Several years ago, my dad and I were on a long car drive when we raised a question as old as time: “Who is the greatest comedian?”
Many legends were considered, including Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey. While all of these witty individuals are incredibly talented, there was one comedian who not only makes us laugh uncontrollably but who has allowed us to become better people. Enter center stage: Conan O’Brien.
In honor of O’Brien hosting the 2025 Academy Awards, which happens to be my favorite awards show of the year, I decided there is no better time to pen a heartfelt love letter to my favorite comedian. Conan, if you’re reading this, I hope this letter demonstrates how you have truly made the world a better place through laughter.
Dear Conan O’Brien,
Like millions of your devoted fans, I have watched your comedy sketches, interviews and travel specials for as long as I can remember. In each of these segments, you get a good laugh out of me. Now, I’m no Jordan Schlansky, but it can be quite a challenge to get a single chuckle from me, much less a true belly-aching cackle. Without fail, though, you always know how to make the worst of my days better. Whenever I am sick, sad or bed-bound due to a broken hip (yes, this happened), you have been someone I can rely on to make me smile.
What I love about your comedy is that you make it your mission to be a shining light of positivity in everyone’s lives. From playing soccer with refugees in Germany to bringing your IT employee Chris Hayes to Taco Bell’s headquarters, you are devoted to making others smile. You also always take time to make personal connections with everyone you interact with during sketches, including delivering flowers on Valentine’s Day and speaking with locals in Haiti. In the latter, this conversation was initially tense, but after listening to the concerns of the Haitian folk and cracking a few jokes, you made the community members feel comfortable enough to laugh. Only you can perform such a feat. I believe you are the key to world peace.
What truly makes you a unique individual in Hollywood is your loyalty to your staff. Between constant news stories about celebrities abusing staff members, seeing your thoughtful interactions with employees gives me some faith in humanity. It’s hard to find an individual who stays at a company for five years, much less a group of employees who stay for twenty. You have made such impactful connections with your staff that will last many lifetimes. Seeing you shop for cars with your amazing assistant Sona and explore Italy with everyone’s favorite fake Italian Jordan Schlansky not only entertains audience members but also creates lasting relationships between you and your employees. I hope future talk show hosts and comedians can facilitate such relationships with their staff, but I don’t think yours can ever be beaten!
Seeing you travel across the world to make meaningful connections with others through laughter has pushed me to become a better person. In my everyday life, I have tried to channel my “inner Conan” to find the light in the darkness. Whether it’s taking time to get to know your peers or poking fun at yourself, I think there are many things the world can learn from you. The world would be a much better place if everyone was a little more like Conan O’Brien.
I’ll conclude my letter with a sincere thank you. Thank you for making an effort to be an optimistic individual. Thank you for turning tears of sorrow into those of laughter. Thank you for being you. I wish you the best of luck at the Oscars, and I hope one day I can see you in person at cinema’s biggest night of the year.
With Love,
Ally Werstler (a lifelong member of Team Coco)
