Fanhausen (Re-Release)

Summary

Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: "Fanhausen (Re-Release)" – Detailed Summary

Release Date: January 16, 2025
Host: Conan O’Brien
Production: Team Coco & Earwolf

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Introduction: Breaking the Celebrity Mold

In this re-released episode of "Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend," Conan experiments with a novel approach to his podcasting journey. Moving beyond his usual roster of celebrities, Conan expresses a desire to forge genuine friendships with everyday individuals.

Conan O’Brien (00:00):

"All these people have one thing in common. They're celebrities. And I thought it might be nice to try making friends with average folk people out there in the world."

This shift aims to explore deeper, more authentic connections outside the glamour of celebrity culture.

Guest Spotlight: Donovan – The Quirky Wrestler

Introduction to Donovan (03:56):
Conan introduces his first guest in this new format—Donovan, a minor league professional wrestler from Michigan, who is in the process of relocating to Montreal due to his wife's origins.

Donovan’s Character – Danhausen (04:58):
Donovan performs under the moniker "Danhausen," a character blending demonic aesthetics with humorous traits influenced by Conan himself.

Notable Quotes:

• Donovan (06:07):

  "I pour teeth in my opponent's mouths to disorient them."

• Conan O’Brien (06:16):

  "Pour what in their mouth? Human teeth."

Character Dynamics and Potential Collaboration (09:13):
Conan and Donovan brainstorm a fictional crossover where Conan enters the wrestling ring to assist Danhausen, blending Conan's comedic flair with Donovan's theatrical wrestling persona.

Conan O’Brien (10:09):

"If I entered the ring, would we start out being friends? But then I would think that you had gotten too cocky and I would attack Danhausen. What would happen?"

Donovan (10:29):

"It's very public that I love Conan, and that's one of Danhausen's idols. So I don't think they'd think that."

This segment highlights the playful interplay between Conan’s humor and Donovan’s unique character, showcasing the potential for creative collaborations.

Embracing Authenticity: A Conversation with Leanne

Introducing Leanne (18:31):
Leanne, an engineer from Toronto and a dedicated listener of Conan’s podcast, joins the conversation. She shares insights into her professional background and her love for outdoor activities.

Notable Quotes:

• Leanne (19:14):

  "I listen to your podcast all the time. I think I've listened to every episode at least once. So I'm a huge fan of your podcast."

Exploring Mental Health and Authenticity (19:22):
Leanne poses a thought-provoking question regarding Conan’s portrayal of himself on his podcast, hinting at perceptions of mental illness.

Leanne (24:09):

"Do you ever have to pretend that you weren't showing any sign of mental illness and you had to stray from being yourself?"

Conan O’Brien’s Response (24:15):

"I really like you. It comes off as mental illness sometimes, but I like it."

Sona Movsesian’s Insight (25:05):

"If a lot of the things that you said were released... your gift."

This heartfelt exchange delves into Conan’s ability to maintain authenticity despite public perceptions, emphasizing the importance of being true to oneself.

The Role of Conan’s Mother: Adding to the Podcast’s Charm

Throughout the episode, Conan’s mother makes several appearances, contributing to the show's unique dynamic. Her spontaneous interjections provide comic relief and a glimpse into Conan’s personal life.

Notable Interaction:

• Conan (23:26):

  "So I'm trying to talk to Hugh Jackman, and she's saying things like, I was on the snow hill."

• Leanne’s Mother, Carol (29:57):

  "I'll have bike to Mexico by then, so it'll be tough."

Conan’s Light-Hearted Banter (22:33):

"I love a Tim Hortons donut and a cup of coffee."

These moments underscore the intimate and informal atmosphere of the podcast, fostering a sense of community and relatability.

Technical Glitches and Humor: Navigating the Unexpected

Conan navigates technical aspects and humorous interruptions with his characteristic wit, turning potential disruptions into entertaining moments.

Conan on Recording Issues (23:04):

"If I find them and I saw them eating that flour that they cut out of the middle cake. I'd say, how do you sleep at night?"

Closing Thoughts: Genuine Connections Beyond the Mic

As the episode wraps up, Conan reflects on the value of stepping outside his comfort zone to connect with everyday individuals, reinforcing the podcast’s evolving mission to build meaningful friendships.

Conan O’Brien (27:31):

"It really does help good to do this."

Final Interaction with Leanne (29:44):

"You've been taping this call illegally. I'm coming after you. I will use the Canadian courts to bring you."

The episode concludes on a high note, celebrating the newfound connections and the humorous interplay between guests and hosts.

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Conclusion

"Fanhausen (Re-Release)" marks a pivotal moment in Conan O’Brien's podcasting journey, showcasing his commitment to forming genuine friendships beyond the celebrity sphere. Through engaging conversations with Donovan and Leanne, Conan explores themes of authenticity, mental health, and the joy of connecting with everyday people. The episode is enriched by spontaneous humor and intimate moments, making it a standout addition to the series.

Notable Quotes Recap:

• Conan on Authenticity:
  “I am mostly myself when I perform or show myself to the public.” (24:35)

• Donovan on Danhausen's Influence:
  “I'm heavily influenced by you rather than other wrestlers.” (05:31)

• Leanne on Conan’s Podcast:
  “I think I've listened to every episode at least once. So I'm a huge fan of your podcast.” (19:11)

This episode serves as a testament to Conan’s evolving approach, blending humor, sincerity, and genuine curiosity to build lasting friendships.

Transcript

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[Sona Movsesian]

Conan O'Brien needs a fan. Want to talk to Conan? Visit teamcoco.com callknan okay, let's get started.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, everybody. Conan O'Brien here. And we're going to try something a little different in this short time that I've been doing. Conan O'Brien needs a friend. I've just been delighted. I'm having an absolute blast and, and it's working. I'm actually making some nice bonds and friendships with a lot of different people. But what occurred to me is all these people have one thing in common. They're celebrities. And I thought it might be nice to try making friends with average folk people out there in the world. Civilians, not celebrities. Just talk to the people who make this great country we call the United States of America or even people from other countries. It doesn't matter. Let's just talk to some regular folk and then hope, hope desperately that they become celebrities.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's the concept. What do you guys think? Horrible. Yeah. Why is that horrible? It's very important to me that eventually they become celebrities.

[Matt Gourley]

So you don't have time for anybody that would live their whole life as a regular Joe, as a folk.

[Conan O'Brien]

Who. Who would do that? What kind of monster would choose that life? No, seriously, I really do. I do want to. And especially I have to say, a lot of this comes out of this last year. Let's get outside this bubble, this. This celebrity bubble that we're trapped in.

[Sona Movsesian]

I'm not trapped in a celebrity bubble.

[Matt Gourley]

No, I'm not even.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, God. Oh, God, no. I didn't mean either. Either of you. Oh, God, no. Oh, no, no, no. Oh, please. Oh. Oh. How Embarrassing. Oh, I'm covering my mouth. I'm la.

[Matt Gourley]

Cause, I mean, we don't even do a podcast with a celebrity, so how would we know?

[Leanne]

Oh, snap.

[Sona Movsesian]

Snappity dappity ouchie. Wowchy.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm looking it up. I'm looking it up. I am looking it up. Yes, I am a celebrity. I just looked it up.

[Sona Movsesian]

You Googled it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. I am a B lister, but I am a celebrity, so. Okay, I am a solid B. I'm a solid B list celebrity, and I'm proud of it. And if Love Boat were still on the air, I wish I could potentially be a guest. Not the first guest, but, like, the third guest who's the comic relief guest who stowed away.

[Matt Gourley]

I would kill to see you on Love Boat.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. But anyway, this is something I want to do, and I'm really looking forward to it. And I don't know, we're just going to give it a try and see how it goes.

[Matt Gourley]

Yeah, this is. Conan O'Brien needs a fan, and it'll be out weekly in addition to the regular episodes. So just an extra special treatment, and we might as well get to our first guest. Are you guys ready?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, I am very ready.

[Matt Gourley]

Conan, please meet Donovan, who is a minor league professional wrestler.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wow. Donovan, very nice to talk to you. Where are you coming from? Donovan, where are you?

[Donovan]

I am in Michigan right now from Montreal.

[Conan O'Brien]

Do you consider yourself a Canadian?

[Donovan]

No, no, I'm from Michigan.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, you're from Michigan.

[Donovan]

Yeah. Sorry, I probably said that wrong. My wife is from Montreal.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wait, I'm confused already. You're from Michigan. You've married someone who's from Montreal?

[Donovan]

Yes, exactly. Okay, so I'm in the process of getting my permanent residency there.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, okay. You're going to move to Montreal?

[Donovan]

I'm going, yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, well, that's all the time we have. Thank you so much. So, Donovan, you are a professional wrestler, is that right? Yes. Okay, now help me, because I know of a type of professional wrestler that has a character and I don't know, are you a professional wrestler who's really wrestling and using wrestling moves and it's not that fun to watch, or are you a wrestler who's also kind of a performer and has a character?

[Donovan]

I am a character, actually. I have a picture if you want to see it. It's not.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, well, we are a podcast, so I'm going to describe it. You're sort of demonic looking. You just showed me a picture of what looked like a very fierce, evil, demonic wrestler.

[Donovan]

Yes. So I go by the moniker Very nice, very evil. Because nobody likes somebody who's too evil. So I introduce the nice part of it, so then they buy into it and I can trick them.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, very nice, very evil.

[Donovan]

Often I get described if somebody. A demon possessed you, actually.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, a demon possessed me.

[Donovan]

If Conan O'Brien was possessed by a demon, that's what it gets described as. Because I'm heavily influenced by you rather than other wrestlers.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. You mean of the wrestlers, I'm the one that's influenced you the most?

[Donovan]

Yes, yes, yes, of course.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's fantastic. Describe then a demonic Conan O'Brien as a wrestling character. Are you using some of my moves? Is it my attitude? Does your character have sort of little beady eyes and thin lips and sharp cheekbones?

[Donovan]

Yes. Yeah. I don't have the height, but I pour teeth in my opponent's mouths to disorient them.

[Conan O'Brien]

Pour what in their mouth?

[Donovan]

Human teeth.

[Conan O'Brien]

You pour human teeth into the mouth? I love how that's. People see that and go, oh, that is so Conan.

[Matt Gourley]

That is.

[Donovan]

No, no, no. It's just. I think it's the presentation. Cause I take a lot of like Simpsons references and references from you and just 80s horror movies and I pull it all together. Cause these are the things that I like.

[Matt Gourley]

So.

[Donovan]

So I included it into the character. Because wrestling should be fun.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, wrestling.

[Donovan]

I was just saying it shouldn't be work. Yeah, no, no.

[Conan O'Brien]

So, okay, one of your standard moves is to pour loose teeth into the mouth of your opponent to confuse and disorient them. What are some of your other moves?

[Donovan]

Kick him right in the mouth. I have the go to sleep, which I call the Goodnighthausen. I had Housen. My wrestling name is Danhausen. And I add Housen to everything to make it all about me.

[Matt Gourley]

That's very Conan.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, that's very nice mat. Yeah, I love that you just add a Housen to things. So it's so goodnight. Housen is like a goodnight move.

[Donovan]

Yes. And I pop them up off my shoulders and I knee them in the face. That's my finishing.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, you knee them in the facehausen.

[Donovan]

The face. Yes, exactly.

[Conan O'Brien]

Sorry.

[Donovan]

Like if I were talking to you, I'd call you Conanhausen. I add Housen to the end of Edmond.

[Conan O'Brien]

Uh huh. Uh huh. This is fantastic. I'm delighted by you. I'm delighted by this foolishness and that you've, like me, dedicated your life to absolute idiocy. This is fantastic. Now, are you a good wrestler? Are you a good athlete?

[Donovan]

Yeah, but that doesn't matter. No one cared when I Was just a good wrestler. They cared. Once I switched and put on makeup and started acting goofy and doing Simpsons references in the middle of matches. And, like, I stole the Mr. Burns. Hop in. I brought a tiny airplane to the ring, and I told my opponent to hop in. And I had 3, 400 people chanting, hop in.

[Conan O'Brien]

How successful have you been? It sounds like. Is this growing? Do you feel like Danhausen is becoming a bigger and bigger character?

[Donovan]

Yes, absolutely. Since I've switched this, which is about two years ago and about a year full of doing this actual character, I've been wrestling for eight years since I've switched this, it's just, like, snowballed more and more and more. And now I have a shirt and Hot Topic, and I've gotten signed to, like, a TV company, and they're just like, go do your weird stuff. Like, do it. Have fun. Be Danhausen. That's what we need.

[Conan O'Brien]

I want to be a part of Danhausen's world, you know? Don't you see that? Matt and Sona, like, I want to maybe do some sort of. I want to tape a video. I seriously want to do something where you're in the ring and then I appear, and I'm either for you or against you. Do you know what I mean? Or you're my long lost son. We've got to somehow get into. I want to get into the lore of Danhausen. Do you know what I mean? I want to be part of it. What would you do with me?

[Donovan]

Oh, with you. I would call us both legendary late maidens, for one.

[Conan O'Brien]

Guess what? There's a lot of those now. There's literally like 600 in America. So he might want to come up with something cooler.

[Donovan]

This character is all about himself. He's all about making sacks of money. I call them. Yes, I carry around a money sack. I pulled it out after I won my contract on tv and I revealed it from my cape. I pulled a $20 bill, and I said, look at these millions, and they threw it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Would we actually fight? And first of all, you know, I know how to handle myself. Wait a minute. Oh, come on, son. I'm fairly athletic. I can take a punch, and I love to fake fight. And so if I entered the ring, would we start out being friends? But then I would think that you had gotten too cocky and I would attack Danhausen. What would happen?

[Donovan]

Yeah, maybe I think I do this thing where I try to punch people in the groin right before the bell rings so I can just pin them without doing any work. So I don't think I would do that, because people know that I love Conan, right? Like, as a character, it's very public that I love Conan, and that's one of Danhausen's idols. So I don't think they would think that. They'd probably be taken back if you did it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, how about this? Let me pitch you this, because I'm really into this. All right? So, Danhausen, you're fighting your foe. He starts to get the better of you. He starts to win. He grabs the bag of teeth and starts to pour them into your mouth. He steals your sack of money. He punches you in the groin. It's all going badly when all of a sudden, the music changes. Fog machines go on, and I appear. I come down on wires, and it's me, and I'm there to save Danhausen.

[Donovan]

And I think the crowd would go nuts.

[Conan O'Brien]

I hope so. What if the crowd's just like, all right, okay, there's Conan, I guess. Cool. Let's see what he's got. All right, well, let's go. If we go early, we can beat the traffic. In my mind, before I go on, that's what I think. That's the reaction I always think I'm gonna get. If I leave now, I can beat the traffic. I want in on the Danhausen world. I really do. Donovan.

[Donovan]

Yeah, well, I would love that if that's a possibility. That's like the ultimate guest for good nighthousing with Danhausen.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know what I've always said, if there's a way that I can be involved with good nighthousing with Danhausen. I want in housing. And right now, housing. Not tomorrow housen, but today housing. I'm not fucking around. Housing. I'm serious. Housen. So let's make this happen. Housing. Let's sign a contract. Housing. I want to get paid. Housen.

[Donovan]

Yes, we'll pay you wonderful sacks of human money.

[Conan O'Brien]

There's only one kind of money. There's only human money. No animal uses money.

[Donovan]

He has no idea. He just knows it gets you power.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Wow. That's very exciting. Well, you know what I think you're gonna do well, I love that you're going to Canada, because I don't say this just to suck up to Canada, but I love. I love Canadians. And I think they're, like, the funniest, one of the funniest countries in the world. They're really funny people. So I think. And they really love nuanced, like, weird, kooky comedy. And they've always been so nice to me. So I love that you're going to Montreal. I think that's great.

[Donovan]

Thank you. Yeah, it's been exciting and a lot of work.

[Conan O'Brien]

Donovan, you have my blessing. And I will figure out a way to enter the world of Danhausen. I will.

[Donovan]

Please do. I would lose my mind and so would my fans. I. It'd be crazy.

[Conan O'Brien]

All right, well, Sona, you make sure.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, I will follow up on this.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, we'll follow up on this.

[Sona Movsesian]

I'm really excited about it. Yes.

[Donovan]

Thank you. Thank you for doing this.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no problem. Hey, really nice to meet you, Donovan.

[Donovan]

Nice meeting you, too.

[Sona Movsesian]

Nice meeting all of you.

[Matt Gourley]

Thanks, Donovan.

[Conan O'Brien]

This winter, swap your snow boots for flip flops and head to Scottsdale, Arizona. That's right. January through March is the time to visit some of the city's most exciting events of the year. Kickoff. Scottsdale's signature event season with January's Barrett Jackson Auto Auction or Scottsdale's Western Week. An annual celebration of Scottsdale's cowboy culture. This sounds like fun. February is packed with can't miss events too. Golf fans. You've got the PGA Tours WM Phoenix Open, AKA the Greatest show on Grass. Hey, you like baseball? Grab a seat at the MLB Cactus League spring training game. And for a really unique experience, you can take in the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. My God, I've got to see that. The largest Arabian horse competition on the planet. I've been to some Arabian competitions. Yeah, Horse competitions. This is the one.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. You went to little ones?

[Conan O'Brien]

I went to tiny little ones with tiny little Arabian horses. These are the real ones. Don't miss out on Scottsdale's year round attractions. Oldtown Scottsdales, boutiques, art galleries, world class dining. There's always endless outdoor adventures to choose from, like hiking, mountain biking, or just splashing around in a resort pool. When I get in a pool, I just splash around. Everyone's embarrassed. Visit experience scottsdale.com and start planning your trip. That's experiencescottsdale.com we had a birthday party here at the office the other day and they brought out this cake. And there was this really cool, like, flower made of frosting right in the middle of the cake. Someone scooped it out just to eat that flower. I hate that.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

That person to me is a villain. A true villain.

[Sona Movsesian]

You should fire them.

[Conan O'Brien]

A monster. If I could. There's no camera. I can. I've looked. Look for the tape. Whoever did it must pay. And I want to say to that person, if I found them and I saw them eating that flour that they Cut out of the middle cake. I'd say, how do you sleep at night? Yeah, how do you sleep at night? And you know what? I think I know what they'd say. They'd say, mattress Firm. Yeah, that's the problem. They'd turn it into an ad.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's interesting that you would know what they would say, but you have no.

[Conan O'Brien]

Idea what they'd have frosting all over their mouth. And it's a Mattress Firm rest easy with Mattress Firm's 120 night sleep trial. Love it or your money back. Hey, I love to hear that.

[Sona Movsesian]

I love being able to give stuff back if I don't like it.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

I don't.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's why there's FedEx one rate. Sona, did you know that with FedEx onerate you can ship your holiday package cheaper than the Post Office?

[Sona Movsesian]

I didn't know that.

[Conan O'Brien]

Sorry, Post Office. I'm a patriotic American, but FedEx got you beat on this one. Send packages as low as $14.50 for small boxes. It's simple, it's reliable, it's predictable. With FedEx One Rate, you'll know your business's shipping costs ahead of time. That's nice.

[Sona Movsesian]

I love that.

[Conan O'Brien]

Guessing and stressing not included when you use FedEx One Rate. So you can spend less time on shipping and more time on what really matters. Growing your business. Sona, you got to get a business and start growing it. Okay, okay. Visit fedex.com onerate for details. Exclusions apply. Valid 10, 6, 24 through 119 25. FedEx onerate two day retail shipping one flat rate. There's nothing quite like the feeling of an upgrade when you're traveling. Well, as a T Mobile customer, you can take the perks with you. Check this out. Whether you're going on a weekend getaway to the mountains or let's say you're on a dream vacation or in my case, a work trip to Thailand, it's just fantastic. Let me explain. It starts the moment you take off with free in flight WI Fi so you can stream your favorite show on the go. I mean, that's incredible.

[Sona Movsesian]

That is actually pretty sweet.

[Conan O'Brien]

I love that. I mean, that's insane. I'm always there with my credit card, you know, I can't figure it out. I lose the credit card, the phone is stolen, someone punches me, you start crying. I cry a lot. When you land, T Mobile's got you covered with 15% off all Hilton brands. Plus you're covered with 5 gigabytes. 5 gigabytes. That's more than 4 of high speed data in over 215 countries and destinations with the Go 5G plus or next plans. These are just a few of the perks that feel like big wins when you travel with T Mobile. And it's nice to stay connected to your family. I travel a lot. I do these travel shows and if I'm filming another country, I know I can get to my family right away. Yeah, they usually don't want to speak to me, but they screen your calls.

[Sona Movsesian]

A lot, don't they?

[Conan O'Brien]

I suspect them of screening, yes. Find out how you can experience travel better@t mobile.com TravelToday qualifying plan required Wi Fi where available on select US airlines. Terms and conditions apply.

[Matt Gourley]

Leanne, please meet Conan O'Brien.

[Leanne]

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, I'm very excited to talk to you, Leanne. Yeah, Leanne, tell me just a little bit about yourself. Just so. When I meet someone for the first time, I like to ask just a few questions, find out who they are, where they're coming from.

[Leanne]

Yeah, for sure. And I'm from Toronto and I'm actually, I'm an engineer. So I went to school, I did engineering in school and now I'm a mechanical engineer. And I love to ski. I love to bike. I know you like to bike too. I listened to your talk about biking recently and your trip to Mexico. So that's kind of me. I like outdoorsy kind of stuff and I like having fun and hanging out with my friends and a good laugh.

[Conan O'Brien]

You like a good laugh?

[Leanne]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

A good laugh is good.

[Leanne]

Yeah. And I listen to your podcast all the time. I think I've listened to every episode at least once. So I'm a huge fan of your podcast.

[Conan O'Brien]

Do you get a sense of maybe any mental illness when you listen to the podcast?

[Leanne]

Oh, my God.

[Sona Movsesian]

What? Why is that your first?

[Leanne]

May or may not? But.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. Well, I was just wondering if, you know, you're obviously a very intelligent person. You're an engineer. What kind of engineering do you do?

[Leanne]

So I did chemical and chemistry in school, but now I'm doing mechanical engineering.

[Conan O'Brien]

But you understand chemistry, you understand chemical engineering. And have you ever, when you're listening to the podcast, thought, this guy, I think we need to regulate his brain? His brain needs some sort of chemical.

[Leanne]

Regulation a couple times, but it's okay. You get asked on podcast, so.

[Conan O'Brien]

So what you're saying is what adds to the podcast is my mental illness.

[Leanne]

That's true. Also, my mom's in the background laughing her head off, so that's okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's always good to have a mother in the background laughing at me. It adds to the whole podcast experience. There she is. Oh, and look. Oh, and look. She's shooting this on her iPhone, which is piracy. That's piracy. I'm gonna have her arrested for stealing our copyright. That'll come later.

[Leanne]

We fled the country because of that reason. So you're too late on.

[Conan O'Brien]

So you fled. You fled to north of Toronto just because you wanted your mom to record you talking to me on the podcast on her iPhone.

[Leanne]

That's right.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you wanted to escape any attempt for me to seek retribution.

[Leanne]

That's right.

[Conan O'Brien]

You've thought this through so far in advance. You're so smart.

[Leanne]

We have. It was a big move. But you know what? It's worth it. So we're nice people, Conan. We're Canadians.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, yeah, sure. Oh, yeah. I've met some of nowhere American. Oh, that's right. Good improv skills. You picked up on your mom's mistake. Yeah, mom, good improv.

[Leanne]

Cut it out.

[Conan O'Brien]

She put out the information. Leanne put out the information that you fled to Canada. So you can't ruin her improv by denying her information. Oh, God, Mom. They always ruin improv. They always ruin improv.

[Leanne]

But I was gonna say, too. I know your mom had. I love when you talk about your mom on the podcast. It's hilarious. And how her dryness always kind of sparked your comedy. It sounds pretty good.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes.

[Leanne]

I listened to her most recent episode, and you were saying how she always thought you were pretty crazy, but, well.

[Conan O'Brien]

She would say my Mom's line is, I don't like that even fooling. And she had a good sense of humor. But, yeah, she was always saying that to me, and I think that spurred me to go further and further and further. She's a great straight man in comedy, so that helped me. And I hope your mother's helping you in your comedy pursuits.

[Leanne]

Yes, she is. Yeah. Mine are more domestic, but that sort of thing.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, I understand your mom helped you so much with your comedy that you're an engineer.

[Leanne]

So, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's all I have to say to you about your mother. It's her fault. You'd be playing Vegas right now. You'd be in the biggest rooms in Vegas.

[Leanne]

I would.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, no. Your mom had to get in there and go, that's not true. You're from Toronto. Yeah, it's true. I do love Canada. I've had a very good Tim. I love myself a Tim Hortons.

[Leanne]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

I love a Tim Hortons donut and a cup of coffee.

[Leanne]

You'd blend right in a double double.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wouldn't I?

[Leanne]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, a double double. And then I get on the hockey rink and I beat someone to death. It's a good time. I really enjoy myself.

[Leanne]

She just got off the ski hill.

[Advertiser]

What?

[Conan O'Brien]

What is she saying now?

[Leanne]

She's just.

[Conan O'Brien]

Does your mother just spout things in the corner throughout your life?

[Leanne]

She said, I just got off the ski. Ski hill. That's what she's saying. Snow skiing, I think you called it. And a bit a long time ago on. I don't know where you were, but it looked pretty cool.

[Conan O'Brien]

It was the Olympics. You were pretty cool. It was the 2002 Olympics, and I learned how to snowboard, and I'm still recovering from that. I lost most of my spine. Had to be replaced with a.

[Leanne]

But you're here now. Yeah. And you're still here now, so that's good.

[Conan O'Brien]

And what I'd like to do, Leanne, if it's okay, is I'd like to tape an episode of my show sometime where your mother's in a little inset box randomly saying things while I'm trying to do the show.

[Leanne]

That would be great.

[Conan O'Brien]

So I'm trying to talk to Hugh Jackman, and she's saying things like, I was on the snow hill.

[Leanne]

I'll just be Chop chowder.

[Conan O'Brien]

My favorite chowder is corn chowder. And it just randomly. Okay. Our next guest was in the Fly. You know him as Jeff Goldblum. But, you know, onions are best on a sandwich. Okay, mom, we got it. But how Can I help you, Leanne? I know you have a question for me, and I know I can help you.

[Leanne]

Yeah, I just wanted to ask you because I was going to say, like, so I've listened to the podcast so many times, and I noticed that you're always just yourself, no matter kind of what anyone's saying. And I really like that. Even sometimes it might come off as mental illness, but you continue to do it. And I think that's really cool.

[Conan O'Brien]

I really like you. It comes off as mental illness sometimes, but I like it.

[Leanne]

Yeah, but I just wanted to ask you if there was any time that you had to pretend that you weren't showing any sign of mental illness and you had to stray from being yourself, and I just wanted to ask you, like, how you deal with that kind of thing.

[Conan O'Brien]

I am mostly. I am mostly myself when I perform or show myself to the public. But on Sona and Gorla, you will back me up. I can be weirder than even what people have seen or heard on the podcast. The podcast probably catches it the most. But I go on these riffs sometimes that they start out making sense, and then they get more and more twisted and strange, and they're just not for public consumption. Isn't that true, Sona?

[Donovan]

Yeah.

[Sona Movsesian]

I think that you would be arrested if a lot of the things that you said were released.

[Conan O'Brien]

What are you talking about?

[Sona Movsesian]

Well, I mean. Well, she's asking if you ever turn your mental illness off, but it's actually much more amplified a lot of times.

[Conan O'Brien]

Can we just start calling it my gift and not my mental gift? Sorry.

[Sona Movsesian]

I know. I'm just using what Leanne said. Yes, your gift. Okay. Your gift.

[Donovan]

Yeah.

[Matt Gourley]

Leigh Ann, you're getting the sanest version of me.

[Sona Movsesian]

I know.

[Matt Gourley]

We are getting the most gay.

[Leanne]

I can only imagine.

[Conan O'Brien]

I am constantly talking and babbling. Yes, I say a lot of words that don't make sense. I have microaggressions and macro aggressions and macroaggressions, but none of it's really based in reality. Like, I'm constantly threatening you, Mr. Gourley, but I'm not even angry with you. It's just like, I have no anger towards Matt Gourley at all.

[Leanne]

I think it comes from a good place, too.

[Conan O'Brien]

I do, too. I think my desire to kill and kill again comes from a good place.

[Matt Gourley]

Listen to that laugh. It's the Joker. We do a podcast for the Joker.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, Leigh Ann, I know there was a question in there somewhere, but I think you nailed it. I think. Yes. Has there been A time where I've needed to hide. Yes. There are times where my mind goes probably to a darker place and I edit myself. How about that? That's very true.

[Leanne]

Sounds good. But I love how you're always. It just seems like you're always yourself. And same with Matt and Sona, and that really shines through in the podcast, and that's really cool.

[Conan O'Brien]

I would say that's very sweet. I would say Sona is very much herself. I don't know who the real Matt is, so I don't know if I can say. I don't either. I don't either. Like you're a shapeshifter, Gorly. You could be. I just don't know. You could be someone completely different. It's like that movie the Stepfather. I just don't know. You could be a complete maniac and I wouldn't know it.

[Leanne]

Matt's like Switzerland.

[Matt Gourley]

I am with Switzerland.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. Yeah.

[Leanne]

Sticks in the middle.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. He's like Switzerland. Rarely visited.

[Matt Gourley]

That's hilarious. Amanda and I just went to Switzerland.

[Conan O'Brien]

Did you?

[Matt Gourley]

Yes, we did. Specifically and only Switzerland.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Gourley]

Isn't that just ridiculous? I'm with you. I'm a mess.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're not a mess. Yeah, you're good friends. And they. You know what? It really does help good to do this.

[Matt Gourley]

That was the most robotic. Are you talking about Sona and me or am I good friends with myself?

[Conan O'Brien]

That's actually. I created that sound bite with my computer. If you listen to it again carefully, all I did was press control D and it just was like, we are good friends.

[Matt Gourley]

You're good friends.

[Conan O'Brien]

Good friends. I enjoy. And then control alt J is I enjoy people.

[Matt Gourley]

I am a human.

[Conan O'Brien]

Control alt W is I love children. When my wife and I visit her family with our kids, we stay in this hotel in Seattle. And there's one of those elevators that has a voice, a robotic voice that's telling you what floor you're going to. It's this accent we can't place. But when the elevator. When you get in the elevator on the fifth floor and you're going to the lobby, this woman's voice says, going down. And it burned into my brain. And whenever I'm in an elevator and it starts to go down, I hear in my brain, going down. It's very. It's very. I find it very disturbing, and I'm glad I shared it with you. I think your mom's trying to get in on the act again. Is that your mom who just walked behind you?

[Leanne]

Yeah, it is. Yeah, it Is.

[Conan O'Brien]

She's encourageable. She can't be stopped.

[Leanne]

She can't. She can't. She's fierce. Also, that's an awesome guitar. Is it a Gretsch behind you?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, it is. Do you know your Gretsch guitars?

[Leanne]

Yeah, I want one. I don't have them, but I love to play guitar. That's another thing I love about you. I love to watch you play. Like, I've seen a few videos of you playing, and it's just so fun. Cause it's just you're up there and it looks like you love it. And I love to.

[Conan O'Brien]

I really love playing with Jimmy Vivino and guys from my band, and we've put out a couple of videos, and I was really proud of it until someone said, great Viagra ad. And it was like, yeah, like, look at the older guy bopping out with his guitar. Viagra, don't mi. You know? And I. That was a torpedo that just blew me apart. I just. I think I almost burned my guitar that night. I was like, I'll never play this again. But, yeah, maybe. The good news is I'll probably get an ad for Viagra, so that'll be good.

[Leanne]

Congratulations.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, it's been very nice talking to you, Leigh Ann. I've loved talking to you. And occasionally your mom. Tell her I said, is your mom still there?

[Leanne]

She is. She's right there.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hi, Conan. Okay, I'm coming after you. What's your first name?

[Leanne]

My name's Carol.

[Conan O'Brien]

Carol, I'm coming after you. You've been taping this call illegally. I'm coming after you. I will use the Canadian courts to bring you.

[Leanne]

I'll have bike to Mexico by then, so it'll be tough.

[Conan O'Brien]

You guys are taunting me. Like, come and get me. Oh. Oh, man. I'm going after this family. Hey, lovely talking to you.

[Leanne]

You, too. Thank you so much.

[Conan O'Brien]

No problem. Bye. Bye, Leigh Ann. Take care.

[Leanne]

Bye.

[Matt Gourley]

Conan O'Brien needs a fan. With Conan O'Brien, Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley produced by me, Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs, Joanna Soloteroff and Jeff Ross at Team Coco and Colin Anderson at Earwolf Music by Jimmy Vivino Supervising producer Aaron Blair Associate talent producer Jennifer Samples Associate producers Sean Doherty and Lisa Berm engineered by Will Bechton Please rate, review and subscribe to Conan O'Brien needs a friend on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever fine podcasts are downloaded. This has been a Team Coco production in association with Stitcher. Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of their national Red Tag Sales event going on right now through January 19th. Stop by any of their participating communities and find select Red Tag homes at Incredible Pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the Red Tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton [e-mail] that's Dr. Horton.com Dr. Horton America's builder and equal Housing Opportunity Builder.

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