel sits down with Conan to discuss trying every idea in the early days of Late Night, remembering propmaster Bill Tull, the origin of the Triumph puppet, and writing the new Adam Sandler animated film Leo. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com.Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: [phone].

I'm very proud to be Mark Maren's friend. Very proud indeed. Have you been? You look good. I'm feeling neurotic. I've been feeling a little neurotic lately. Are we good? Are we good? That's your sketch phrase. I love the girl. Wait a minute. I've been feeling a little neurotic lately. Are we good? No, we're good. Are we good? We're good. That's your sketch phrase. I love the guy.

Ha ha ha ha ha. Well, wait a minute. You're not the mark, man. I'm Conan. My name's Conan. Conan Ota. Yes, yes. Yes.

The guy I carried on my back for how many years? Oh, no. At least 10. It was a decade. It was about 10. It was about 10. Yeah, yeah. I peaked around 2009.

Let me see. Yeah, okay, let me change my number. Six, go come on, yeah. Give me nine, at least nine. Okay, 2009. A few average between six and the weiner circle sketch, it comes out, comes out in 2009. Very nice. Okay. Starting over, my name is Triumph, the insult comic dog, and I'm proud to be Conan O'Brien's friend.

And like most of his friends, I'm not real. But you're safety cuss. Everybody pretend. Now, Conan, honestly, I've known this guy for years. I'm one of those people who gets to proudly say that I knew you at the very beginning, and here I am at what is clearly the end. And now look at you, you're on satellite radio.

Oh, satellite radio, the wave of the past. the old. Sad that I radio the wave of the past. Serious accent. The abandoned mall of the entertainment industry. No, it all makes total sense. It's like that don't say. Why get your milk for free when you could rent the cow for 2199 a month. Serious subscription. Yes. No, no, I can't. I can't. I can't. I really do. You can't. Now, Kodenoprayan needs a friend. What a great title. I just have to ask, why start the show now instead of in middle school when it could have made a difference. Imagine having friends, man. Imagine having friends, man. Imagine what they do with the new show.

No, I do love the new show. I love the banter and the way you've managed, I am so impressed. The way you've managed to abuse your staff in a very kind of way that the audience thinks is ironic is just very impressive. So impressive. No, listen, folks, he's a complicated man.

Complicated man, the comedian with a dark side. You know, you're like Paliachi, the clown. And that's just for how much makeup you have on. What the fuck? This guy, Conan, didn't make up chair longer than Jim Carrey as the Grinch. No, I kid, I kid. You haven't aged. You've grown.

You've evolved. Yes. You have it aged. You've grown. You've evolved. Yes. You know, back when Conan started, guys, he would nervously talk over all his guests, but here it is 30 years later, and now he talks over them with total confidence. I love this man. I love this man. Conan gave me a career.

He gave me a career back then. He helped me grow up. He also helped me through some very hard times. Like when I walked in on him naked in his dressing room. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh cubes. Comber staring into the face of Raggedy Andy. Anyway, I'm a happier note. So now everyone loves so that they pride of little Armenia. You know, you know, I think I might be part Armenian or Pomeranian.

Either way, I have a hairy back. Hey, that's a stereotype. This is an unfair stereotype. Not all Armenians have Harry bags. There's Armenian toddlers. After six months. No, hey, let's be honest. Let's be honest. All of us, all of us, oh, Conan, so much. Conan made me a star Conan made Sonia a star and Conan made math somewhat recognizable in the Glendale

public library seriously he can't walk into that library without at least one person wondering where they know him from honestly I know it's thanks. Love everyone in this room. Even the gray hair guy in the back. I'm so honored to be here. I'm so honored to be on this incredible podcast.

Forg me to poop out! Yeah! Falling asleep in the air, back to school, Welcome to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. Sonna Massessi and joining me. How are you Sonna? I am, I'm gonna need friends. Welcome to Conan O'Brien, Needs A Friend. Son of a Sessie, and joining me. How are you, Son of? I am, I'm joining. That's very nice. Okay.

Okay. You're not talking to a lawyer here. It's all okay. And of course, Matt Gourley. How are you, Matt? I am Matt Gourley. Okay. Yes.

Yes. I have many questions. I did want to bring up something right away. It's a little bit of business. I don't usually do that. I have many questions. I did want to bring up something right away. It's a little bit of business. I don't usually do that. Usually we just chit chat, we say stuff, and we find our way. But I have an agenda today.

As you guys know, I have a channel over on SiriusXM. And what's fun is that SiriusXM said, do well by us. Kid, and we'll move you up the dial I was at 106 yeah, and I was like I'm at 106 now But I want to move on up. Well guess what they've moved me up if you're in your car If you have access to serious XM anywhere or if you're on the serious XM app and you say man I'm Jones and some classic Conan. Yeah. Which I often say that myself. That's how sick I am.

I'll be alone in Cones. I'm Jones and for myself. You can check me out on 104. I moved up two notches. Oh, right. Yes. Congrats. Thanks.

It's now and we decided, let's just call it what it is. It was Team Coconut. It's like, let's call it Conan O'Brien Radio. Okay. That's what it is. So it's Conan O'Brien Radio. It's on 104. Wow. And this is a way that you can listen to me. It's, I mean, it's all this stuff from 30 years of television, but also the podcast plays there too. Oh. And yeah, and recipes. There's no recipes. Okay. I shouldn't have said that. That was, that's a lie. And I'll get in trouble for that. But a lot of fun stuff is going to be on there. But a new thing

we're going to be doing also is taking, I'm going to take some live calls. Oh, from anyone? From anybody in the world. Yes. So this is like without a net. Yes, without a net. People can ask you anything. Anything they want, and here's the best part. I'm not wearing clothes as I take the clothes. Sorry, you said that's the best part. Yeah. That's confusing. Oh, I'm sorry.

The worst and most inappropriate part is that I'm not wearing clothes when I'm asked the questions. And you can't tell it's radio, but I just want that mental image in everyone's head. And I have not taken care of myself. And so that should be in there too. I mean, really, I didn't, wasn't starting off with anything great, but man. Oh, poor Eduardo.

I'm a mental ear. Yeah. No, Eduardo was horrified. Eduardo got those X-Men shades. That's right. Like Cyclops? Yeah. You wore like a whole Cyclops thing

so we wouldn't have to see my naked body. I don't think you understand how those work. You nerd. I wouldn't. He's the nerd. Yeah. I'm the nerd. I'm going to go home. I'm filled with shame. Why is what happened? I made the wrong reference to the X-Men. Apparently Cyclops is helmet does not work as shades. Anyway, it controls his laser eyes. That's right. Not as with that. That goes without saying, right?

Yeah. What is it? Are you an X-Men expert too? And it's not a helmet, yeah. Yeah, it's just it's glasses, but he controls the I want to pick lasers that come out of that. Magneto. Thank you.

That's the helmet. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. I mean, don't just look at me that way. She knows. Are there a, like, they should do things occasionally where they can't find Magneto and then they go in the kitchen

and you stuck the refrigerator? And his legs are kicking. It's not how it works. You don't know how his power works. What do you mean he would control the refrigerator? The refrigerator doesn't control him. No, I love the idea that he's like, just about to do something really cool

and then he gets too close to a fitger and, what time? And then someone comes by and puts a to-do list on him. Buy milk, get more ham. He's like, God damn it. You have to know these things. What if someone calls your radio station and asks you about X-Men stuff?

What if E? Well, I will just, well, first of all, yeah, that's true. Ian McCallan might call. Yeah. I could just say I'm sorry, sir McCallan. I'm familiar with your other work, but not this stuff you phone in just for the big check.

That I'm not too familiar with. But sir, the royal Shakespeare theater, I'd watch you any day. Anyway, that's my, that's my, I think I figured where we were going with this. You're Colin. Yeah. You're Colin show.

It's a Colin show and it's just going to be like this except instead of you two show biz phonies, it's real people. Real humans. We should call it real. I want to call it real people with souls. You probably have forgotten what that looked like. Sony, you sold your soul to the devil long ago to get this sweet Conan gig.

What's that say about you though? You sold your soul to a long time ago. I sure did, to NBC. Oh, yeah. Hundreds of dollars in return. That's the thing. Have you recorded one of these yet? Yeah.

Oh, cool. Was it fun? It was fun. It was really good. Okay. Yeah. Oh, cool. Was it fun? It was fun. It was really good. Okay. Mr. Groose, you were there. I was there and you have the power to take the channel live and do these shows when you want.

Yeah, it's really fun. What I'm finding is that Sirius XM foolishly, it's like they gave a kid with like Sirius ADD, a go kart that can go 900 miles an hour. Oh man. And then they gave him some cocaine. That's what it feels like. Oh, God. Not that SXM would ever do any like that's terrible. But that's how it feels is I get to go live

and just talk to people anytime I want. The first one's available on demand. What's the phone number? Why you keep asking me things I don't know the answer to. Because I want to use scramble. Okay They were like what's the molecular weight of strontium? Just curious do you have that with you? Why did you bring up Magneto and Cyclops when you don't know anything about the two?

No kind of about some of the other to reference them correctly. I don't know a lot about the X-Men. I know that there's a Wolverine. Yeah, what kind of bones he got? He's got bones made of something real hard. Yeah. And, uh, and then I know, and I know he can't go through TSA at the airport without causing a real fuss. Magneto is always getting stuck to a refrigerator, which amazulates him at the worst time. Cyclops keeps killing his optometrist accidentally. Now, what seems to be the, if you wrote an X-Men movie, it would be the most boring movie. No, it'd be really fun.

I might be pretty funny. This is my X-Men movie. Yeah. But anyway, this is the kind of foolishness that you can hear on Conan O'Brien Radio 104 on your SXM dial. And check it out because it's a lot of fun to do. And we should probably move on because we have a singular show today. This show is very important to me. It'll be, you're going to love it, but it has personal importance to me because my guest is one of the great writers, one of the great comedy writers of all time. He's

also a comedian. He wrote on Saturday Night Live while I was there. We wrote a lot of things together, but he was a force to be reckoned with. And he was also the first head writer on late night with Conan O'Brien and really helped us get launched and His DNA is such a part of what we managed to do unless you're not a fan, which case you can You can blame him either way He's just been such an important part of my life He's also the mastermind behind triumph the insult comic dog and his new movie Leo is now streaming on Netflix, so I'm more than thrilled. He's here today. He's a friend and this conversation has special meaning for me

Robert's Michael welcome Robert's Michael, welcome. This is going to be a shock to people, but I don't think I've seen you. Whenever we've done it, all the times we've done it, I look at the puppet and what I see is the top of your curly hair. From the very beginning, I wouldn't see you. So to see, it was even the same with the clutch cargo, I wouldn't see you. So to see it was even the same with the clutch cargo. I wouldn't see you. I would see just the lips.

But right now watching you do acid was kind of like revelation to me. And also seeing what how much I enjoy it. Well, how much I was knew how much you enjoyed it. But I'm like giggling from the things that's in giggling. Yes, because just that's crazy to me that I haven't seen you. That is so weird. Yeah. That is always everybody else. Now, try and please, you know, but to see you do it always behind you. Yeah. I kind of was like, there's no Santa Claus. Yeah.

I feel for ruined. The more the children, we have to, uh, uh, there's so much to talk about, but we got to start with the dog. We just have to. It was the first thing that I loved about the dog and it's still the thing I love the most about the dog or the eyes. I know. I know the eyes of the dog. They're just dead and crazy at the same time. Everything, everything, you know, the writing has always been spectacular.

The author writers help me always. The voice was always crazy choice. Which should tell people the origin story because it came out of this thing we were doing on the show, which was a talent show. Yeah. The idea was maybe this talent show and we'll use whatever we have to do. It all came out of this insane like directive we created for the show. And I was a mantra that I drove the writers crazy with, which was just like, we're not

going to do any found humor. Right. Like, I was obsessed with we're not going to copy Dave Letterman because we worshiped this guy. Even when we were at Saturday Night Live, we secretly knew that Dave's show was the coolest show on TV. Yeah. And as much as I loved Conan and believed in him, I didn't, I just thought nobody

can do stuff that Dave's doing, right? Including remotes, which shows what a shitty producer I was. As I Conan can't do remotes, because Dave doesn't, and I've seen Pat SayJack do it. And Pat SayJack's as good as Conan and who you found out who could follow SayJack. Yeah. If SayJack can't do it, how can my best friend do it? It's impossible. No, I was, I, I, Jack? Yeah. If say, Jack can't do it. How can my best friend do it? It's impossible. No, I was, I, I, you know, we had, because I remember even before the show started, we

would talk a lot about, yeah, almost like we had these rules. And, and a lot of it was, there was a, don't do anything that Dave had done, but also, I don't, I didn't think that was as big a worry because we both loved cartoons too much. No, we were naturally suited to what we wanted to do. We naturally wanted to do very silly, strange things that were, but even when we used to do actual items and it was the first piece we ever did on the show, which was our, who's our shot across the bow. Yes. Because Jay would do the thing we had go,

oh, and that's he that's here. This is real ads from like Sears and Robock and this fairness that was small town news from Dave. Yeah. Jay Barrett. I borrowed it. I borrowed it. I'm not even having a bad,

we can have it back. He just can't do the tonight show. Yeah, but he can have it back anytime it was. He can have it anytime he wants. I like doing games. Ben and headlines all the sudden. Yeah, okay. Sorry, he did.

No, no, no, no, you do it. I, you do it because I'm, you know, whatever. But that was the first, first bit we did. And yeah, Lauren, Lauren really wanted that on the first show. Yeah, Lauren Michaels. Yeah, Lauren Michaels from television. And now from everything. Every I'm everywhere.

I make clothes. I'm under, I'm like, everybody I'm right here. Do you have my leisure suit? Conan, do you really want to go with those sneakers? He's on the suit. I want to take people back in time to when I first met you would be 1988, the very beginning of 1988, my writing partner Greg Daniels and I get hired to come in to work at SNL, we're petrified.

And I remembered finding there was just this natural thing where I gravitated towards you and Bob Odin Kirk, who's now the Jacques-Claude Van Dam. I always knew. I always knew. I always knew. That guy is going to have a John Wick franchise. He's going to have a stunt man. And then we started naturally just all goofing around together. And then I think the thing that was really life-changing for me is that you a few years

before had done a show in Chicago, a stage show, and the writer's strike hit, and you and Odin Kirk were talking. Yes. And you said, hey, we might go to Chicago and do a stage show with sketches that are too weird to get on SNL. And then you guys asked me, would I come along. I was thrilled. I had a 1973 planet valiant that I I flew to LA, which is where my car was, and I drove my car to Chicago

by myself. And the car kept overheating like it's that old movie duel. It was over on Hill and I would have to pull it over. And by the way, I think he was driving also a similar car. I would pull it over and the steam would, and then it would calm down and I had things of water and I would pour them in. And I made my way to Chicago and that was where, that changed, that changed things from me. Cause I thought, I love this.

I love working with these guys. I love that we're doing a stage show in Chicago. I love that summer. The whole thing was mad. Yeah. No, I still feel like my years in Chicago, before I even got Saturday night live, or like professionally, in some way the happiest years of my whole life, just being in total control of your own show. And just I love the city of Chicago, too, obviously. But, um, But yeah, no, we loved you so much when we met you. You're such a funny guy.

And Bob and I, like I thought I was gonna get fired from Saturday night live in the summer of 86. I did one season at SNL and I just barely hung on. Frank and called me over the summer. Oh, Frank and I. It's not looking good. I don't know. I just a lot of people are, you know, it was a hard year. You know, it really was funny. It's where it's 12. Remember what

he wrote. Anyway, I'm sorry. It's just, yeah. So, but then Lauren called me in at the last minute. But, but Odin Kirk and I were developing a sketch show that summer. We were going to call it Sketchcom 90 or something. And, uh, and that's like where I first have the idea for the year 2000 sketch, which we ended up doing on happy, happy, had a good show. We did it in Chicago in 1988. Yeah. And we would all stay there in the year 2000. And then we would make these insane predictions about what was then the future. Yes, it was all based on this Jetsons concept in the 60s that 60s kids grew up with, which was the idea that like the space age is coming, like by the year 2000,

they had so much mystique. Right. And then as we got closer to the year 2000, it was quite clear. It was going to be well then the Arendt was doing it still. I mean late night, we never late night despite everyone's predictions. Yes. kept going and going and going and last it and actually started, you know, worked and then and then it is the year 2000.

The year 2000. And then it's warm and we kept thinking, do we need to change in the distant future? And I said, no. No. It's just got to still be in the year 2000. It's so funny. And then it's like in 2006, I'm like, it's time to look into the future all the way to the year 2000.

But it's a good problem to have. No, yeah. Yeah. So we did that show together. The one thing I remembered is feeling very much like you could finish my sentence and I could finish your sentence. Yeah. Um, I only connected with a few writers in my years there, like really connected in different

ways. Dana was one of them, Dana Carvey and as a performer almost because I love doing silly voices and impressions. And so we wrote a lot of like musical impression kind of sketches like McGlockland and Regis and things like that and Johnny Carson. And then Conan, I connected in a completely different way. Just we have this, we just saw people from a distance

and we were able to kind of like reduce everybody to a cartoon. Yes, yeah. I was, because over the years, people have said your biggest comedic influence isn't, it's so cool to say, well, I would watch, you know, old clips of Ernie Kovacs and that really, and it's like, no, it's not true.

Nothing inspired me more than Warner Brothers cartoons. Oh, good. And so that, the idea of anything can be alive, which then Paul Rubens used so brilliantly in Peewee's playhouse. Oh, yeah, the idea that everything chair is cherry. Yes. But, but anthropomorphize. This is a thing I've done a thousand times in comedy and I can never pronounce. Anthropomorphize. Anthropomorphize. And the, even the word anthropomorphize can be a character.

I am an anthropomorphizing. What's up anthropomorphize? But you are so damn hard to pronounce. That's just me. But we, uh, so flash forward, I go and do the Simpsons and then, and it's too hard to explain, but all these crazy things happen. It's really the equivalent of me being in a cornfield and getting hit by a meteor, but all these things happen where suddenly they say, Hey, you're, you're going to replace David Letterman, the guy you idolize who I said many times cannot be replaced.

I said, there's, it's impossible to replace him. So I pity the guy who replaces him. I said many times cannot be replaced. I said, it's impossible to replace him. So I pity the guy who replaces him. I'm on a record saying that. And I was salivating to replace him. Yeah, we had totally different dreams because he was hired to produce the show. But his dream was not that. But like you say, you did happy, happy good show

and you're always the funniest guy in the room at S&L. And I was more like, you know, Broody Tom Johnovich, you know, just Broody, Brooding writer. Right. My hero was like Sylvester Pat Weaver. The guy who created the Today Show and the Tonight Show.

I love the guy's the saddest thing I've ever heard anybody say. I was a pathetic nerd. Blair, you have a big, you have a big poster of Pat Weaver. I do, I do understand. He understands. I know I would go to the museum of broadcasting or whatever radio and television and revel in these old like Dave Garroway talking to a chimp on the today's show in the 50s. But what was interesting is so they came, they said to me, okay, you're going to do this. And I said it then, say it now, I said, I can do this if I do it

with Robert. Yeah. I said, I can do this if I do it with Robert's Michael, but I can't do it if it's not with Robert's Michael. And um, I don't think I ever heard that. I know you said you told me you wanted me to do it. I know. I didn't tell you I wanted you to do it.

I said, you have to do it. And then I remembered there was stuff about, well, Robert's contract, we're not sure. And I was, oh, Lord, just didn't want me to leave. No, I know. But I was yelling at NBC. Give him every, you know, I give him, take stuff from me and give it to, like, we have to do this together because I knew then I had a shot. And, and, um, it's true. Don't get self-conscious because I'm complimenting you. Take the paper away. That's my job. We had very little time to put the show together. I mean, it stuns me now that I think by the time I was done doing the affiliate stance

and everything, I think it was June. And the show had to be on the air in September, September 13th of 1993. It's June. And there's just a big empty space where Dave Studio was and we had no writers, we had nothing. But I knew Robert and I will just start, we'll go and we worked our, we didn't sleep. We worked like crazy all summer long.

It was the best. And so is my dream job and I was working with you. I was just like the best guy I could work with. And I have to confess, when he first told me, and you know this, you remember the conversation, I'm sure when you first told me, Lauren wants me to audition, there was a part of me that was like scared.

Yeah, like I was like, me too. But I'll remember this very clearly you were like gee I don't know because if that's a hard way to break into show Yeah, if you if you if you it's gonna be hard for anybody I mean the only person it wouldn't have been hard for is I think Gary Shanling Gary Shanling was a name They were oh yeah, and if he had done and it would have been absolutely brilliant from one and of course because he's Gary Shanling but yeah, everyone else would have taken some knocks for not being Dave, but I was going to take a lot of knocks because complete unknown and no experience. And I remember so clearly, I remember where I was. I was living in this little

apartment on Weatherly. And I had this in this tiny little nook. I had a phone and a phone machine back when you had a phone machine. And I'm talking to you and you're sort of saying, I'm saying, yeah, they're thinking maybe I should audition because they're looking for the right person to learn said, you know, he's got a look and maybe it's going to be fun. He's a look and he's very polite and he's got the hair, the fun you first name and it may be that's a thing. And so it'll be cheap and he'll trust me. And he'll be cheap and he'll oh trust me. You'll get him for nothing. And so they, uh, my salary non-negotiably.

I just because I'm saying you're going to save money on him. Not me. So I remember talking to you and you were rightly, I shumbly you were you were shumbly you were saying yeah I don't know I don't know I don't and then on the back when I heard like a Charlie Brown parent voice go wow wow wow wow and I said what was that and you said well that was Michelle yeah because you know your wife and I and I and not wait for the time girlfriend of the time the thing and you said and you said dumb and she said wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow and I said what she's saying and she's saying, and you said, Michelle said,

he's got nothing to lose. Right. And then you said, huh, I think that's kind of true. Like, why not? What? And then of course I thought, yeah, I guess I could be a national joke. But that was the fear of the first. The fear was the first year was who's the famous national joke.

But I have to say also that like, so then I did hesitate a tiny bit. It was like a few hours. I was like wow man, I don't know man if he can do it. I just he's never been on TV and and then I just thought to myself so like you know we both love performing and I got to do a few things on weekend update. I did and Conan was already with the Simpsons, and I just remembered life, this guy helped me for hours with my stupid weekend update feature, Moron's perspective, and I'm like, I'm hesitating, it's for the fucking asshole.

And I called you back and I was like, yeah, yeah, I mean, this is my buddy, I had it. But then I had, I never once celebrated, like I end up by audition, they think about it, and then they give it to me and never, I was once celebrated, like I end up by audition, they think about it, and then they give it to me and never. I was always scared and always filled with the sense of responsibility. And here it is now over 30 years later, and I have never once, I don't think I celebrate

anything. I mean, I don't, but I just was always like, well, we'll see, we'll see. And still, now I'm 60 and I'm going, we'll see. We'll see, we'll see. And still, now I'm 60 and I'm going, we'll see. We'll see. We'll see how it happens. But I think it was appropriate not to celebrate getting that show because it was not like getting cast in an amazing role. It felt to me in a very Catholic way.

Like, this is a test and you're gonna have to walk through hell and then that's what happened. That is what happened. But I remember, so then he had that audition, which was incredible. I mean, I guess it was, and then that's what happened. That is what happened, but I remember. So then he had that audition, which was incredible. I mean, I guess it was, and then I asked him about it and he said, well, I had nothing to lose. And he was like in front of, I don't know how many people were in that room.

I don't know, so it was a tiny, no, so that was a good size for 100 people. I don't know, 100 people. Yeah, yeah. And he interviewed Jason Alexander and Mimi Rogers and his Mimi Rogers interview was just like professional hysterical And then I just turned on a dime. I was like this guy's gonna be enormous And then he was so funny and hilarious when we assembled writers. We all got incredibly overconfident

Yeah We're like everybody's gonna have a pompadour within six months I really believe this. I was like, everybody's gonna want to have long skinny pants. I was positive. And so everyone's gonna be, wanna have kind of like ambivalent, ambiguous gender. It was a good kind of a guy, but also,

she's a little bit of a girl. For his, he stayed nervous, but the rest of us were so confident. And it was great because it made us try everything. We were fearless. We tried every idea. And obviously some went to shit. But still, the proudest achievement of my whole career easily is how much stuff we did generate.

If you look at the first two years, that's the thing that I've done. Well, even if you look to the first three weeks, there's so much material that you did forever. So much. So much. We did the clutch cargo in the year 2000, actual items. There's so many things that, but then we kept building on that. We never stopped trying to try new things.

And I remember people used to, who were in the business would say, I mean, I remember even David Letterman saying, that's insane. Because we were basically trying to do satanette live every night, which is, which is impossible. And then finally, you could smell the smoke of like the gears grinding. Yes. People going insane, no one's sleeping. It's funny because like, so so many I think I've told you this story So like in 19 and it was a lot of it stemmed from people on the staff who just didn't believe in us some people a lot some people really believed Mm-hmm, you know like Frank's back there and Paula and but then

You know like so in 1999 or 90 or 2009, I visited the Fallen set. And yeah, cause back then when we did it, people were like, well, Trevor, you night live, we're doing over here. I visited the Fallen set and everybody was like, all perky and happy. And they were doing really ambitious shit when he first started in late night,

they were doing all these detailed film pieces and literally crew member said to me. It's like every night live. They were super excited about it. Because Jimmy had been on television for like 10 years. Yeah. It's interesting. You said there's one thing I wanted to bring up was last year we lost one of the most important people that ever worked on the show Bill Tall. Yes.

Bill Tall was a legendary prop master who looked to see if you want to visual. Bill Tall started with us and was with us for years and years and years. And Bill Tall looked like a Nordic God. I mean, very tall, incredible build, incredibly handsome face. Yeah. And then we started using him in sketches. So you might, you could look him out later on.

Yeah, very funny. But long, long white hair. Yeah. And he looked like he could, you could put him in a Thor costume and he could say, you trespass here. I mean, he had that amazing, little boy's to you. But he would do anything, he would do anything. And at that point in the show, like, you know, sometimes it felt like we were almost

at work, because there were people on the staff who just were like, why are we doing this fucking key screen behind the band or whatever weird thing we're trying all this weird stuff right. All this stuff. And then there were people like Frank, like who would do anything and think of I got something for Alex Rocco, you're gonna love it. Whatever. I remember I'll just tell one quick bill story like so we, the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994 and so I have this idea to have like a dancing or running around Stanley Cup like a live Stanley. As an anthropomorphic.

Yeah. The Stanley Cup has come to life and is dancing around in our studio. And of course, because I was a, you know, a big baby, I wanted the giant Stanley Cup, but to have like, tidy whiteies visible at the bottom. So the legs are really cute, but he's wearing tidy whiteies and it's kind of disturbing. Yeah. So, but I had this idea literally at like two in the morning and like Brian Leach from the Rangers was going to be on the show the next day. And so I call, you know, and the writers were all there laughing about this. And I call like the wardrobe department like, what the fuck are you talking about? That's not going to happen.

I didn't do that. Yeah. And they're called Bill Tall. He's like, okay, yeah, okay. So we'll, yeah, you want me to build like a whole thing. Okay. So it's like eight, how many levels are there? And it's like three in the morning.

And so he gets right to work. And then the only thing that he can't figure out is the Stanley Cup has like this bowl, this big silver bowl on top. So Bill Tall calls the rainbow room, finds out that they have a silver bowl. Those up there, which is by the way, probably not it doesn't know, one of the most swanky, swanky, like incredible elite places, rich people have their weddings in the rainbow run. So he goes to the rainbow. So the rainbow, you guys got a silver bowl. I needed for a guy wearing underwear.

I was standing up there. And so the guy gets the manager of the place and like, well, we kind of need that bowl. Listen, what can I do? How can I get the silver ball? And literally, the guy says, well, there's a kind of hot security guard downstairs. And if you can get me her number, set me up so I can call her, I'll give you the ball. So he goes down to the ground floor. Of course he does. Talks to the security guard lady, says there's a guy in the rainbow room and he gets the

number and he goes back upstairs and comes back with the ball. And this is like on no sleep. No sleep. And the whole point is that like that was the spirit of the show. That was the spirit of the show and like Chilemi's here another long time. He's I call chills the warrior. Yeah, because he's still I shoot things now. I'm in different countries for this thing. I'm doing for HBO Max. And he's not one. Chills. He was there. Yeah. He gets it. But one of the things

was really this I'll say this and then if so much to talk about. No, but we were always no, no, sorry. We were always this is is just gonna have to be a seven hour episode, but this is what I remember about Bill Tull, was we needed some kind of crazy looking thing that basically was gonna look like an animal skeleton, but it had a clock for a head or something. And so at rehearsal, they reveal this thing and it looks kind of perfect. And I'm like, wow, how did you fake this animal skeleton?

And Bill's like, oh yeah, well, I just went upstate in New York. I knew a guy who, uh, he has a farm and he told me where all the animals are buried. So he went out at night with a show of, and dug around until he found a dead sheep and he dug up all the bones and reassembled it. Yeah. For the just beyond belief. I mean, literally, he's a ghoul in the night. You know, the giant moon behind him in a silhouette of him digging and then assembling bones. And then he just talks about this matter of factly on, uh, it's the best episode of Inside Conan. You should listen to a villain, his partner, John Rao. And you know, the whole point is that like it was such a struggle that first year is the best job

Most exciting job I ever had, but it was such a struggle the network doubting us and we had that you know I remember very clearly if there are five things you need to have a successful television show Yeah, meaning the networks behind you the critics like you the numbers are strong and then like a couple of things We had none of those things. We had absolutely, I remembered, saying around going, let's see, what are the things you need? And then making a list of the five and going, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. All we had was a great show.

We did have a great host. And the great host. You know, it was really nice. You know, it was really nice. Yeah. We made it to that first summer, and suddenly college has got out. Yeah. And all of a sudden, we had these audiences that were fine,

and if we did something really funny, they would laugh, but it was always touch and go. And then suddenly, I walked out, would have been June of 1994 after this slog. And this crazy slog, which started the summer before, and went all the way into the falling so it was a solid year of no sleeping, always worrying. People on the street telling me to drop dead.

Oh my God. And those were network executives. I thought it was bad form. They were worried I didn't get the message. It'll make them stronger. It's okay. He's over there. He's from Central Park message. It'll make them stronger. It's okay. He's over there. He's from Central Park South.

Get him. Thanks Lauren. No problem. You don't toughen him up. Now about my money. I might get away. Car needs a better driver. But I remember that walking out one day to do the warm up

because I would do the warm up before the show. And I came out to do the warm up. And the minute the crowd saw me, they were, yes. Yeah. Whoa. And I was looking behind me. Like, uh, is Jerry Seinfeld standing behind me? What, what's happening? This was, it was really so interesting. Um, all these people who were criticizing you. Mm-hmm. I realized now they were not the audience, but they were a lot of,. We did have Dave who came on to the show. Yeah, Dave came on to the show. That was the biggest thing that ever happened.

Yeah, that was February of 94, that was huge. Yes, and he said at backstage and then he said it to your face, which is what really mattered on television, how great the show was. And that changed a lot of, took a lot of pressure off of that. But the last thing I want to say about Bill, just in general, Bill Tall. Bill Tall. Just that, like, for to say about Bill, just in general, Bill Tull,

just that like for people who work on a show like this, or any movie set, you could have the opinion that, you know, my job's not that important. There's a finite amount of effect that I can have on a show, but like, it's not true. If people are supportive of the creative people

at the top and they give off that vibe that they believe in you and that they'll do anything for you like Bill and other people from that staff, it makes an enormous difference. Yeah, and I say, you know, and not to embarrass him because I know he's right outside this door because he still works with us, but you know, Jason Shalemi who you mentioned

is the same kind of person who started with us as an intern. But I swear to God, if Jason thought it was, if he sensed that it was important for us doing something comedically, whether it's now for the podcast or for a travel show I'm doing for HBO Max, whatever, and it involved him getting shot at. Just Max now.

Yeah, with his program, whatever. I like to throw the HBO in to let people know it's a good that's actually quality It's not pornography. Yeah, when you just say Max people think oh well, it's people fucking it. I'm going off to this Yeah, I've been able to lock off the comments. This is exciting He's really evolved like they say his porn is so creative So all the all the furniture in the room is talking too. The guy and the girl are going at it. And then the couch is like, yeah, what a shlong.

Quiet, couchy. I'm losing my concentration. But I like that porn with anthropomorphic. Wow, he's really giving it to her. Shut up alarm clock. The pizza is watching. The pizza he's really given it to her. Shut up alarm clock. The pizza's watching. The pizza's rubbing its pepperoni nipples. Yeah.

Oh, I don't know. Oh, I don't know. New meaning to the word food porn. Yeah, exactly. But no, if Jason thought it was important, and he, you know, I was just with him. We were shooting in South America. And he's like, I think if he thought this was important to me

or somehow important to the comedy, but it involved him running across a firing line where actual ammunition's being shot, he would do it. Which is my point is that he's stupid. No, he's someone around. He's been, no, no, no. No, my point is that it's, he makes you, like the last day I was on the show,

I had to give a speech, which was painful as can be. So I loved the show so much. And I remember saying, I thanked everybody, and I said there are people in this room who have said, Conan and I have inspired them to do great work, and I just wanted to tell everybody you inspired us, and that's really true. I like Jason, a guy like Bill.

So many people who they have here back, and it makes all the difference in the world. And I do think in the light of, it's a great message too that people, in the light of all these strikes and everything and people say, well, just comes down to commerce and money and yes, is money part of it? Of course it is, but when you see the level of,

when people get excited creatively, and then other people around them, whether it's people working cameras, pulling cables, but they're excited too, and they're kinda going the extra mile to make it happen. It's such a difference. And then it becomes kind of like a religious experience

in a weird way, become spiritual, and you're making something, and then you get the money. And you don't share with anybody. way become spiritual and you're making something and then you get the money. He's and Jason, you know, now you're making me think about Jason's predecessor, Mr. Jordan Slansky, who I always credit, they're what trying to promote wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Jordan because the first time we did one we Back it up just a little okay before which is you triumphs comes out of this you know sketch Yes, I'm doing on the show and you come you come in with this

Dog who's talent is he's an insult comic yes, and then I think what we have to do or so I have to give you credit for two things the choice of the puppet is exceptional. And, and, and, and, and, like I say, the fact that the puppets has kind of a realistic face, but the eyes are so, the eyes are dead. And so he says these jokes and stairs. And I think not unlike why I often found Norm McDonald so funny is Norm could make his eyes go dead. Yes. And, and just kind of stare at you after he said a joke. And I do think that triumph has that, I look into those puppet eyes and I can watch it forever. I know, but the other thing is the voice because anybody else doing it who had that idea. Oh, yeah, it's a dog who's an insult comic.

Would have done, Borsh Belt. Hey, you over there. What are you, sock, you know, I mean, he's like, hey, well, I mean, he has not even a country. Sounds like a dine of diarrhea, you know. What? That's a good one. All right, so don't write it down.

Yeah, that's really good. I mean, diarrhea. Side of, yeah, but anyway, you're right. What I'm saying is that's what anybody else would have done. Robert is the only person I know who would have done. I think it's an old Russian Jewish woman. Am I correct?

I had grandparents that were first generation immigrants, you know, who escaped Russia during, and they actually immigrated to China first. They'd be so proud of what you've done. Right out there. We must escape persecution. So that's so Robert future generations. So maybe able to watch the witness a realistic looking puppet have sex with a live animal. On television and she says, oh yeah, what is this television?

Well, it's going to be a thing in this, starting with Milton Burl. That's trying to kill us, but if we can escape, then one, maybe one of our grandchildren. We can't trip you. We've turned us into a horny puppet. Oh, yeah. I have to credit my wife.

So because she's the one who, so I found triumph on this rack of whimsical puppets that were when we were shooting, when we were newlyweds and we were hunting for furniture at a country store and we saw this and the puppet was so funny to me, these dog puppets and there was a sheep and a cat. So I immediately put on one of the dog puppets,

sniffed her ass with it in the room and the furniture store. And of course, she founded Funny because she's the perfect woman for me. And then she surprised me like in February, like two months later after we were married with like seven of these puppets. And that's what gave me the idea for this Westminster thing. And like Dave was having Westminster dogs run up and down the aisles of the Ed Sullivan Theater, very day, very found humor. Yeah. And I was like, so our version of that, our version is make it up.

Yeah. Yeah. So that's, well, so I remember that, that, that, and then I remember early on before there were remotes, we'd have guests on and triumph would roast them. Yes. We would always catharsis for the audience. Yeah. And, and, and so triumph would be over behind this little stand

And then and and I would have interviewed the guest already and then they go after the guest And I'll never forget guests would say yes to it not knowing what was Simon Cowell is on it's the height of the first couple of years of America maybe the first year of American He was like the biggest thing. He was huge. He was huge. And he comes on the show and we said, you mind and you went, Oh, no, you know, please, whatever, whatever you chaps do, go ahead. I'll just be here with my two tight t-shirt. And so you're ripping into him. And he's watching. And then when it's over, I say, we'll take a break. We'll be right back. And he turns to me and he's covered in sweat. He was covered in sweat and he said, that was rough.

And I, like a guy who had just been beaten with a so funny. And then later I saw him afterward and I was like, was that okay? And he had come to understand by then. He was like, no, this is, this would be good for me. And some way would be able to show that I can laugh at my side. And blood came out of his chair with blood in it. But then you go to do a remote, Westminster dog show.

And of course, I think Chilemmy goes with you. No, the first one was Jordan. Was Jordan. And we couldn't get in first because apparently Andy had done something at Westminster that they didn't like. So they weren't going to let us in. And I was like, okay, I guess we'll never do it. And if I'd never done it, maybe I would have never done a remote because that was the

obvious one to do. It was Sweeney suggested. Why don't you go to West Sweeney said and get on these dogs. Yeah. And I'm real, I'm real dogs. Yeah, because I've been, I've been sort of doing it on the show. Yeah. But here's all these dogs and I loved it.

But so then Jordan like creates the scam. Like we gave all these dogs. And I loved it. But so then Jordan like creates the scam. Like we gave a he printed out all these fake NBC. He broke the law. He broke the law and he figured out a side entrance. And he said, it's not technically, it's not technically deception because we actually are NBC employees. You know, it was very Jordan rationalization. Yes. Yes. But we got in. And it's all because of him that these remotes exist. We tip our cap now to a man I professionally love. I've made a career, a fifth career out of being irritated by Jordan Slandskis. But no, in real life, he saved the day and then, you know,

remotes come fast and furious and then the iconic crazy Star Wars remover. There's not. It was all still, again, before the internet, like things couldn't go viral. But remember the night we played that, the audience screaming and going wild and thinking, there's only some way this can be replayed for everybody throughout all time. And fortunately, now there is. No, but actually it was the first thing on the show that did because before YouTube there was something called I film Blair will know this because he's Pathetic Nuret. Yes, that's true. Okay. That is why everybody even knew it back then It was the first thing on the show that that was like put on I film or whatever it was called and

It was the happiest Experience I ever had doing triumph because everybody was like, I don't really like making people happy. I know it's good television sometimes, especially if it's like a person nobody likes, but it's so much more fun. These guys were fans of you and they knew what triumph was. I think what makes it,

it was like, they wanted to meet triumph and it was like when I met Don Rickle. What makes it so nice is that, because I'm the same way, if I think I've hurt someone's feelings, I don't sleep for like two days. If I think they really got, you know, and so I'm just saying that to appear nice. But you must never sleep. I sleep like a baby. No, you know how he solved that? It was like an aversion therapy. He decided to be mean to everybody. Yeah. And that way he got numb to it. Yeah. Yeah. My son. I'm just

cool. Yeah. Everybody. And so, um, but I think the magic of that was all the people in line who you're making fun of for being never seeing a woman or, you know, what, which button do you push to have your mother come pick you up, whatever. Andrews are kind of giving me. They're all loving it. And, and, and that's the key is, and they're just delighted. And now they're part of history. They're like the funniest straight man that you could ask for. Yes.

And the fact that they're enjoying it just made it like just a mutual. Pupr and P poopy united as one. There are. There are. It's just beautiful. It's a beautiful thing when pooper and poopy. There are so many. You know, I mean, this is the thing where it gets tricky

because I could reminisce with you about all of this for maybe 15 hours and we would only scratch the surface. But something I just want to make sure that I get in here that I state that you've gone on, you know, we work together all those years and then we've continued to work together. We keep, we come back together, we work, we just did, I mean, one of the highlights of my recent life was you and I wrote Hans and Franz musical together with Dana Carvey and Kevin Neillin and then it just got lost to times it was never made and of course foolishly we wrote it so that Swartz Nager rather than being a cameo is in 9th 10th of the movie. It was the best. It was nice to see that come around and

you've been doing all this Amazing work in comedy for all these years, but I have to celebrate that Leo, you wrote this movie, Leo, and it's an Adam Sandler animated film, and I saw it the other night, and I was completely blown away. It is obviously funny, which I knew it would be,

but it's also so sweet and so nuanced and has a great message. And I thought, well, this is a classic. And then I think yesterday I was told that it's the biggest animated hit already that Netflix has ever had. Like, it's a complete smash. And I was practically crying. I'm so happy for you. And for Adam, I wrote both of you guys. Yeah. Adam's lawyer got it. Sadie Werner got it. Yeah.

No. I think we got a red line next thing. Let me give it a look to the lawyer. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He was really funny because like he ended up calling me after.

No, not at all. But Adam, after I told him, I texted him, I said, I'm so happy for Robert, I'm so happy for you. It's so well done and he calls me up. And he was like asking me how my kids are doing and stuff like that. And then he was doing this whole riff because my son is very gifted at computers. And he loves computer engineering.

So he's looking at a lot of engineering schools and a lot of like super scientific schools and Adam was like, say, and goani, I'll write him a letter. Those people love me and I went as a joke and I was like, it's okay, Adam. He's like, it's already done. I took care of it, buddy.

I'm gonna send it to every engineering school and I'm saying, no, no, I'm gonna say, these are my people. I was crying, I was laughing so hard. Don't worry, Coney, he's gonna be great. Oh, he's the best. Yeah, he's the best, but I was, you know, so funny because he does, the voice he does in this for Leo

is so unique. It's kind of Bernie. Yeah, it's, yes, it's Bernie Brosti and the famous manager that we all knew and worked he does in this for Leo is so unique. It's kind of Bernie. It, yeah, it's, yes, it's Bernie Brosti and the famous manager that we all knew and worked with. What I do know is people don't understand that as an animation, the voice is everything. Like the voice is, the voice is more important

than the actual animation because it's the soul of who the person is. I think in a lot of ways. And that voice that he does, he's so unique, and it really works beautifully. Like cranky and warm at the same time. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's funny because like when I had written it,

and we were about to do a table reading I had told him a couple of days early I kind of see him like a Peter fall kind of thing and then like right before the read through he says, Yeah, buddy, I think I want to do Bernie. I'm like, okay, go for it. And then he killed it with the Bernie and it was just a great instinct. It's very funny because Bernie I taught him years ago, he's never fucking null. When we fucking, when we cast Alice Remember,

remember here in Lookwell? So Bernie was an executive producer of Lookwell because Conan was with Brilstein. And let me back up, because I just, sometimes we go fast. And I want to bring people up to speed. But Robert came to me once when we were at SNL and he said, because we both love the 60-series battle. Adam Weft.

And he said to me, you know, I'm, I can't have this idea. We've got to do something with Adam Weft. And we started talking about it and you're saying like him, you know, he's an out, maybe he's an out of work actor, but he's just solves crime. He's basically solved crime. But he's because he made these shows, he thinks he can solve crime. So he and you and I sat down and pretty quickly wrote this script.

Yes. And we call the guy Ty look well. And that was your name. Yeah, it was great. And then we go on this quest to get Adam West to do it. And he does it. We make it. There's a lot of that's a whole saga in and of itself.

Because no one wanted us to make it the network. But then finally, Tartikov got it, but Brandon Tartikov said I get it. But then he left immediately. And so anyway, in Lawrence get away. And finally, but Brandon Tartekov said I get it, but then he left immediately. So anyway, it learns get away. Anyway. And so we make this pilot and we deliver to the network. And you and I were so excited because this is, we're honest.

And now this is a bunch of years before late night. We really think this is our ticket to the top. We love it. We think it's really ahead of its time. It's so cool. And Bernie, because you can do the voice, but I'll never forget this. So we're over at Bernie Brostin's company. He's this big guy, he's a Jewish Santa Claus.

Yes. And he's work-laws cowardly lion. Yeah, Santa Claus cowardly lion. He wears all black because he thinks it's slimming. Slimming, it's fucking human. So anyway, we're in his office and he's telling us this thing is gonna go through the roof. Adam is gonna dash through that.

Adam fucking real. It's gonna be huge. It's gonna be big. It's gonna be, and he's in the midst of this long rant about how he knows show business. He knows TV and this thing's gonna go all the way and you guys have to start figuring out now which mansions you want to live in and probably knows. He's going on and on and on when his assistant says a phone call from the network, Bernie goes put it through.

Rick so they put it through and all we can hear is Bernie side of it. So Robert and I are just flying high and he gets on the phone and the first thing he goes what? What the fuck? And then and then he starts sabotage. This is the best because he also managed Lauren Michaels. Yeah. And Lauren Michaels had two projects look well because he was, you know, long was and he also had a Jack

Andy pilot based on Tunes is the cat. It was a sketch of collection of Jack Andy sketches and Tunes was the glue to it. And so Rick Ludwin is telling Bernie that, um, yeah, yeah, look while I didn't test terrific with our crew and that's fucking insane. Adam is a fucking genius fucking script and then what do you fucking say? Tulentsus yeah yeah we're thinking of uh Tulentsus might make it Tulentsus might make uh the September sky are you fucking getting me that thing is gonna fucking tank. You're gonna put that thing in.

And that's his client too. So his client. Also his client. But Bernie didn't have, but Burlstein Gray wasn't producing to exist. Well, it doesn't matter. No, it's not. It's not a good Bernie.

Lawrence is big meal ticket and he's like, I have a long kid find his ass with three hands. And it's just, but anyway, the point is you and I are sitting there, these kids. And all we hear is what? And then he suddenly, and the first thing he said was, it's the first thing you screamed after lunch. People are digesting.

I never forget sitting there listening to that. Fucking Sue Mangus told me this. 45 years ago, you fucking idiots have no fucking clue. So, we, I saw you today for the first time in person since Leo came out and I felt emotional because I'm so happy for you. You're my friend, but also I was saying,

you and I have collaborated on so much stuff and there's a lot of noise out there and I'm very proud of the stuff we've worked on together. But I saw this thing and I thought, oh, this is going to be a movie that kids are watching and with their parents, because it's really funny. They're going to be watching it like 50 years from now. You know, I don't know how. They'll be putting drops in their eyes and watching it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But no, it's just, it's really, I think it's lasting. I think it's a classic.

And I was just delighted, just really delighted for you, because Jesus, you know you deserve it. And it feels like the first thing I've ever done that everyone agreed on at the same time. Like, you know, our show was amazing and we loved it more than anything. And there was an audience that got it. There's always, and I've had, you know, and then a little segments that I've done,

like the cartoons on SNL, but any independent project that I've done, even the ones that were successful, like the Zohan or Hotel Transylvania, it wasn't a critical success. This is like everything. It's nothing's coming together. Yeah, it's never happened to me in my whole career.

So it's like, it's just weird. But I love it. And I'm very excited. And yeah, I'm very happy. And it was, I really stuck my, you know, you've been working for this for four years. You've been telling me about it. And I've been saying enough with the talking.

Where is it? I know. It was maddening. And I would like go on Zoom meetings, like, you know, because like first you animated to like black and white drawings. Animatics. Animatics. And we tested it and it did great.

And it's like, great. Now make it do the whole thing over. And that was like the creative process working with board artists. Now you're converting the whole thing to 3D. And it's almost like, okay, we just want it to be as good as the animatic now. Like we've made most of the creative decisions. And it's just so technical and like sometimes there would be zoom meetings where my other two directors, like my notes were usually about acting.

And they'd be like, Leo's tail. It has a little bump. It's off model and shit like that. I would literally, just to be sane, I would like mute myself on the zoom and start making animal noises. Just like, what do you think, now it's send it to friends with like they would hear the meeting in the background. The cow doesn't like the idea. Sorry. You know, we, we, uh, the other thing I should point out is you write the music in this. There's a lot of, there's a lot of, there's a lot of really great songs in it. Oh, that's nice. And, um, but it's, it was fun for me because you and I, one thing we always had in common was we always wanted sketches to turn into songs. I know. So we thought sketches should have a theme song.

Yes. So when we were working on Mr. short-term memory, that was like the first we wanted it to have a song. And this was like, can't it just be because Don Pardo for years would just be on now another episode of short-term memory man. Yeah. And we were literally said, can't it just be an hour and a rep, we're going to be. And we were like, can't it just be an hour or episode of Literally and we were like no it has to be and and Odin Kirk and and Greg Daniel is working on this too But we wanted we were like no no it has to be a song mr. shorter memory. Yes

He shouldn't have sat under that pear tree. Yes, and it's turning back sitting under a pear tree and a pear drops and hit some on the head Now he has no memory he'll frustraterate you so, but he'll never know. Because he's just short. It was one of those things. It was like the first one. Yeah, I love the elegance of that first line. And but then that became like a plague on the show. Like everybody started putting jingles at the top of every. Yes. Every character. Everything had to have it. A jingle. Everything had a jingle. But. But yes, actually, I would have to, the biggest thrill of this movie on some level is just the balls to write songs and music. Like I was so scared to do it on one hand, but then I knew a composer, this brilliant composer, David Yazbek, I can't even play a musical instrument.

I just sang these into garage band. And then I sent them to him and I was like, do these suck and he was like, no, they don't suck. And I was like, oh, God. The song at the end of all the children saying how old they are. Oh, when I was 10, and then that's beautiful. It's beautiful.

Yeah. It's beautiful. Yeah, that's my favorite. And yeah, I love it because it's funny. It starts out really funny because the premise is like probably an old peanut's premise, like a kid thinking, oh, back when I was seven things were, you have no idea how, what you're looking. But I just love like the lyrics get our very silly at first.

Like, you know, we all gave left milk for Santa Claus. My mom was not in menopause and that kind of thing. It's all very like heartfelt and they're in a spotlight. And then it turns at one point, you know, one girl's reminiscing about her grandfather and my gerbils are still alive. It's still kind of funny. And then another kid says, I didn't care that people died, which is something that's based on something I experienced with my son, Rowei, who's also in the movie. He plays the, whatever kid, the allergy kid.

Oh, God. The drone kid. But anyway, that's a great, I love the drone. The drone's amazing. When he eats, when he goes full-bridge at Jones, it starts eating the chocolate ice cream. I love that. Thank you. But so, Rowei, so there, when my dad passed away, my kids used to laugh at the idea of death.

I don't know if you have a similar, but my kids will do. Well, yeah. You sort of get over the shock and then it's like, realize how funny it is. After your own parents die. No, so Rowe, they would like death, man. What is that all about? They giggle about how weird it is when they were like four. And then like my dad passed away when they were eight.

And he had a long illness and a beautiful long life. So the part of me was relieved. But the thing that really made me cry was like hearing Rowey experience it and cry. He was crying really hard. I was with my mom and so I spoke to him on the phone. And I realized that not only is he crying because he adored his grandfather,

but because he's taking in this reality. So that part gets me every time. You know, that's when I get emotional when I hear that song. Well, it's a absolutely beautiful movie. It's nice when it all comes together. I'm looking at this. Leo has had this crazy. 34.6 million views in its first six days. I don't know what that means, but it sounds like a lot.

That's the biggest debut ever for a Netflix eye-man. Yeah, I know. So that's, I mean, as long as you have a big piece of the merch, you're okay. Oops. I mean, as long as you have a big piece of the merch, you're okay. Uh, oops. Somehow I'd learn some word in Maine, some word in Maine. A blueberry farm, just got a little bigger. It's a blueberry farm, right? Yeah, it's like a massive blueberry farm. You know, and also, this is what we have to do, because we all do Lauren Voices and make Lauren jokes,

but you and I would be completely unknown to any of everybody if it weren't for Lauren Michaels. Oh, without a doubt. We love him to death. We love him to death. But we love doing his voice. We love doing his voice. The Blueberries. And then he has a giant blueberry farm in Maine.

So it's like, you know, the Blueberries, we don't settle the blueberries because they're ripe. We settle them because it's 11, 30 on Saturday night. So, I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that.

I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that.

I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I'm not gonna say that. I love you. You changed my life. You keep changing it, ruining it, but also making it better. Make it then changing it back. Yup. Fixing smashing and then make it. Enjoy.

I want you to be happy for you. You should be. I can't believe you could even say that you're still nervous. You are. I'm not nervous, but that's like, I'm so happy for you because I think it's, can I take two seconds to just remember?

Okay, so I remember like that summer Conan would do these practice shows 1993 I'm talking to you and like Dino, like a couple of writers would be out there and there's no audience and Conan would just be so fucking funny just relaxed on stage and there was a part of me that was like why do we have to have an audience? Why do we even have to have an audience? It's just gonna get in the way. And you know, he figured it out and obviously had an amazing career on late night television. But this show is everything that you are.

It's so amazing. We get to see how smart you are and thoughtful and spontaneously funny. And I'm over the moon for you. You have this and how popular it is. I know you're happy. No, no, I am. I'm very blessed.

Anyway, I love you. Everyone has already seen Leo twice by these metrics, but everyone goes see it nine times and congratulations. Thank you. Muzzle, thank you. Muzzle, Muzzle! I feel his muzzle. Konen O'Brien needs a friend with Konen O'Brien, Thank you, Maazel! Feel this Maazel! song by the White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy.

Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples, engineering by Eduardo Perez, additional production support by Mars Melnick, talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista, and Britt Con. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the team Coco Hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. And if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O'Brien,

Needs a Friend, where ever find podcasts are downloaded. download it.