He is one of the most famous faces in the history of late-night TV, as well as enjoying a successful career behind the scenes. What is Conan O’Brien’s diet and is he vegan?
There is no evidence that Conan O’Brien is vegan or vegetarian. He has joked that he is vegan but only between meals, and has also said that he is vegan because he is worried that God might also be vegan, but he has not publicly discussed being vegan or vegetarian in a serious manner.
For more on Conan O’Brien’s efforts to live a healthier life, read on.
Fitness
During a 2010 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, a year after his shockingly short stint as the host of “The Tonight Show”, O’Brien discussed his efforts to live a healthier lifestyle. He was living in Southern California at the time and explained that he and his wife had adopted a “very L.A.” diet.
That diet demanded giving up alcohol, sugar, and caffeine, among many other items, and was limited to healthier foods such as hummus. It isn’t clear how long O’Brien was able to maintain the diet, given its strictness, and he joked that both he and his wife were “ready to kill somebody” due to it.
There is no indication that O’Brien’s strict diets have included giving up meat or animal products in general. He has made several jokes about vegetarianism and veganism, often on his Twitter account.
Among these, he has said that he is vegan but only between meals. He has also joked that he is cutting back on animal consumption because he is worried that God might also be vegan and eating meat could compromise his relationship with the Almighty.
It seems unlikely that O’Brien’s statements are based on any sort of fact, given his propensity for sarcastic and random humor. If he is vegetarian or vegan, he has not publicly expressed this in any serious manner.
In 2018, he drank red wine during an interview with Vulture.com, so it appears he has let alcohol back into his life in some capacity.
O’Brien’s efforts to live healthily are not limited to his diet and he is known to exercise frequently. He is a keen cyclist and has been photographed by the paparazzi while cycling on numerous occasions.
Following the death of O’Brien’s friend, Robin Williams, Conan shared a story about a period in his own life when he was struggling during a difficult spell in his career. Williams, an avid bicycle collector and cyclist, gifted Conan with a particularly eccentric bicycle and encouraged him to get out and ride.
During his time as a guest radio DJ, he shared his ideal workout playlist, which featured such varied acts as Cheap Trick, Jay-Z, The Police, and The Who.
Conan O’Brien
Conan O’Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on April 18, 1963. He has been a familiar face on screens for decades but actually began his career behind the scenes.
Having graduated from Harvard University, majoring in American History, O’Brien moved to Los Angeles to pursue his entertainment aspirations. He established himself with a three-year stint writing for “Saturday Night Live” between 1988 and 1991.
His industry profile grew significantly when he joined “The Simpsons” as a writer, where he wrote famous episodes such as “Springfield Gets a Monorail”. O’Brien’s stint on the show marked a move towards more outlandish and zany humor.
When it was announced that Jay Leno would be replacing Johnny Carson as the host of “The Tonight Show” in 1992, O’Brien auditioned to take over “Late Night”. After a strong audition, NBC chose O’Brien despite his lack of screen experience (other than appearing in a few “SNL” skits).
O’Brien faced an uphill battle as a complete unknown but gradually formed a connection with the younger audience, including college students. Hedging their bets, NBC initially employed O’Brien on a rolling 13-week contract but eventually gave him a five-year contract after four years as the host of “Late Night”.
He replaced Leno again in 2009, taking over “The Tonight Show” when Leno’s contract expired. Leno soon renegotiated with NBC and was given a timeslot shortly before O’Brien’s show.
Leno’s new show struggled in the ratings and NBC wanted to move Leno’s show to late-night, pushing O’Brien even further into the night. O’Brien refused and left NBC after just seven months as the host of “The Tonight Show”.