How Conan O’Brien Is Already Preparing to Host the 2026 Oscars

Conan O’Brien needs some more time.

As the Late Night graduate gets ready to host the 2026 Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on March 15th, he explained the reason he hasn’t written much of his opening speech and jokes yet.

It’s still early in the awards season, and a lot can happen,” Conan exclusively shared with TopMob News while on the If I Had Legs I’d Kick You red carpet at the 63rd New York Film Festival on October 2nd. “It looks like it’s going to be a strong year for films, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens.”

“I’m currently just observing how things unfold and what the next few months will bring,” he added. “I’ll start brainstorming ideas, but the situation is constantly evolving.”

Actually, the comedian-who is hosting the Academy Awards for the second time-realized this while preparing for his first time hosting last year. He explained, “I would come up with an idea for the show, but it kept evolving.”

He described it as similar to dining at a restaurant. “They present you with the options,” he said, “but sometimes things change. Something that was available yesterday might not be today. You simply have to be patient and wait.”

Honestly, it’s like the whole thing is constantly evolving, so we *have* to push ourselves, work tirelessly, and get to that premiere day. And the night before? Oh, I’ll be able to say, ‘This is what I think the show *is*,’ I just know it! He’s right, you know. Until they yell ‘Go!‘, you absolutely *have* to keep brainstorming, and sometimes, even *during* the performance itself, you’ve gotta be thinking on your feet. It’s amazing, really!

Actually, when Conan O’Brien hosted the 2025 Oscars, he had already reworked his jokes for the show before he even walked onto the stage. He made these changes prior to beginning his performance.

You know, he told TopMob after the awards show, and I was *so* fascinated by what he said! He explained that sometimes you’ve got a joke you think is funny, but it just doesn’t *feel* right, so you ditch it. It’s like, we were all backstage, and things were changing constantly! He’d just decide, ‘Okay, *this* joke is better,’ or he’d come up with something completely new right then and there, and just *go* with it. He actually called those spontaneous moments ‘blessings,’ and honestly, I totally get it! It’s amazing to see how much goes on behind the scenes and how he trusts his instincts. It’s pure genius!

It’s demanding to deliver a speech, nonetheless. Even though adjustments were made on the day, he and his team worked very hard to carefully craft his remarks.

He thought about how difficult the time *before* the event was-all the planning and getting everything prepared-and how that process lasted for months. “Then,” he said, “we worked so intensely that when it was finally time to perform, I was eager to get started. Thankfully, the audience was wonderful; they really enjoyed themselves and laughed a lot.”

Thankfully, the evening went on without a hitch for Conan, who was “really happy” with how it went.

He joked, “I’m actually accepting compliments now.” He continued, “It’s truly an honor to be asked, and I’m glad people are enjoying it.” Then, with a smile, he added, “Now I’m just looking forward to getting two weeks of sleep!”

With everyone looking forward to Conan’sreturn at the 2026 Oscars, here’s a look back at the celebrities who were at last year’s event.

–Reporting by Nikaline McCarley