Conan O’Brien reveals his mother and father have died three days apart

US comedian and talk show host Conan O'Brien with his Emmy Award in Los Angeles in September. Photo / Getty Images

Conan O’Brien has shared moving tributes to his parents, who both died in December within days of each other.

The American comedian and talk show host, who was recently announced as the host for next year’s Oscars ceremony in March, confirmed on December 9 that his father, Dr Thomas O’Brien, had died at 95 years old.

Writing an obituary in the Boston Globe, which was published on December 12, Conan praised his father as “the funniest guy in the room”.

He said Thomas was a man “in constant motion” who was “interested in everything - absolutely everything”.

“For the rest of my time on earth I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad. I’ve never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father.”

The same day Thomas’ obituary was published, Conan was dealt another devastating blow when his mother, Ruth Reardon O’Brien, died at age 92 at her home in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Conan O'Brien will host next year's Oscars ceremony in March. Photo / Getty Images

An obituary confirming the news of Ruth’s death said: “O’Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O’Brien MD, who passed away on December 9th, 2024.”

Thomas worked as a physician over the course of his career, taking up a professorship at Harvard University, where he specialised in epidemiology.

Ruth was a lawyer who landed success at Boston-based Ropes & Gray, where she became the second woman to be made a partner at the firm.

A funeral service for Thomas and Ruth is planned to take place in Boston on December 18.

Conan is one of America’s leading comedians, known for his Late Night and Tonight Show hosting roles.

The 61-year-old comedian visited New Zealand in September, where he was understood to be filming segments of his travel series Conan O’Brien Must Go.

Earlier this month, Conan gave an exclusive statement to the Herald, where he spoke about his cameo in an episode of Shortland Street that aired on December 12, which was filmed during his visit.

US TV star and comedian Conan O'Brien plays Dr Aiden Archer in a recent episode of Shortland Street. Photo / South Pacific Pictures

Playing a “successful surgeon” called Dr Aiden Archer, Conan described the experience of working on the New Zealand television series as “a blast”.

“Now comes the hard part - convincing my parents it was a documentary,” Conan told the Herald.

Only one month ago, Conan revealed he would be hosting the 2025 Oscars ceremony in March with a playful post on X, immediately after the announcement from the Academy Awards.

“America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars,” Conan said.

The 2025 event marks the first time the Emmy-award-winning comedian will lead the Oscars ceremony. He takes the reins from another talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, who has hosted the last two ceremonies.

The Academy Awards are planned to take place on March 3 (NZT) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.