For more than three decades, Conan O’Brien has built a career out of taking unlikely chances. The comedian has rarely followed the conventional path. Each pivot has seemed risky at the time, yet many have ultimately defined his unique place in late-night and comedy culture. And according to O’Brien, those decisions come from a very unusual inner voice.

Chatting with The Hollywood Reporter, O'Brien spilled on his gut guide, saying, “There is a little bearded Viking inside me.” That bold inner push has shown up since his early days.

Before becoming a big name, O'Brien made waves as a comedy scribe for Saturday Night Live and then The Simpsons, crafting fan-favorite episodes like Marge vs. the Monorail. But in 1993, NBC threw him the Late Night gig after David Letterman bolted to CBS, even though O'Brien had zilch hosting chops on camera.

As he puts it, “And when that Viking decides on something, whether it is replacing David Letterman with no experience, skiing some advanced slope I have no business going down or hosting the Oscars, that is what is going to happen.”

While O'Brien's Viking vibes steer his Hollywood leaps, his Harvard ties pull him back for a major milestone.

Conan O’Brien headlines Harvard’s 375th commencement

Conan O’Brien is set to headline Harvard University’s three hundred seventy-fifth Commencement as the principal speaker on May 28. A Brookline native from the Class of 1985, he majored in History and Literature and led the Harvard Lampoon as two-term president.

He even penned an undergrad thesis on “Literary Progeria in the Works of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor.” O’Brien quipped about a fan thrusting a photocopy of it at him right before a show, saying, “I knew then it was time to die.”

O’Brien has stayed tight with Harvard over the years, popping up on campus frequently, delivering the 2000 Class Day address, and the 2020 virtual graduation ceremony. As a cherry on top, he will snag an honorary degree at the ceremony.

Conan O’Brien’s “little bearded Viking” instinct, fueling bold moves like Oscars hosting, spotlights a career built on gutsy leaps that blend risk with reinvention, proving that inner drive turns unknowns into icons.

What do you think about Conan O’Brien’s gutsy spirit? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Pratham Gurung

Edited by

Hriddhi Maitra