Rose Byrne

Summary

Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend: Rose Byrne

Release Date: October 13, 2025
Guest: Rose Byrne
Host(s): Conan O’Brien, Sona Movsesian, Matt Gourley

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Episode Overview

In this lively and heartfelt episode, Conan is joined by acclaimed Australian actress Rose Byrne, his co-star in the new film If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You. They reflect on their unique experience working together, Rose’s journey from Sydney to Hollywood, her evolution as an actress traversing both comedy and drama, and the distinctiveness of their latest project with writer-director Mary Bronstein. The conversation winds through influences, cultural humor, the complexity of caretaking and motherhood, and the joys (and weirdness) of creative collaboration.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Rose’s Upbringing and Early Comedy Influences

[15:16–18:48]

• Grew up in Balmain, Sydney, youngest of four.
• Early comedic spark: “The youngest thing of, like, you're goofy, maybe, like, trying to get attention and being a little bit goofy. And my mother says I liked the attention, but I was also quite shy.” (Rose Byrne, 15:50)
• Cites John Cleese (Fawlty Towers) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine on Seinfeld, Veep) as formative comedic inspirations.
  • “She was so groundbreaking, you know, and amongst these men and just such a specific, lived in character. So physically funny, verbally brilliant.” (Rose Byrne on Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 17:24)

2. Heath Ledger and the Start of Rose’s Career

[19:14–22:41]

• Worked opposite Heath Ledger in Two Hands at age 18.
  • “He was integral in getting me agents and getting me to auditions…very generous guy. Also shy, actually. There was a kind of reserve about him…” (Rose Byrne, 20:14)
• Reflections on Ledger’s creative instincts and courage as an actor, especially his transformational Joker performance.
  • “He had a creativity about him, and a goofiness in that role in particular was so unexpected…stands the test of time, obviously.” (Rose Byrne, 21:52)

3. Rose’s Comic Range: From Bridesmaids to Damages

[26:45–28:53]

• Cast in a strong comedic ensemble past her drama credentials (“I was on Damages”), showcasing remarkable range with willingness to play both uptight and outrageous.
• Reflections on pinning subtle comedic moves and finding the character’s motivation through status and competition.

4. The New Film: If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You

[29:03–56:01, major focus]

• Script Origin & Casting:

  • Rose was drawn by the script’s originality: “There’s an incredible symmetry…with the imagery, kind of the metaphors that are going on.”
  • Conan: Initially wary, thinking he would only be playing himself; surprised and flattered to be cast as a therapist. “My first reaction was, there’s— be honest—there’s been a mistake.” (32:48)
  • Hilarious recounting of their first meeting, with Rose mock-grilling Conan on his dramatic credentials.

• Shooting Experience:

  • Filmed in tight quarters (“tiny, tiny room”), with an emotional intensity Conan found both grounding and personally challenging.
    • “Every cell in my body is saying, we must help Rose Byrne. And then I have to remind myself, this is not Rose Byrne right now. This is my patient.” (Conan, 39:00)
  • Rose’s ability to deliver emotionally raw performances take after take: “Those scenes were… epic …there’s a fun element of, like, can we do this?” (Rose Byrne, 40:19)
  • The power of offering choices and playful improvisation, bringing levity to heavy material.

• Perspective & Reception:

  • Both express awe and gratitude for being part of such an unconventional, female-centric film.
  • “I’m protective of it…like, I think it's such an incredible piece of art. I think Mary's a force of nature.” (Rose Byrne, 48:17)
  • Discussion on the rarity of such a narrative, especially with a mother/caretaker protagonist whose pain isn’t sanitized for comfort.

5. Cultural Humor, Self-Deprecation, and Australian-Irish Connections

[42:10–47:24]

• Conan and Rose bond over a shared love of self-deprecation, attributing it to their Irish (and Australian) roots.
  • “That’s the currency in my family where I come from, which is you make fun of yourself before anyone else can make fun of you.” (Conan, 46:42)
  • Tall poppy syndrome and Australian irreverence; Rose discusses how humor is a shield and a cultural norm.

6. Motherhood, Caretaking, and Uncomfortable Truths

[54:09–55:50]

• Exploring the film’s theme: The honest, difficult reality of caretaking and maternal exhaustion.
  • “There's a lot of shame around women who are disappointed with motherhood or have anger around motherhood… She's just in this crisis of being a caretaker.” (Rose Byrne, 54:42)
• Rose is grateful for the opportunity to portray these truths on screen.

7. On Film, Acting, and Professional Growth

[53:27–54:09]

• Discussed the technical side of acting (e.g., extreme camera close-ups), rehearsal process, and the unique challenge of anchoring a film written entirely from her character’s perspective.
• Acknowledgment of the rarity of being the true center of a narrative as a woman in film.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Conan on working with Rose:
  • “You show up and you are one of my favorite people of all time, seriously.” (13:26)
• Rose on acting with Conan:
  • “You were there. You were my sane partner and you were present. And I never felt not safe.” (38:08)
• On the film’s depiction of motherhood:
  • “This movie is, like, refusing to ignore this woman…You can't look away. This is a [mom] in a crisis…which is a response…I felt seen.” (Rose Byrne, 49:24)

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Funniest Segments & Light Moments

• Running joke about trays, stair chairs, elevators, and the ‘Stilts/Slits’ company
  • Absurd speculation about installing a home elevator (“Slits”) and putting David Hopping in an elevator operator uniform. (09:01–13:18)
• Conan’s mock childhood showbiz story
  • Playing a “seat-filler” at an MTV awards rehearsal, accidentally giving Tina Turner false hope of a win. (62:10–66:14)
• The Irish pirate agent bit:
  • Conan’s exaggerated Irish/ pirate accent while imagining Rose’s agent. (29:31–29:52)
• The CPR dummy Oscar host idea
  • “This is hosted tonight by the CPR dummy. Yeah. Leo DiCaprio comes out, does chest compressions.” (59:22)

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Time-Stamped Highlights

• Birthday Banter & “Tray” Discussion:
  • 02:19–09:01: Sona’s month-long birthday celebrations, lost possessions, comedic riff about household trays and home elevators.
• Rose’s Childhood & Comic Inspirations:
  • 15:16–17:24: Early influences, Fawlty Towers, the brilliance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
• Heath Ledger, Two Hands, and Artistic Choices:
  • 19:14–21:52: Working with Ledger, his impact on Rose’s career, reflections on his Joker.
• On Playing Comedic & Dramatic Roles:
  • 26:45–28:53: Experiences on Bridesmaids, transitioning between genres.
• The Making of If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You:
  • 29:03–56:01: Detailed and humorous breakdown of receiving the script, preparing, acting together, and the emotional challenges of filming.
• Cultural Humor, Irishness, and Self-Deprecation:
  • 42:10–47:24: Tall poppy syndrome, self-mockery, and the Irish-Australian kinship.
• Motherhood & Caretaking Realism On Screen:
  • 54:09–55:50: The honesty of the film’s perspective, societal expectations.
• Oscar Hosting & Family Resemblances:
  • 57:10–58:18: Comedic riffing about awards shows, hosting, and dubious family resemblances.
• Showbiz Anecdotes & Music Rights Jokes:
  • 62:10–68:09: Early showbiz stories, musical parodies, riffing on legality of singing hit songs.

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Conclusion & Closing Reflections

The episode culminates in a warm mutual appreciation, with Conan expressing pride and admiration for Rose and Mary Bronstein for making such a bold, resonant film. Rose reveals her deep emotional investment in the movie, her gratitude for the opportunity, and her intent to continue not taking herself (but always her work) too seriously.

Memorable Outro:

“Just a joy to work with you, too, and to get to know you better. And I'll be seeing you around the circuit.”
—Conan O’Brien (60:27)

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Release Note:
If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You hits cinemas October 10th.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a treat for fans of Rose Byrne, those interested in the creative process of filmmaking, and anyone who appreciates the blend of genuine emotional inquiry and comedic absurdity that defines Conan’s best interviews. No prior knowledge required—just jump in and enjoy the smart, silly, and soulful camaraderie.

Transcript

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Rose Byrne]

Hi, my name is Rose Byrne and I feel delighted about being Conan o' Brien's friend.

[Conan O'Brien]

Aw, that's nice. Father's here.

[Matt Gourley]

Hear the yell back to school, Ring.

[Conan O'Brien]

The bell Tennis shoes walking loose Climb.

[Sona Movsesian]

The fence Books and pens I can.

[Conan O'Brien]

Tell that we are gonna be friends Yes, I can tell that we are gonna be friends hey there and welcome to Conan o' Brien Needs a Friend. I'm Conan. We got Sona in da house. Yep. Matt Gourley and Sona. It is almost your birthday.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's time.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Now you take your birthday. You take your birthday more seriously than anyone I've ever met in my life.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

What is it about you and your birthday?

[Sona Movsesian]

I don't. I just. I take this entire month as an excuse to see the people I haven't Seen in a really long time, you know, So I celebrate all month long. Every dinner, every event that happens, I feel like is about me.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Sona Movsesian]

I don't know. It might be a Libra thing. I don't know.

[Rose Byrne]

I.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I don't think so. I think it's a narcissist thing.

[Matt Gourley]

It's a Sona thing.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's a Sona thing.

[Sona Movsesian]

Maybe.

[Matt Gourley]

Do you demand gifts from all those meetings?

[Sona Movsesian]

No, I don't. It's not like. I mean, it is a milestone birthday. It is 43.

[Conan O'Brien]

The big four three.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's a big milestone. So maybe. No, but nobody gives me gifts. It's not like we're giving gifts to each other. It's just like, let's do a dinner and then we just go to dinner. And I see people from all different walks of life. I mean, it's fun.

[Conan O'Brien]

Multiple presents over the month or do you think you just get presents on the day?

[Sona Movsesian]

I don't get any presents. Presents. I don't want presents.

[Conan O'Brien]

You don't get presents on your birthday?

[Sona Movsesian]

Like, just like getting a lot of stuff. You know, I. I mean, this is really sad. I lost my stuff, and so I'm really aware of all the stuff I'm.

[Conan O'Brien]

Accumulating now in the fire. You lost a lot?

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. I just don't want just stuff anymore. I just want things I need. So I'm very particular about it. But I do love going to eat and I do love celebrating my birthday.

[Conan O'Brien]

So you're putting it out there that you don't want? I was, because I was going to get you some really nice things.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, wait, no. Okay, no, we'll do that.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, no. Matt and I had lists of beautiful baubles and treasures we were going to give you.

[Matt Gourley]

That's right.

[Conan O'Brien]

But those apparently are out now. That's not going to happen.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, no, it's okay.

[Matt Gourley]

I guess I'll just keep this hand signed by Cher. Leather bustier from the video Believe. Yeah.

[Sona Movsesian]

You just have that?

[Matt Gourley]

I do. I bought it for myself, but I was going to give it to you.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, were you really? I did lose my Cher drawing, and I'm gonna.

[Conan O'Brien]

I guess I'll just hang on to this bust of Dr. Kevorkian that's made out of dried. Dried hummus. Why dried hummus?

[Sona Movsesian]

Wait, did you say hummus?

[Conan O'Brien]

Hummus.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

You love it when I say it that way, don't you? I know.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's cool.

[Conan O'Brien]

So you should let me know what are some things that you need, because I would happily get you something that you really need?

[Sona Movsesian]

Well, things I need are kind of lame. Like, I just realized I don't have a tray. A tray, like, for my kitchen to, like, take things.

[Conan O'Brien]

I don't understand what you need. Are you. Is there. Is there a drive in window at your. At your house? The buffet?

[Matt Gourley]

You guys always eat from a buffet?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Can I get some extra ketchup packets? Yes.

[Matt Gourley]

Could you just hand me.

[Conan O'Brien]

No.

[Sona Movsesian]

Why do you need.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm seriously, why do you need a tray? What do you need a tray for?

[Sona Movsesian]

In case I have a lot of stuff I have to transport from the kitchen to another room. You need a tray?

[Conan O'Brien]

Who's eating in another room?

[Matt Gourley]

Do you guys have sneeze guards in your kitchen?

[Conan O'Brien]

Wait a minute. It says here. I just looked up your address. It's a Sizzler. You live at a Sizzler now?

[Sona Movsesian]

I wish I lived at a Sizzler.

[Conan O'Brien]

So wait a minute. So describe to me.

[Matt Gourley]

She's not burned down.

[Conan O'Brien]

She lives in a soup plantation.

[Sona Movsesian]

She loves soup plantation.

[Conan O'Brien]

She needs to defend how you have a tray that takes things from one room to another. That's very normal. What is it Never has Liza ever come to me with food on a tray. That's not true when I'm in another room. It is true when you, like, watch.

[Matt Gourley]

Tv, you put snacks and a little drink on a tray.

[Conan O'Brien]

On a tray.

[Sona Movsesian]

You have a train.

[Conan O'Brien]

Eliza won't let that happen in our house. You can't eat over there. Some crumbs will get.

[Sona Movsesian]

No, but you are an awful eater, so that makes sense. I would not allow you to eat anywhere in my vicinity.

[Matt Gourley]

I've heard you're ravenous, but are you messy as well?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, I am. Well, I've been called the wood chipper. So what happens is you feed food towards my gaping ma and then crumbs shoot out. Remember when Cookie Monster would eat? He couldn't because there's no real throat to Cookie Monster. It just. There's no throat. You know, Cookie Monster just has this. These flaps puppet.

[Sona Movsesian]

He's not real.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, there's no. There's no mouth hole. It's just flat there.

[Matt Gourley]

That's ridiculous.

[Conan O'Brien]

He's not real. You know that's not true.

[Matt Gourley]

Yeah, you.

[Conan O'Brien]

You.

[Sona Movsesian]

I get it. I get why Liza would. The trays. That's a normal thing that a lot of houses have. Your. Your house for sure has a tray.

[Conan O'Brien]

We probably serves me food. She is wearing a hazmat suit, and she's wearing one of. You know what she's often wearing is one of those deep Sea diving uniforms from the 1920s. And she'll come to me and she'll say, here is. And I can just hear an echo. Here is your tomato soup. Soup, soup, soup. And then I go. And then it's just a Jackson Pollock all over the walls.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, that's nice.

[Conan O'Brien]

So, yeah, stuff just goes flying. That's why we don't have a tray in our house.

[Sona Movsesian]

You do have a tray, for sure. You have a tray. You probably just never.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm thinking a very small tray that just brings some grapes and a little bit of cheese over. If a gu is here, we would have that. But you're talking about a big tray.

[Sona Movsesian]

No, I'm talk. You're. I think when I'm saying tray, you're thinking of, like, cafeteria trays. No, I'm talking about, like, a serving tray.

[Conan O'Brien]

So you want a tray? And what else do you want?

[Sona Movsesian]

I've only. I only got to tray.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, that's how.

[Matt Gourley]

That must be a pretty good life if all you need is a tray.

[Conan O'Brien]

All you need is a tray.

[Sona Movsesian]

I know. I need a lot more stuff.

[Conan O'Brien]

Does your new place, your new abode have stairs?

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Do you need a stair chair that goes up the stairs?

[Sona Movsesian]

I don't need it, but I'd like.

[Conan O'Brien]

Would you use it if you had one?

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

I think those are so cool.

[Sona Movsesian]

Aren't they so cool.

[Conan O'Brien]

Like. Well, I guess I'll go upstairs now. And you sit down and you actually put a seat belt on. And then. And it's much slower. Yeah. And. And you don't. I think the fact that you don't need one is kind of cool. Yeah. But you. You still have one. And then you could put the tray on your lap and you could eat like you're on an airplane because there's.

[Matt Gourley]

That's how slow it is going up. You could finish a meal.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. You could have a whole turkey dinner. And slowly tack is going up the stairs at, like. I mean, small. Slower than a tortoise.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And. Oh, it's really fun, too, to put a tortoise on a stair chair.

[Sona Movsesian]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Why.

[Sona Movsesian]

But the tortoise is already slow and it's already going up. It's just a slow thing on a slow thing.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, it's really funny. Slow thing on a slow thing.

[Matt Gourley]

Go up the stairs on its own.

[Conan O'Brien]

Do you want a stair chair? Yeah. You're putting a second floor in your house, aren't you?

[Matt Gourley]

I would love to.

[Conan O'Brien]

You haven't put it on yet.

[Matt Gourley]

Give me some time.

[Sona Movsesian]

It takes a long time to do that.

[Conan O'Brien]

You Know, it'd be great is I'll build you a staircase and put a stair chair in, even though you don't have a second floor. And it'd be funny when people smash their head on the. And then just blood rolls down. Blood rushes down the staircase, and your guest is screaming in pain. I swear there's a second floor there.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yesterday, we're doing elevator.

[Matt Gourley]

Yeah, I got.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's funny. We just got a thing in the mail.

[Matt Gourley]

We got junk mail for something called, like, a Slift.

[Conan O'Brien]

What's this?

[Matt Gourley]

And it's like an easy prefab elevator that you can put in your house.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wait a minute, Wait a minute. This is fantastic. We could get a Slift.

[Matt Gourley]

Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wait a minute. I think it's. We need one here.

[Sona Movsesian]

Can I say something?

[Conan O'Brien]

Can you Google.

[Matt Gourley]

Is it called Slift?

[Sona Movsesian]

Slift.

[Conan O'Brien]

That sounds disgusting, by the way. The.

[Matt Gourley]

No, it's a band.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's a what?

[Matt Gourley]

A band.

[Conan O'Brien]

So it's not called Slift, you sick pervert. You're like, there's something I want to get. It's called Slift. Oh, that's right.

[Matt Gourley]

It was a nudie mag. We got.

[Conan O'Brien]

But wait a minute. Is there. This is a question for. Maybe for Adam, but this is our building here. We own this building at Larchmont. It is Team Coco global headquarters. We should have an elevator. And I want. I love that idea. And you know what I want? I want one that we have three floors in this building. I like the idea that it's prefab. It's something that someone comes in. It's installed within a day because I know it's not going to be safe. And that's funny.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah.

[Matt Gourley]

We also need fire poles.

[Rose Byrne]

What?

[Conan O'Brien]

I think it's one or the other. Yeah, it's one of the other. And I say elevator. What's it called there, Eduardo? Stilts.

[Matt Gourley]

That's it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Stilts with a Z. With a Z.

[Sona Movsesian]

And can we have an operator?

[Conan O'Brien]

But how? I don't understand. I've never heard of. Look at that. Oh, my God. It looks like very Star Trek, doesn't it?

[Matt Gourley]

It looks like you go in there and you get some kind of future medical thing done. Like from.

[Conan O'Brien]

No way. Like, it's a chamber. You get into this chamber, and how do they install that? They. That's where Spock dies.

[Matt Gourley]

That's where Spock dies.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, but he dies of boredom. Because it's going so slowly. Wait a minute. Do you think we could get this installed? I actually. I think it's. I mean, I'll put up. I'll put up the funding for it. I think we should look into it for real.

[Sona Movsesian]

I think it's really good.

[Conan O'Brien]

I would love it. Oh, look, there's a little animator. It would make the building more accessible.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, it would make the building more accessible. That's true. It's good. It's a good thing to do.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, it'd be great if it made a lot of noise so that when we were recording the podcast, it should come up. And Ted Danson comes in to get ready for his podcast. And of course, you know, he's no spring chicken. He'll get on the stilts and then. And we can hear it on our podcast. And I'm like, ted, Ted, I'm sorry.

[Matt Gourley]

But Slift makes more sense than stilts.

[Conan O'Brien]

I think you're right.

[Matt Gourley]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Maybe we can get. Oh, look at this. Quiet. It's quiet. And there's a cartoon of a guy and his dog sleeping so that he can sleep on a couch while his wife quietly goes in an inner tube and sails up.

[Matt Gourley]

Oh, it's got a remote control so you could put someone in it and control.

[Conan O'Brien]

This lazy shit is having. His lazy shit is having his luggage sent down in an elevator. And he's saying, oh, okay, all right. This is a handicap person or handicapable, but this is a person who should use this. But can we go back to the guy saying, someone put my luggage in the elevator and sent it down to me in our two room house?

[Sona Movsesian]

I do think you need to have an old school guy with a hat as the elevator operator.

[Conan O'Brien]

David. David Hopping is on. The bell is on this. Let's just call it a slip.

[Rose Byrne]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

And stilts, get your actor together and change the name. David Hopping will be on it. And he'll be wearing a. Again, 1930 elevator operator.

[Matt Gourley]

And when he arrives at this floor, he goes like cosmetics Notions. Unmentionables.

[Conan O'Brien]

Unmentionables. This is fantastic. Because he doesn't do anything when David does a lot. But then whenever we're all here, he doesn't do anything. So he could be riding up and down the elevator doing bits. We have to get this. We need to immediately find out how much this costs. And the company's called Stilts. And I'm not doing an ad for them. Cause I wish their name was Slits.

[Matt Gourley]

Slits.

[Conan O'Brien]

I say Slits. Slits. And guess what? That's the even better name.

[Sona Movsesian]

Slits is like a strip club, kind of.

[Conan O'Brien]

Trust me. Yeah. And you know what? Slits should have an elevator.

[Matt Gourley]

You can join the 100th of a Mile Club.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Listen, stilts, you have 24 hours to change your name to Slits. I want this. I've never wanted anything this badly. Let's do it. Maybe you can give us one for free.

[Matt Gourley]

I mean, we've done a lot of promotion for them. Come on, listen up. Slits.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, Slits Knee, formerly known as Stilts.

[Matt Gourley]

Slits Knee.

[Conan O'Brien]

Stilts, yeah. You may know her as Stilts, but we call her Slits. I've got to have it. I've got to have it and I will spare no expense. We're going to sawn a hole in this joint and we're running that thing up and down. And David Hopping's going to get a uniform and we're going to shoot videos and everyone's going to love us again.

[Matt Gourley]

Okay?

[Conan O'Brien]

All right, let's wrap this up. My guest today stars in. This is very exciting for me to talk about the new movie. If I had legs, I'd kick you alongside. Well, another familiar face you might know. And this is a project that's very near and dear to my heart and I absolutely adore our guest today. I can't. I don't know. Just nothing more I can say. I'm thrilled she's here with us. Rose Byrne, welcome. I'm thrilled you're here on the podcast. You came on the late night show a couple of times and I never really got to talk to you. And we've had this incredible experience together working on a movie. I had never done anything remotely like that. And everything I thought about you came true and was verified a million times over just in terms of, like, your. I know you to be this incredible actress and this very funny person who can do any kind of performance, and then you show up and you are one of my favorite people of all time, seriously. And so that's so sweet. That was a blessing. And now I want to. I want to take you down. I want to.

[Rose Byrne]

Today's the day.

[Conan O'Brien]

Today's the day. You claim you're from Australia.

[Matt Gourley]

Exactly.

[Conan O'Brien]

But I found out San Diego is where you were born to Patricia and Lorenzo Bobkick. Finally, sadly, you can come clean. Right?

[Rose Byrne]

This is exciting.

[Conan O'Brien]

We'll talk about the film in just a bit. I just wanted to start with. You grew up just outside Sydney, inner.

[Rose Byrne]

City suburb, like 20 minutes from the city. Balmain.

[Conan O'Brien]

Balmain. And you're one of four.

[Rose Byrne]

Youngest of four.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. I feel like a policeman now, getting information. Says here your eyes are hazel and you're so innately funny. And I've seen this up close and in person that I'm thinking that had to present itself. When you were a kid, did you know you were funny when you were just with your. In your family?

[Rose Byrne]

I mean, the youngest thing of, like, you're goofy, maybe, like trying to get attention and being a little bit goofy. And my mother says I liked the attention, but I was also quite shy. So one of those performers too, that's a little bit shy, but a bit of a ham.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you knew there were certain comedic performances you saw growing up and you thought that. And who is that? Who are we talking about?

[Rose Byrne]

Well, John Cleese in Fawlty Towers. That was a show that my family, one of the few shows that we all gathered around to watch. And it was like. I don't know how big it was here in the States.

[Conan O'Brien]

Fawlty Towers was. I mean, it wasn't like Friends, but it played. I mean, the first times I saw it, I think PBS was showing.

[Matt Gourley]

It would only show on PBS until.

[Conan O'Brien]

Cable came around, but I would see it. And what drew me to that performance, and I'm guessing you might be the same, is that John Cleese is verbally very funny and kind of pitch perfect. But then he can use his body in the funniest.

[Rose Byrne]

Which is not dissimilar to you, actually, now that you have the same physique. It's so tall and like the legs and just innately comic with. And just some brilliant. Yeah, brilliant physical comedy sequences from that show that I can recall.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, he's so. He could do it both. And I always just thought. And I know Peter Sellers to me was the same kind of thing as someone who could, you know, deliver verbally the perfect performance just in the face. But then if called to, could be very physically hilarious. And what about what women were you watching where you thought that person's doing something? I love.

[Rose Byrne]

There's a great show called Kath and Kim from Australia with these two brilliant comedians, Jane Turner and Gina Riley, I believe. And they were brilliant. They were fantastic. Hysterical is a very popular show in Australia for satire about these two women. And then also I loved Ab Fab. I loved them from that. And Julia Louis Dreyfus was one of my touchstones. I just grew up watching Seinfeld and Elaine was. I mean, yeah, I'd not seen anything like that in a sitcom in America before. I just thought she was like, so groundbreaking, you know, and amongst these men and just such a specific, lived in character. So physically funny, verbally brilliant. So her intelligence just shines through.

[Conan O'Brien]

But then the Horrible dance that she had to do.

[Rose Byrne]

Horrible dance.

[Conan O'Brien]

I mean, yes, again, she could do just like Cleese. She could do both. One of the things I loved for her and for any fan of comedy is when she did Veep, she opened up this whole other can of whoop ass comedically.

[Rose Byrne]

She really did. It was a turn, wasn't it? It was a pivot.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. I mean, she could have moments of being a slight, out of touch sociopath on Seinfeld, but then in Veep, they wrote this incredibly, incredibly mean, horrible stuff for her to say and do. And she's so funny doing it.

[Rose Byrne]

This is so funny.

[Conan O'Brien]

And still I, you know, still likeable.

[Rose Byrne]

And you still were rooting for her.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, I'm still rooting for her. Even though she's clearly the worst person in the world.

[Matt Gourley]

That's like, working for you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Okay, okay. We'll have to edit that out. Oh, wait, you edit it out. I'll handle it.

[Matt Gourley]

I'll handle it.

[Rose Byrne]

Did you guys ever work together?

[Conan O'Brien]

Over the years, I've done some bits with Julia Louis Dreyfus.

[Rose Byrne]

I feel like everyone has crossed over at some point, so I love to hear those stories. You know, I'm such a geek about that.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm like, tell me what happened. And I have to ask you about someone who I got to meet through my show who seemed very cool. And of course, tragically, we lost him way too young, but Heath Ledger, and I know that Heath Ledger, I think, was on my show and agreed to play a didgeridoo. So I remember I have a very distinct pleasure of talking to Heath and then us bringing a didgeridoo out and him blowing into it, and it makes that sound that. I'm sorry, you know, I don't know that he was playing it correctly or incorrectly, but I just don't know what the didgeridoo, I don't know what the tuning is.

[Rose Byrne]

That really surprises me. I am shocked you didn't grow up doing that.

[Conan O'Brien]

I know. I couldn't pick out exactly what Rush tune it was.

[Rose Byrne]

Yes. But I think I have a recollection of that now that I feel like.

[Conan O'Brien]

Heath is an important part of your early life and getting started. Tell us about that.

[Rose Byrne]

I was 18 and I got cast in a film called Two Hands opposite Heath. And Heath was the lead with the same age. We were just kids. And the film, it did very well in Australia. It was Brian Brown, myself, and a cast of wonderful Australian actors. And Heath and I traveled to Sundance together, and the film didn't ultimately really translate. Here as well. As well as we'd hoped. But it's become like a beloved classic in Australia. And, yeah, he was integral in getting me agents and getting me to auditions, and he would always have a house full of Australian actors and friends. He was a very generous guy. Also shy, actually. There was a kind of reserve about him, even though he was surrounded by people often. But he was really instrumental in those early years and very, as I say, a hugely generous spirit. So. But yeah, we were just kids. We were 18. You know, he had done a show called Raw, and it was interesting, you know, he always had such great creative instincts, and he was being offered so many kind of corny TV shows. He was a heartthrob, you know, after it, when he kind of hit. And he really had a specific goal of what he wanted to do and whose careers he loved. And I admired that. He had confidence inside.

[Conan O'Brien]

I still think that his joker, I mean, that performance had nothing to do with any performance he had done before. And it was so radical that I had seen, and it was so. It's so easy when you have that heartthrob leading man status and you have that face, to just disappear into that world of playing the same person over and over and over again. And he came at that in this way and in so many of his roles. It just felt like it was very important to him that this is an art.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah, he had a creativity about him, and a goofiness in that role in particular was so unexpected. Right. The performance he gives, it's so. Talk about a pivot. It was really. And it, you know, stands the test of time, obviously. It's like, I remember going to see it in the cinema, and the gentleman next to me had obviously seen it several times, and every time Heath came on, he would start to recite the lines with him.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, no.

[Rose Byrne]

And I was like, wow, this guy has seen this movie.

[Conan O'Brien]

Matt, would you like to apologize?

[Rose Byrne]

Five times in the cinema?

[Conan O'Brien]

I would like to apologize.

[Matt Gourley]

Apologize.

[Rose Byrne]

I thought you looked familiar. I wasn't going to say I was like, were you at a movie theater on.

[Matt Gourley]

But you have to admit, I was pretty good.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you honestly nailed almost every line.

[Rose Byrne]

Yes, but it was that. That's a mark of a performance that is, like, you know, iconic, I guess.

[Sona Movsesian]

You know.

[Conan O'Brien]

This message is brought to you by Airbnb. Twice I've used Airbnb in the city of San Francisco. I've loved it because I can feel like a person. You know how it is when I stay at a fancy hotel. Yeah, they're always like, oh, Mr. O' Brien, a legend. I can't believe it. I'm like, please, please. It's just. I'm just a person. No, you're a God. It goes on and on and on. You're a God.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, wow.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. Yeah.

[Sona Movsesian]

All right. Nice.

[Conan O'Brien]

That was me that said that. Anyway. And for those reasons, I won't stay at the comfort. But I like this experience. I like this experience of just feeling like a person. And you can wander around. You feel like it's a very personal space. You can chill and I know, Blay, you're a big airbnb person. Yeah. And I like to. When I go on trips, I like to put my place up to host so I can make a little extra scratch while I'm away. And I just got this cool new big glowing egg lamp that changes colors. So it's very, very cool. And you've had no offers. Loved it. Except for the glowing egg. Yeah, you know, it's sc relaxing. It's really cool. Well, your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host it's here. The Naked Gun is now streaming on Paramount. So excited about this. Love the Naked Gun franchise. You know what? There's a lot of question. Can Liam Neeson do it? Can he take on the mantle of this incredible franchise? And the reviews are in. People think it's hilarious. It's a great film. I've seen it twice. It's awesome. Finally, the world gets Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. Yes, the of Lieutenant Drebben Neeson is joined by Paul Walter Hauser, Pamela Anderson, Liza Koshy, Danny Houston, even WWE's Cody Rhodes. And the film's directed by Akiva Schaefer, who's very talented. Fans are already calling the Naked Gun the funniest movie of the year. Now you can watch it at home, so you don't miss a single joke. Get your popcorn. What? The Naked Gun is now streaming on Paramount. This is an ad by BetterHelp. World Mental Health Day is in October, and BetterHelp is shining the spotlight on therapists. People who truly make the world a better place. Because the right therapist can change everything. Here's what BetterHelp does. They do the initial matching work so you can focus on your therapy goals. It's a short questionnaire and it helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience. An industry leading match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy for any Reason, and this is crucial. If you get a match and it's not quite working for you, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recs. I take this stuff seriously and I think this is important. This World Mental Health Day, we are celebrating the therapists who've helped millions of people take a step forward. If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first [e-mail] Conan that's betterhelp.com Conan so you have success, things are going well, and then you do Bridesmaids. I thought that you were getting to play so many very subtle comedic moves. The speech where you're each trying to. When you first came on screen, though, I remembered thinking, okay, this is the beautiful friend who's gonna be kind of uptight and you're just gonna hit that note and then you don't. And you're in many ways being just as competitive, petty and insane as Kristen Wiig. And I was just like, oh, okay, Rose. Yeah, Rose Byrne. And then I think that was everybody's reaction.

[Rose Byrne]

You know, it's like, those guys are so willing to, like, I had auditioned for get him to the Greek and ended up doing that film. That's how I met Jad, who was producing Kristen's script that Paul Feig directed. Kristen and Annie Marmalo's script that Paul Feig directed. But those guys are really open minded. They're like, I was on Damages. They're like, sure, come in. You know, a lot of people would be like, why would you want to see this dramatic actress who's not got comedy chops to come in and work with these, like, you know, hardcore. All those girls are from Groundlings, ucb, like, really properly trained improv comedic actresses. All brilliant, like, as you say, like what an ensemble of like, incredible actresses. One of my, like, probably my favorite film to ever shoot. And Helen really is the straight man in many ways. She's just buttoned up, like. But I remember early on when we were rehearsing and just trying to figure out exactly like the inspiration for that character and how competitive she is and her, the need for status and how important that is and what that kind of how people wear that entitlement and, you know, it's very fun, very fun. And working with, oh, my God, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, you know, Melissa, Ellie, Wendy, it was just such a heavyweight cast of these women, you know.

[Conan O'Brien]

So did you find that, that. Because what's been Remarkable about your career is, of course, there are people that do comedy and drama, but you excel at both of them. And I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. No, but I'm telling you. I mean, I watch you, and I love. I love horror. I love the insidious films. So it's like. But, like, I'm watching you in that, and you can just. You're always able to really break my heart. And then I'll see you being hilariously funny with Seth Rogen, and I'm just a little mystified as to what that's all about. I think there's something very wrong with you that would show up on a CAT scan, frankly. There's a large line dividing your skull. Oh, my God. Yeah, I'm sorry. I just want to reduce all your.

[Rose Byrne]

It's definitely true.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. All your talent.

[Sona Movsesian]

Just because she has range. You're like, something's wrong with you.

[Conan O'Brien]

I just think she has a terrible brain problem. That's my take on her acting.

[Rose Byrne]

And he's right.

[Conan O'Brien]

I think I'm right. But. And then we need to get to this, because this script comes along. This creative force named Mary Bronstein, Our friend. Our friend. Our friend writes a movie. How does the script come to you? What happens?

[Rose Byrne]

My agent sends me this script, and she's a very discerning Irish woman.

[Conan O'Brien]

You best be reading me scripts. You best be reading my script. I'm sending it your way.

[Rose Byrne]

Pretty pretty much.

[Conan O'Brien]

Pretty much send it to a donkey.

[Rose Byrne]

Pretty much like a pirate.

[Sona Movsesian]

She was a pirate agent.

[Conan O'Brien]

I said she was a pirate. I didn't. I heard pirate, not Irish.

[Rose Byrne]

Pretty much caw, caw. Weirdly, exactly like that.

[Conan O'Brien]

Why did my parrots go caw, caw? Parrots don't go, caw, caw.

[Matt Gourley]

You're an Irish pirate with a raven.

[Conan O'Brien]

I couldn't get a parrot, so I had to get a raven. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm sorry. So, anywho, you've got a line down.

[Rose Byrne]

Your visceral cellular reaction to an Irish woman. I feel it.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm sorry.

[Rose Byrne]

I feel it.

[Conan O'Brien]

They terrorized me throughout my life. From the island.

[Rose Byrne]

Straight up. No, she's. She. She's very discerning, you know, and she's only written a few times over the years. And she said, you need to read this. And I was like, hmm, okay. But she, you know, read like fire. It's like she lit the page. It's such an unbelievable script, and I want to hear your thoughts on it when you read it. And I devoured it. And there's an incredible symmetry to the script with the imagery, kind of the metaphors that are going on, and what's happening in front of Linda, what's happening to her and what's happening outside of her. There's a wonderful symmetry. And it's. And you really do see it, I think, in the finished product as well. It's very much there. And I just thought, oh, my God, what an opportunity. It's someone throwing you the ball, right? And you've got the bat and you're like, can I really. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. And it was extraordinary. And it's sort of genre defying in a way. There's many. John. There's horror tropes of horror in there. There's tropes of drama. There's.

[Conan O'Brien]

There's comedy in there, too.

[Rose Byrne]

And there's comedy. So I. You know, I couldn't believe it. And then I started to, you know, I met with Mary and we started to work together, and I just thought, oh, my God, I cannot fuck this up.

[Conan O'Brien]

I was like, so I have this funny experience, which is this script comes my way. And we talked about this with Mary on the podcast. But. But Adam Sandler calls me and.

[Rose Byrne]

Oh, I didn't know that Sandler called you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah. Just to tell me he admired my work. And then he. Hold on. And then he called me. I'm just name dropping now. And then Brad Pitt texts me. He wants to know where I got.

[Rose Byrne]

My Fort Taurus, by the way.

[Conan O'Brien]

And so anyway, all these famous people are always calling and texting. No. Adam called and he said, is it okay if I give one of the Safdie brothers your. Your number and it's for an A24 film? And I went, I guess so. And he was like, oh, you think so, Coney? Yeah, dummy. Idiot. And so at first I thought, it's gonna be. If someone like me gets offered a part, it's always to play myself. Do you know what I mean? It's. Oh. And then the characters turn on the TV and Conan o' Brien's there, and he's saying, you all heard in the news the story about insert character's name here. And then they were like, no, no, no. You're playing a character. So I talked to Mary and tried very hard to talk her out of it. I just was like, well, this is a really great script, and you don't want me in there. And. But she was adamant. And then what was your reaction when.

[Rose Byrne]

You were like, oh, it's playing a therapist.

[Conan O'Brien]

I mean, My first reaction was, there's. Be honest with you, is there's been a mistake. You know, like why, why am I, why is someone and I should talk to my therapist about. It was very surprising to me that she has this beautiful thing that she's written that's a real statement by her and comes from her life. And I just, this is her big shot and I'm in there and I thought, okay. And I really didn't want to mess things up. So she was very like.

[Rose Byrne]

So he felt the same way, he felt the same way, only there's a.

[Conan O'Brien]

Difference, we gotta mess it up. Here's a little difference. You're Rose Byrne and I'm gonna. Brian. So then I'm starting to feel better cause she's given me all the reasons why I'd just be perfect for it. And she said, trust me, everyone is excited about you doing it and you're perfect for it. And I thought, well, they're professionals, they must know. And then Mary sets this meeting at the Whitby Hotel that I show up at. You show up at. And Mary shows up at. And you proceed to say, excuse me, Conan, what acting have you done? And I start saying, well, I don't really have that. No, but I mean, what films have you done? And I went, I haven't done any films. And then you said, uh huh. And I said, I've done sketches. And she said, but what about like dramatic roles, film? And I went, I haven't really done that. And then you start drilling down deeper. And you went, but surely you did plays in high school. And I said no, I didn't. And Mary, I didn't know you that well then, so I thought, Rose Byrne does not want me in this. And then I find out later that you're taking the piss out of me. Oh, like you winked at, you winked at Mary and. But I left thinking, oh my God, like she's gonna go to her Irish script reader and say, put down that, put down that bowl of taters and get Conan off this feckin. Not fuckin but feckin movie.

[Rose Byrne]

I often feel like people have secret histories. You don't know. Like, you know, maybe you had a rich history of doing a play or at Harvard, you know, like I knew.

[Conan O'Brien]

I didn't do any, but I don't know, honestly, now you're being the nice person.

[Rose Byrne]

No, no, no, honestly, like I was like. And I think I remember, I remember, I remember. But has anyone approached you before or has anyone asked you to do a drag or that didn't work out. So, you know, like, I was, like, doing investigative, like. Cause I feel like it was like.

[Conan O'Brien]

You were wearing a wire and people were listening in a van.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then all I remember is you slammed your plate down at one point and said, who do you think you are?

[Rose Byrne]

That did happen. That did happen.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then you slapped me.

[Rose Byrne]

And then I hit you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Sona Movsesian]

Hit you.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then I hit me.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

It was. No. And then we start. We start the process of making this movie. And I will admit I was saying that I worked really hard with Mary, and there's no.

[Rose Byrne]

For longer than. For a year. You were attached forever, long before. As was Rocky.

[Conan O'Brien]

So you're making the point that you got it much quicker than I did. I see what you're doing. Look at this. Rose is such a master at passive aggression. Are you seeing it? Yeah. You? A long time. A long time. I mean, much longer than me. And I'm really 99. But anyway, I had that experience of. Worked very hard with her, tried to prepare as much as I possibly could. And then before you know it, it's a very small room. All our scenes are in a tiny, tiny room. Tiny room. And I'm a large fellow.

[Rose Byrne]

Tiny room.

[Conan O'Brien]

And we're in this tiny room.

[Rose Byrne]

Tiny room. And is it quite hot or how was the temperature?

[Conan O'Brien]

You think you were very excited to see me. That's what that happened. You kept saying, is it hot in here? And people were like, it's actually 33 degr.

[Rose Byrne]

Was it stuffy? I just remember. Was it?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, it was. They had sealed all the windows for sound. And it's just a regular office on the Upper east side. So it was.

[Rose Byrne]

This is not offensive. This is like. We shot this fast. And it was like, not a big budget. It was just to set the scene. It's not like it's a. I was.

[Conan O'Brien]

Told you got all the money. All of it.

[Rose Byrne]

Of course I did.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Rose Byrne]

Got all the money.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you came in the first day wearing a grill. It said, rose rocks. And I was like, that's a little over the top.

[Rose Byrne]

That's how I work. I know, but I established my boundaries.

[Conan O'Brien]

That was really off putting. Every time you stood up, just money fell out of you. But I. We had these. I'll never forget, just sitting opposite you. And we're in that room and then I hear action. Like the whole. The hallway's packed with people. Action. And you and I have this scene to do. And I think the first take, I was just trying to process. I'm in a movie. Why am I. In a movie. Why am I in a movie with Rose Byrne? This is insane. And then I kind of got it together, I think, for the second take and was able to just. Okay, just be in it. But I think on the first take, I was freaked out, you know, that's how it felt.

[Rose Byrne]

You were great. I looked at you and you were there. You were my sane partner and you were present. And I never felt. Not safe.

[Conan O'Brien]

But then I see a closeup of.

[Rose Byrne]

I know I've worked with a lot of people, and it's like, you know, when someone is there with you and you were there with me, you know, and the scenes were very hard. They were challenging. There's a destructive relationship. It's at the end of this relationship with this therapist and their patient, and it is someone in a crisis, and it's. They're not treating each other well. It's, like, complicated.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, I was saying this to Mary Bronstein, the writer director. I was telling her that one of the things that was a little difficult for me is I am extremely fond of you, and I'm also a caretaker. So in real life, if it started to rain, I would scramble to, like, have a tent built around you. It's that kind of thing where.

[Rose Byrne]

Counterintuitive, counterintuitive.

[Conan O'Brien]

And my character is the exact 180 degree opposite. And you are in. We're in this tight space and you are begging me, screaming at you, you know, screaming at me for help, and I'm not doing the thing. Every cell in my body is saying, we must help Rose Byrne. And then I have to remind myself, this is not Rose Byrne right now. This is my patient. But it was. That's.

[Rose Byrne]

The scenes were challenging, I agree.

[Conan O'Brien]

But you. And I've told this to everybody, and you can see it in the film. I just was present for you. Turning yourself inside out in the scene. It's so insane to watch someone do that, especially in an enclosed space. Not up on a proscenium in a theater, but just take their own heart out and crush it in front of you. And then I'd hear, cut. And you would start laughing or giggling, or you'd say, I want a sandwich, you know, and making jokes. And then Mary would come in and go, okay, let's do another one. You'd be like, all right. And I'm like, oh, what do you mean, another one? No one can do that twice. And you do it like 19 times. You want me to pull my heart and my lungs out this time? I could try that for you. Or Just one lung and two hearts. It was just weird to see.

[Rose Byrne]

Those scenes were. They were epic. They were like. I hadn't done that sort of scene before with that sort of. Where you're in a therapist's office like that, where it's really like in real life where you're having these sort of moments with your therapist. So it was wild. That was definitely those days where they were. I mean, they were fun. There's a fun, for me, a fun element of like, can we do this? And, like, you're taking off together in this scene, like, what's gonna happen? You know, and then seeing where it kind of goes.

[Conan O'Brien]

There was one. I can't remember if this made it into the film or not, but there's one scene where you're. I think you're lying. There's some scenes where you're in the chair and there are some scenes we're on the therapist couch where you're going through all these emotions and at one point you're just trying different stuff. And it was so fun to watch you play. At one point, your feet went up in the air. I'm there.

[Rose Byrne]

I remember that.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you're doing some sort of yoga, feet up in the air thing.

[Rose Byrne]

Stretching in the chair. Exactly. Right in my face. So obnoxious.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're trying to provoke your therapist. And so you're doing, like, this weird yoga stretch where your feet go up into the air and your head, you.

[Rose Byrne]

Know, And I. I don't think it made it in.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I don't think so, but I think it might.

[Rose Byrne]

A bridge too far.

[Conan O'Brien]

I know, but I was so silly. What you and I do is galaxies apart. But then I see flashes of, oh, I know what that is. That's you playing to find things and offering marry. All these choices. And I know that we do that in comedy.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah, totally.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, we do that in comedy.

[Rose Byrne]

Exactly. It's the same. Absolutely. An offering like you're. And she allowed us to do that. You know, there was these. You know, and her. Especially in those scenes. It's always. I mean, I'm always looking for a little levity. Right. Isn't it? And those scenes were heavy. So it's like, how can we sneak in some. Something that is a little bit, you know, that we. That might be. That might be funny. I don't know. So.

[Conan O'Brien]

So I have a question, which is your. Something I find very endearing is your refusal to take yourself seriously in a profession where everybody takes themselves very seriously. Is that an Australian thing or is that a rose Burn thing.

[Rose Byrne]

What do you think? Because you've probably had Australians in this chair before, so I don't know.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's right. We had all of Acadaka here, which is the correct way to say AC DC Acadaka.

[Rose Byrne]

This is true.

[Conan O'Brien]

I did a show in Sydney once at some big theater downtown, and one of the best crowds ever. I mean, an Australian audience.

[Rose Byrne]

They are such a good. I'm so glad you say that, because it's such a long way to come. So when people do get there, they really do appreciate it.

[Conan O'Brien]

People kept thanking me for coming, and I said. I kept saying, you know, you have a really good country. I'm happy to be here. But no, the crowd was insane and great, but they're. What I love is they just. There's no formality. Like, if I would call on someone instead of just ask, answering my question from their seat, they'd come running up on stage, and then we'd end up being scene partners and doing a bit. There's a lot of improvising and having fun and taking the piss in Australia.

[Rose Byrne]

Which is really lovely cultural language, for sure.

[Conan O'Brien]

But do you think that's part of your. Anytime a compliment comes your way, or people say, oh, my God. And you're like, well, thank you, and then I see the deflection, which is.

[Rose Byrne]

I mean, I was. I would say the same of you. You're a bit of a deflector, I would say. Is that an Irish thing? I mean, I am.

[Conan O'Brien]

I think so, yeah.

[Rose Byrne]

I have Irish, you know, ancestors.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rose Byrne]

But culture.

[Conan O'Brien]

How Irish are you? Are you?

[Rose Byrne]

I haven't. Well, Bern. So I, by R N E is like one of the most common names in Ireland. So when I went there, they said, welcome home.

[Conan O'Brien]

Welcome home.

[Rose Byrne]

They did. And my full name is Mary Rose, which is like, literally a shit ship, you know, from Ireland, you know, so. But I. Funny, when I went there, I felt melancholy. I don't know, I felt like the. The Irish kind of streak of pain.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Rose Byrne]

If I may say, I share with you guys, I felt. I felt that. I felt the joy, but I also felt that. Did you feel like that when you were there? I had any reaction. I was like, I'm gonna feel like the motherland. And I had that to an extent. And then I felt like the deep kind of history of, you know, stuff.

[Conan O'Brien]

I went back for my travel show and I got very sad. And I'm not someone who lets myself probably. I have a difficulty accessing that. And there was no hiding it there. I just really felt I Said, oh, my God, the view here, it's such a beautiful. You can see these mountains. They're so gorgeous. And, oh, my God. And I said, why did people leave? And the woman I was with said, because you can't eat the view. Like, they didn't, you know, and they needed. This wasn't working, and they had to go. And I thought, right, idiot.

[Rose Byrne]

That's intense. That's a real. Well, that's.

[Conan O'Brien]

It was really intense, but that's why they left.

[Rose Byrne]

Return to your room.

[Matt Gourley]

Did they try to eat the view before they left?

[Conan O'Brien]

I looked at the mountains and there was one big chunk out of it.

[Rose Byrne]

Maybe they didn't need seasoning. Yeah, but that's real. I get that. I get that.

[Conan O'Brien]

Always good to bring levity into famine, I always say. I'm serious. I'm serious. I appreciate that. I needed it out and you gave it to me. But. No, but, like, that is part of it. But I think Australia is so fascinating to me because so many Irish went there or were sent there.

[Rose Byrne]

We were really sent. Most of us.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Yeah. You were clearly sent.

[Rose Byrne]

I was clearly sent, yeah. No, the jails were overflowing and they got this crazy experiment where they were like, let's put all these people on a ship and put them out there and they can live out their sentence there and then hang out with the people who put them in jail in the first place.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Rose Byrne]

That's a short history. And also ruin all of the indigenous people culture, you know, that whole thing.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's the reason they don't use. You know, there's a reason they don't use you in the tourism ads anymore. I know. Can we try another take, Rose?

[Rose Byrne]

I know, Exactly. Let's not focus on that. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then you forgot one of the most important things, which is everyone from Ireland who got shipped over there has my skin coloring, and they're suddenly living at the equator and they're running around shirtless in that sun. And that's.

[Rose Byrne]

It is the weirdest story. It's a pretty crazy story that, you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Know, everyone is beet red there. Everybody.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah, it's wild.

[Conan O'Brien]

And so I was thinking, okay, that's the currency in my family where I come from, which is you make fun of yourself before anyone else can make fun of you.

[Rose Byrne]

I think so. No, I do. To your point, I think it's absolutely a cultural fact. You know, we def. Don't take ourselves too seriously. There's a thing called tall poppy. Never get too big for your boots. And, you know, like, there's definitely an element of that culturally for Australians. And I guess I kind of embody that a little bit. But, you know, my, my, you know, yeah, humor's always been a big thing thing in our family and I've always been firmly, you know, made fun of so. And supported at the same time. But, but no, it's not. I, I, yeah, earn. I find earnestness pretty, pretty hard to solo, to be honest.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's why I'm surrounded myself with the least earnest people in the world.

[Rose Byrne]

It's like, yeah, it's a funny thing.

[Conan O'Brien]

What a good joke.

[Rose Byrne]

But I take the work seriously. I love the work and I love the work. And that I would absolutely take seriously.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, I mean, it was clear to me that you're not screwing around in this role. And it's been delight to see the reaction to your performance has just made me so happy because universally people have been saying, yeah, Rose Byrne, and Mary likes to use the phrase hiding in plain sight. You've been here, you've been doing incredible work, everyone loves you, and then you do this role and everyone is saying, Jesus Christ, this is. Yes. It was just really nice.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Rose Byrne]

Oh, look, I feel very emotional about it, emotional about the movie. I'm protective of it. Like, I think it's such an incredible piece of art. I think Mary's a force of nature. I think her story is so punk rock. How she's taken this, tackled motherhood and being a caretaker and really in a radical way. Like, it's very unconventional and it's uncomfortable and I love the film. So I'm still figuring it out as we were chatting about earlier. Like, I'm still discovering it and seeing it through, particularly a lot of friends who are now seeing it, seeing it through other people's eyes and what they're discussing with me about it and what feelings they're responding with. And I, I, it's been. I'm so grateful not to be corny, but to be a part of that. And I feel, Yeah, I feel, I feel, I feel very, like, so proud to be in this.

[Conan O'Brien]

And there's something about. Maybe you could tell me what it is. But it is a different movie and there aren't a lot of movies like this.

[Rose Byrne]

Well, there's the tradition of sort of the woman falling apart. That is, yes, that's a tradition.

[Conan O'Brien]

But Mary pointed out to me those are all written by men.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah, yeah. Totally through the lens.

[Conan O'Brien]

And she was like, no, no, I'm gonna write this.

[Rose Byrne]

And this movie is, like, refusing to ignore this woman. You know, a lot of Mothers feel invisible. They don't feel seen. They don't feel acknowledged. And this movie is like, no, no, no, you can't look away. This is a. In a crisis with a child. And you will not. She will not be kind of ignored. Okay. Which is a response. A friend was. We were chatting with a friend and she was like, I felt seen. And I was like, wow. And so. And then I have friends who don't have children who really understood other aspects of the movie and other. Other other things she's bringing up in people. So I think that's.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, my wife has not seen the movie yet because she's seen it and she. I wanted her to see it. She's not a fan of my work. What a shame. That's so hard.

[Rose Byrne]

Aw, what a shame.

[Conan O'Brien]

Has nowhere I did television really just doesn't like the podcast. But no, Liza hasn't seen it yet and she wants to see it. But. And she was gonna see it tonight when we go to this event.

[Rose Byrne]

She can't come.

[Conan O'Brien]

She can't come because she has to be in Seattle and so to see her lover who, by the way is. He's a great guy.

[Rose Byrne]

He's hot too. Yeah, he's better than me.

[Conan O'Brien]

I mean, he's ferry captain.

[Rose Byrne]

The weather's really bad there. He's very tan.

[Conan O'Brien]

He's the most tan guy. Cuz he takes her to Mexico all the time. I'm like, well, I'm closer. I could take her. And he's like, I got it. They're actually going to see the movie together. They're going to come up to me afterwards. We thought it was great. Yeah, I loved it. God damn it. Why is your voice so low and resonant? But anyway. But I've been telling her because, you.

[Rose Byrne]

Know, I really like her podcast.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, yeah. She is the brains of our outfit. And she. But she said an interesting thing which is. I mean, I was telling her that this movie. I don't. It's gonna be tough for you. It's not gonna be easy because it's very visceral about what a woman goes through who's a mom and trying to handle it all when her husband's off doing talk shows. And. But I know she's gonna love it, but also that it's going to push some buttons.

[Rose Byrne]

Did she read the script?

[Conan O'Brien]

She did read the script and she said to me, I didn't know people wrote scripts like this anymore. In the nicest way.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah, that's rad. That's such a cool.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. So I'M you know, Mary really wanted to get that the film is so you up to the point where the camera is so close to you so much of the time. And initially, did that freak you out at all, or.

[Rose Byrne]

Well, the first day, the camera got closer and closer and closer. It was like, here. And I could hear it. It's film, you know? And I said to her, are you gonna be that close? Is that. That's how close we're gonna be? She was like, yeah, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

I was like, you sent the dailies to your dermatologist?

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah, exactly. And I was like, does this look okay to you?

[Conan O'Brien]

We'll just freeze it.

[Rose Byrne]

But I could. I could hear it. So it was. It was. I mean, it was just technical. Right. So just sort of adjusting for that and making sure we were always in dialogue. Like, did you get this? Did you get that? Should I try one like this? Try one like. You know, even though we'd had this great rehearsal period, her and I. But that technical side of stuff, you don't know until you're there. Right. You've got to, like, figure it out and. And understand it. And get my sea legs with working with the camera department. But. But I knew she was doing something. You know what I mean? I was like, she's pulling something off here. And the conceit of not. Which is not really a spoiler, but the conceit of never seeing the daughter was also something she told me early on. And I was like, okay. Right. So I knew she was crafting this language and this tension to tell this story in her, you know, vision. Her cinematic vision. And it wasn't till I saw it that I was like, oh, good Lord. Wow. My goodness me. She. She. Nothing could have prepared me. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

You've done so much work in film, and yet this seems like a big evolution or step forward or change in some way, because it pretty much is. I mean, yeah. A$AP Rocky, myself, you got some people tossed in there, but we're. And we're playing the parts that we need to play, but this is you. And that was. That was. I think it's one of the most powerful things about the film is it is your journey. And I think I've heard you say that so often. It's easy for a woman to be an appendage in a film or, like, you know, you're the.

[Rose Byrne]

Of course, you're the co.

[Conan O'Brien]

Equal or less.

[Rose Byrne]

Yes. Yep. Which I've done many times. Oh, my gosh. Many times. But this is truly from the perspective of this character, like, you have no other perspective, really. And sometimes you don't know what's real and what's not. Like when through the eyes of this woman who's just so disassociated, you know, it was a real. It's a real tightrope, the whole thing. It's like. And as a mother myself, like, obviously confronting all of these, you know, it's very. People are not comfortable. There's a lot of shame around women who are disappointed with motherhood or have anger around motherhood or have, you know.

[Conan O'Brien]

Feelings that aren't, you know, anything less than total fulfillment. Total fulfillment, you know, isn't it just the most joyous, totally fulfilling? And Andy Richter told me when his kids were really little, he said, you know what it is? It's high stakes boredom. And I said, what do you mean? Cause this is before I had had my kids. And he said, it's a two and a half year old and you're staring, they're not doing anything and you're just staring at them. But if you're not vigilant for a second, they will try to run in front of a car. And that's what it is.

[Rose Byrne]

It's a reality.

[Conan O'Brien]

And so there's, of course, there are moments of resentment. It's good feelings, bad feelings.

[Rose Byrne]

And at this point, she's not even a mother, she's a caretaker. More, you know, so she's not even getting those joy. The joy of it and the like, the extraordinary parts of it. And it's like this. She's just in this crisis of being a caretaker. So I felt that was, you know. Yeah. Such a opportunity, you know, it's just an opportunity. It's like you don't get these shots often. So I feel. Yeah, you know, I feel a bit too. Like. I can't believe it came to me. I'm like a little bit like that too now.

[Conan O'Brien]

It got back to me. You've tried to cut me out of the film.

[Rose Byrne]

And just the first scenes.

[Conan O'Brien]

You said.

[Rose Byrne]

The last scene I thought was pretty good.

[Conan O'Brien]

Pretty good.

[Matt Gourley]

Smart.

[Conan O'Brien]

You requested. This is true. Rose would have done that. Yeah. Rose suggested that maybe. Cause she saw a rough cut and said, this is really rough. We could get. Yeah, she said, I've seen rough cuts, but this is. And she said, what are we gonna do about him? And then she said, can you just put a CPR dummy in there and put an orange wig on it? And they tried it.

[Rose Byrne]

I have a question for you. When did you first see the film?

[Conan O'Brien]

I saw the film for the first Time at Sundance. Yes, at Sundance. We were at Sundance together.

[Rose Byrne]

What was your experience of watching it?

[Conan O'Brien]

I think a little disassociated.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah, like you were out of it.

[Conan O'Brien]

I watched. No, I could watch. I really. And I could watch you. I could watch everything. You know, my scenes. I just think it's a weird. I can't really connect to it. I can't watch that dispassionately. And I know anyone who's been like, you, an experienced actor, can do that. I can't do that. I'm just happy I didn't look at the lens at some point and give a little wink.

[Matt Gourley]

Here's a crazy hypothetical. I know there's a little awards buzz for you, Rose, but let's just say supporting actor. Oh, no, hold on. Supporting actor nomination for Conan o'. Brien. He wins, but he's also hosting the Oscars. What happens? The world implodes.

[Conan O'Brien]

First of all, you've just ensured it won't happen. That was my goal.

[Rose Byrne]

How superstitious are we?

[Conan O'Brien]

Very superstitious. Yeah. I come from that island.

[Rose Byrne]

Me too.

[Conan O'Brien]

That pirate island.

[Rose Byrne]

We're probably related.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, I think so.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I don't think so. I just looked in a mirror and then I looked at you, and I'm.

[Rose Byrne]

Like, okay, I have cousins that look like you.

[Conan O'Brien]

You have cousins that look like me. I have an uncle with no legs.

[Rose Byrne]

I do. I do have cousins. Very similar. Very, very similar.

[Conan O'Brien]

Say it. Handsome. Handsome.

[Rose Byrne]

Totally.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. There we go.

[Sona Movsesian]

So sad.

[Conan O'Brien]

I have a cousin that looks like you, but then they fixed it. No, no, listen, you can't help me. The damage is too deep. Rose.

[Rose Byrne]

Getting my sympathy?

[Matt Gourley]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

I don't think we'll encounter that problem ever. And I think the important thing.

[Rose Byrne]

But you are hosting again, correct?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, that's the plan.

[Rose Byrne]

Wow, you were so great. I love you. Loved. Loved last year's ceremony. It's wonderful. I couldn't figure the word. I was like, ceremony.

[Conan O'Brien]

Very poised.

[Rose Byrne]

I know all of a sudden I'm the Queen of England. But when I look at the word, I was like, what is it?

[Conan O'Brien]

An event? It's really fun.

[Rose Byrne]

No, it's not an event.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's a thing that I.

[Rose Byrne]

It's a ceremony.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's so. Rose Byrne is to be so elegant, using just the correct, but then also so goofy at the same time. Crossing your eyes, doing a bit, and then right back into, oh, we're here with Dame Judi Dench.

[Rose Byrne]

That was like. You had to thread such a crazy needle. It was such a following, such a tragedy here. And There in California, Remember? And you had to. It was like.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I don't remember.

[Rose Byrne]

Kind of an impossible. I know you probably disassociated, but it was like, that's, like kind of an impossible task. So that's a tough. That's a tough gig. That is a tough gig.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, now I don't want to do it again.

[Rose Byrne]

Yeah, yeah. You talked me out of it. Yeah, you do.

[Conan O'Brien]

Get the CPR dummy.

[Rose Byrne]

That's what. If it ain't tough, it ain't fun.

[Conan O'Brien]

Now you talk.

[Sona Movsesian]

CPR dummy.

[Conan O'Brien]

This is hosted tonight by the CPR dummy. Yeah. Leo DiCaprio comes out, does chest compressions. Well, the movie. I mean, this is cool. We get to plug the movie. If I had legs, I'd kick you. It's a weird thing to say, but I feel like, as. Like an uncle figure. Whatever. I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of Mary. I'm just happy for both of you.

[Rose Byrne]

Thanks, buddy. Thanks for having us. And October 10th, you can go to the cinema to see it. And. And thanks for your support. My therapist. My therapist.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know what? My character.

[Rose Byrne]

You'll forever be my therapist.

[Matt Gourley]

Oh, really?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. And I looked at, like, there's a degree on the wall, which you can't see in the movie, but I walked up to at one point, and where it says name, it just says therapist.

[Matt Gourley]

Did you give yourself a name in your character work?

[Conan O'Brien]

No. No, I didn't.

[Matt Gourley]

It's not too late. The movie's not out.

[Conan O'Brien]

Nigel G. Sopsip.

[Matt Gourley]

I think it's best if we take.

[Conan O'Brien]

Him out of the film.

[Sona Movsesian]

That was a bad one.

[Conan O'Brien]

Anyway. Just a joy to work with you, too, and to get to know you better. And I'll be seeing you around the circuit.

[Rose Byrne]

I'll see you on the circuit.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wow.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yep.

[Rose Byrne]

Thanks for having me. Thank you for such a wonderful room of funny, lovely people here. Thank you.

[Conan O'Brien]

We do. Paramount plus has so many movies. Paramount has the movies you've watched so many times you can quote them. Iconic movies your friends can't believe you haven't seen. Dude, you didn't see that. I can't believe it. And the latest movies you'll need to talk about with your friends or co hosts. I just saw that movie. I got to discuss it with others. With Paramount, you can watch the latest blockbusters, rewatch your favorite moments, or see how the reboot measures up to the original. Whether you're into Top Gun or the Naked Gun, Mean Girls or Mission Impossible, Smurfs or Sonic the Hedgehog, Paramount plus has it all. And I say all. There's a mountain of movies to discover on Paramount. Start streaming today. This message is brought to you by Sonic. You know, football fans deserve the Sonic Smasher. Made with hand smashed Angus beef, served hot off the grill. And for a limited time, when you order one Sonic Smasher, you get a free large drink when you order in the app. Football fans also deserve a quarterback who never gets injured and always delivers in the clutch. Unfortunately, Sonic can't give you that.

[Rose Byrne]

Ooh.

[Conan O'Brien]

But they can see we're helping their comment. Oh, man. Yeah, they didn't write that. We did that. You're welcome, Sonic Media Team. But they can give you a Sonic smash with a free large drink when you order through the Sonic app for a limited time. Live free. Eat Sonic.

[Matt Gourley]

What's this thing about you being a seat filler?

[Conan O'Brien]

I will do it. Sure. Okay. Just say, hey, Conan, any childhood. Any memories from your early days in show business?

[Matt Gourley]

Okay. Ready?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yep.

[Matt Gourley]

Hey, Conan, any memories from your childhood days in show business?

[Conan O'Brien]

Try it one more time.

[Matt Gourley]

Hey, Conan, do you have any memories about your childhood days in show business?

[Conan O'Brien]

Childhood days in showbiz?

[Matt Gourley]

Early days.

[Sona Movsesian]

You said early days.

[Conan O'Brien]

What am I, Shirley Temple? You just teased me up to do that. It was time to shoot on the good ship Lollipop. Puff puff. I'm smoking a cigar. No, we were just talking earlier and you guys said, hey, bring that up on the podcast. It's one of those early memories of young Conan out in the world. I think I was a writer on Saturday Night Live. This would have been the. I don't know, sometime between 1988 and 1991. I think we were in a hiatus. I wasn't doing much. I was bumming around and someone. Cause I did sketches on the show. Occasionally I would appear in the background of some SNL sketches and someone said, hey, Conan, they could use you over at. I don't know if it was the MTV video awards or VMAs or something. It was some early version of one of those types of shows. And it was shooting at the Armory in New York. I remember this. And they said at rehearsals, they need people to pretend to be the winners. So you sit in the audience and they say, and the winner is Phil Collins. And then a black woman stands up and she walks up on the stage and she says, I want to thank the other members of Genesis. And she basically just so they can get the lighting right and the blocking right, because you're certainly not gonna get that person there. They never read the real winner because that can never be revealed before the show. So they always say at the beginning of rehearsal. This is for rehearsal purposes only. The winner is Phil Collins or whatever. So I just thought, like, this was interesting. I'll do this. And I think I got like $50 or whatever I got. So I went over and I think about this now because I've. When I do award shows now, I'm there when I see the people who are doing that same thing that I used to do.

[Matt Gourley]

Did you ever think you'd be up there hosting the Oscars and here just a seat filler, you know, fake award winner?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, I did. I knew.

[Matt Gourley]

You knew.

[Conan O'Brien]

I just knew. Okay. I said, it's gonna be probably around 20, 25.

[Matt Gourley]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Global warming is gonna be a real problem. People don't think so. Ozone layer would've been fixed. And yeah, I just knew the whole thing. Okay. So anyway, no, I would have had no idea. But I was there and I was doing that. And I think I had to be someone in Oingo Boingo once or. I mean, it was just these crazy. These references are so funny, you know. And I was like, well, on behalf of Bo, I just want to say I was joking around a lot and they probably told me to shut up. But what I remember very clearly is someone who was there in person was. Tina Turner was hanging out at the rehearsal. And so I'm sitting there just wearing my little lanyard that says backstage goofball. And Robert Palmer was there. Simply irresistible. He was there. The two of them were there. I think they probably had a sound check, but they were just hanging out. And I remember they announced the category and again they said, you know, okay, the winner for best song of 1988 is. And they opened the envelope and someone said, Tina Turner. And this person got up, I think a 62 year old, very pale man stood up with crutches and went up on stage and said, oh, I'm just really excited that I'm here to win this award. And Tina Turner was there and she got really excited because she thought this means that she's gonna win that night. And I saw her manager have to go up to her and say, no, no, no, this is just for rehearsal. And I remembered seeing someone's a huge icon of rock dreams get crushed in that moment. I saw that happen. It wasn't that bad. I think she probably ended up winning anyway. But yeah, it was one of those things where I had a lot of experiences like that that where fun. Yeah, Showbiz. It was showbiz. And I was just this young.

[Matt Gourley]

Your childhood Showbiz.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. It wasn't childhood. I would have been in my twenties at that point. Mid twenties. Okay. And. But it was. It was an exciting, exciting moment for me back then. And now, all these years later, I still treasure it.

[Sona Movsesian]

Was that sincere?

[Conan O'Brien]

Nope.

[Sona Movsesian]

I didn't think so.

[Rose Byrne]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's just one of those things that, you know. So the year, it was 1986, according to. Oh, it was 86. Okay. So guess what? Wait, I wasn't on SNL yet. It was pre SNL. 1986. And what was it? The VMAs. It was the VMAs. Was it at the Armory? It was in New York. Not at the Armory, though.

[Matt Gourley]

What was the Tina Turner song? We Don't Need a Name?

[Conan O'Brien]

No. I bet it was going to be what's Love got to do 76. What's love? A second hand emotion. Typical mission mail. What's that? Typical mail. You duck. Typical mail.

[Sona Movsesian]

Is that what.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's much so much better than an.

[Matt Gourley]

Atypical male video was to the mailbox.

[Conan O'Brien]

Nope. We don't need another hero.

[Matt Gourley]

That's what I said.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, well, anyway, I was there. And what would Robert Palmer have been there for? Was that simply irresistible? Yes, Robert Palmer was there and he presented a video Vanguard Award to Madonna. Okay.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yay.

[Conan O'Brien]

I didn't see Madonna at rehearsal. Because you didn't get to go to the show.

[Matt Gourley]

Show.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, of course. Video was Addicted to Love. Yeah.

[Sona Movsesian]

I can't afford it. We can't afford it. You guys have to.

[Conan O'Brien]

We don't have to pay this.

[Sona Movsesian]

No, we do.

[Conan O'Brien]

I don't think we have to pay if we sing a song, do we?

[Matt Gourley]

Yeah, I think we're singing.

[Conan O'Brien]

Let's get that from Adam. Adam, do we have to pay if we sing a song?

[Sona Movsesian]

Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

I don't know. Let me ask you this. I don't know. Let me ask you this.

[Matt Gourley]

It's.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's murky. The version we're singing are so. Yes.

[Matt Gourley]

So far from the original that they can't be.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, it works for me.

[Matt Gourley]

Okay.

[Sona Movsesian]

No, I think you can't.

[Conan O'Brien]

And she's a climbing stairway to heaven. Oh, boy.

[Sona Movsesian]

Listen, you can't do it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes, you can, because I just sang it incorrectly.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, I mean, legally you can.

[Conan O'Brien]

But I said Stairway.

[Sona Movsesian]

I know, but you sh. You shouldn't. You're just ruining things. I think it's.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, look, we're going to get some clarity on this, okay? Because I think we should be able to sing these things. People know me as a crooner and I'm a jukebox. Quiet. They know me. I am America's jukebox. I've got these golden pipes. They call me the velvet Smog and I think that we should be able to sing songs.

[Matt Gourley]

Well, we should look into this. And I would say stay tuned to a future episode.

[Sona Movsesian]

I don't know what we're doing.

[Conan O'Brien]

We'll make it. Oh, boy. Come on.

[Matt Gourley]

Conan o' Brien needs a friend. With Conan o' Brien, Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley Produced by me, Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow. Theme song by the White Stripes Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair and our associate talent producer is Jennifer. Samples, engineering, hearing and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Bautista and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too, could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusX XM when you sign [e-mail] Conan and if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a Friend wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

[Conan O'Brien]

This podcast is supported by FX's English teacher. You love the show, don't you, Sona?

[Sona Movsesian]

I love this show.

[Conan O'Brien]

I haven't checked it out yet, but I hear it's great.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's great.

[Conan O'Brien]

Last year's critically acclaimed series returns to follow Evan, Gwen and Markie as they vie for their students divided attention. See why Cosmopolitan calls its premiere season a Masterclass of comedy. FX's English teacher. All new Thursdays on FX. All episodes now streaming on Hulu. Explore the world's hidden wonders on the Atlas Obscura podcast. A village in India where everyone's name is a song. A boiling river in the Amazon. A spacecraft cemetery in the middle of the ocean. Every day, the Atlas Obscura podcast will blow your mind in 15 minutes. You can find it on the SiriusXM app Pandora, or wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode.