Oscars Host Conan O’Brien Reveals “Bad” Joke He’s Already Cut

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Conan O’Brien might be having nightmares about this 2026 Oscars nominee.

Before hosting the awards show on March 15th, the comedian admitted he and his writers came up with a lot of jokes that didn’t land, particularly when trying to write something funny about the movie Train Dreams. After writing countless jokes, they ended up cutting them all.

Conan O’Brien recently shared his favorite joke from the movie Train Dreams on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 11th. He joked that despite being nominated for Best Picture, the film proved that life as a lumberjack in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900s wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The audience didn’t seem very enthusiastic—only a few people admitted to having seen the movie with Joel Edgerton, which is about a logger and railroad worker from the early 1900s.

Oh my god, it was incredible! Conan was so raw, he just screamed “No! No! No! No!” at everyone! Then he was like, “Pity applause doesn’t work, does it?” It was amazing. He explained that we were all waiting, feeling down just like him, and that’s why he wasn’t even going to tell the joke! He just… withheld it from us, because of the shared sadness. I’m telling you, it was a moment. It was pure, unadulterated Conan brilliance.

Conan told Jimmy Kimmel that some movies are just hard to make jokes about. He specifically mentioned Train Dreams, saying he and his writers couldn’t come up with anything funny about it, and that’s just a fact.

I’ve been a huge fan for years, and honestly, while I adore the artistry of Train Dreams – it’s a truly beautiful film – I have to say it just doesn’t have a lasting impact. As the director recently pointed out, and I completely agree, it’s the writing that lets it down. These are incredibly talented writers, so the film itself, while visually stunning, doesn’t quite deliver a memorable punchline or a joke that really sticks with you.

Conan is diligently preparing to host the Oscars for the second time. He’s been practicing his jokes by unexpectedly performing at comedy clubs around Los Angeles, testing them out on live audiences.

He admitted to becoming fixated on things, explaining to The Hollywood Reporter that he often feels unable to stop himself, even when it’s difficult. ‘It’s not always easy,’ he said, ‘but I’ve come to accept it as part of who I am at 62.’

Even though hosting the biggest night in Hollywood was incredibly stressful, Conan couldn’t pass up the opportunity – and he had a surprisingly good reason for wanting to do it.

He described having a determined, adventurous side, jokingly calling it an ‘inner Viking’ that’s been with him since childhood. He explained that when this part of him sets his mind to something – like taking on a challenge with no prior experience, such as replacing David Letterman, attempting a difficult ski run, or even hosting the Oscars – he’s going to see it through, no matter what.

Want to find out which first-time Oscar nominees could be playfully mocked by Conan O’Brien at the 2026 Academy Awards? Keep reading to learn more.

Okay, seriously, Michael B. Jordan in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners? It was EVERYTHING. Playing both of the Smokestack twins was just…wow. He completely blew me away, and it finally got him that Best Actor Oscar nomination he SO deserves! This was their fifth project together, and you can just feel the connection they have. I’ve been a fan forever, and this performance…it’s honestly his best work yet!

The actor, 38, told TopMob News at the Critics Choice Awards that he loves playing both Smoke and Stack equally. He explained that both characters will stay with him forever, and he feels honored to have had the chance to portray them.

Alongside Jordan, veteran actor Lindo also earned praise for his skillful portrayal of the insightful elder, Delta Slim.

He’s known for his work in acclaimed films like Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992) and Da 5 Bloods (2020), the latter of which earned him significant Oscar attention and several awards. He also completed a thesis focusing on the history of people of African descent in the area that is now the United Kingdom.

Lindo was eager to begin filming Sinners, which was set in the segregated South. He told The Ankler that the first version of the script didn’t give him enough to do. “I felt like I faded into the background in the second half,” he explained, “but the final version has a much stronger role for me.”

Layo Mosaku, who was born in Nigeria and raised in England, is gaining recognition for her role as Annie, a Hoodoo practitioner in the series Sinners and the estranged wife of Smoke. She says that if she hadn’t pursued acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, her life would have taken a very different path, as she shared in a 2021 interview with Schon Magazine.

Instead, she won a BAFTA award in 2016 for her work on the TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy and then moved to the United States. There, she landed roles in popular shows like Luther, Lovecraft Country, and Loki.

She remembered being nervous before auditioning with Michael B. Jordan. She told W magazine it felt daunting at first – “This is Michael B. Jordan!” – but it turned out to be surprisingly easy. They quickly developed a respectful, collaborative working relationship, and she was offered the role right there in the audition room, which she called “crazy.”

Though many North American viewers know him from his Golden Globe-nominated role as Pablo Escobar in the Netflix series Narcos, Wagner Moura is a huge star in Brazil. This made his part in The Secret Agent – where he plays Armando, a widowed professor forced to flee his life because he opposes Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s – particularly meaningful to him.

Actor Wagner Moura explained to the Los Angeles Times that he tends to react strongly to injustice, and that often comes through in his roles. He also highlighted that his latest film isn’t about revolution; it’s about a man who simply stays true to himself and his beliefs.

This year, the 49-year-old father of three has already won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Dramatic Film and is also up for an Actor Award.

The celebrated Swedish actor, famous for roles in films like Good Will Hunting, Mamma Mia!, Thor, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Dune, and the series Chernobyl and Andor, as well as his intense work with director Lars Von Trier, had never been nominated for an Oscar – until now.

At 74, actor Stellan Skarsgård said he was happily surprised by the praise he’s received for his role in Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value. He plays Gustav Borg, a respected filmmaker who decides to document his family after his ex-wife passes away—a project that upsets his distant daughters.

Considering he’s a father of eight and hadn’t expected to return to acting after a stroke three years prior – a stroke that affected his short-term memory – this role is especially remarkable. He cleverly adapted by receiving his lines through an earpiece, allowing him to deliver a career-defining performance.

“It’s impossible to predict how a movie will be received,” said Alexander Skarsgård, winner of the 2026 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. He told the LA Times that this film has resonated with people of all ages and backgrounds. “It clearly connected with something deep within audiences.” He described it as surprisingly uplifting despite its serious themes, comparing it to a light, airy soufflé with hints of darkness.

As a huge fan of both Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve, I was thrilled to see them team up again for Sentimental Value. It’s their third project together, following Reinsve’s breakout role in Oslo, August 31st back in 2011, and then the incredible The Worst Person in the World in 2021. I’ve been following their work ever since, and I can’t wait to see what they create together this time!

At 38, the actress has earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress by playing Nora—a successful TV and stage performer who is determined not to work on a film directed by her father, with whom she has a strained relationship, and who also pushes back against his efforts to make amends.

The Norwegian actor deeply appreciates Trier’s influence on her development and praises his ability to foster a supportive and creatively freeing atmosphere for the entire cast.

Reinsve explained to Deadline that her approach to a role isn’t about individual performance, but rather the collaborative energy on set. She focuses on what the scene – or the entire movie – aims to communicate as a group, which actually takes the pressure off. It’s less about what she personally brings to the role and more about the shared experience and what emerges from the interaction between all the performers and crew.

The Norwegian actress, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Agnes – the quiet and thoughtful daughter of a historical figure named Gustav – shared that she felt a strong personal connection to the character.

As a longtime fan, I really connected with Agnes’ character. It reminded me so much of my own siblings – that fierce love and worry you feel when you have a brother and sister. Like, I’d do anything for them and just want everyone to get along. It’s something the actress, who is also a mom with her husband, Gunnar Eiriksson, really seemed to capture – that deep family bond and the desire for everyone to be happy and healthy together.

Fanning confessed she would have accepted even a small role directed by Joachim Trier, expressing her admiration for his work, particularly in The Worst Person in the World. Ultimately, she landed the part of Rachel, the American actress who takes the role that Nora, the film’s main character, rejects.

This Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress follows previous nominations from the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes, and caps off what she describes as a perfect filming experience.

I was visiting Norway for the first time, which was similar to my character’s experience,” the 27-year-old actress explained to W magazine. “It was a really interesting experience. I absolutely loved Norway – it’s so clean, and everyone gets around by bike. I felt like I really belonged there.”

Golden Globe-winning actress Mary Bronstein described her role in the film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You as emotionally challenging, filled with humor, horror, fear, and deeply upsetting experiences. She plays a therapist juggling a sick child and a constant stream of unfortunate events, as she told W magazine.

Playing Linda was both intimidating and incredibly exciting, and I honestly didn’t know how to approach the role,” Byrne, who has two children with Bobby Cannavale, shared. “It was a massive creative challenge, but also a wonderful chance to stretch myself. Filming was such a rush, and afterward, I felt completely drained. I was actually afraid to watch the finished movie and kept putting it off. But when I finally did, I was completely lost for words.

The Academy had something to say, however, and now Byrne, 46, is an Oscar nominee for Best Actress.

While 42 prosthetics helped transform the Australian actor into Frankenstein’s Creature, the emotional depth and sadness he portrays come entirely from his own acting ability.

I was absolutely thrilled when he landed his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor! It wasn’t a huge surprise, though – he’d already turned heads by winning a Critics Choice Award, and he was also nominated for a Golden Globe and an Actor Award. It’s been amazing to watch his career take off!

To truly embody a role, you have to disconnect from your own life,” Elordi explained to Netflix’s Tudum. “It’s about shutting out your emotions, tuning out distractions, and fundamentally changing your perspective. Even everyday routines like eating and showering need to feel different – they have to transform to allow you to fully become someone else.

All’s fair in love and war.

Though not all of her roles have been critically acclaimed, Taylor’s performance as the passionate and ultimately betrayed Perfidia Beverly Hills earned her significant awards attention. This included a Golden Globe win and her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Many current films feel distant and hard to connect with, the 35-year-old explained to the LA Times. But Paul Thomas Anderson’s characters are wonderfully imperfect, deeply human, and honest, leaving you thinking, ‘Wow, have I been through that too?’ That’s the impact a movie should have – it should challenge you, spark important conversations, and encourage open, even difficult, discussions.

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2026-03-13 03:49