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The best moments from Conan O'Brien's sensational Oscars opening monologue

The best moments from Conan O'Brien's sensational Oscars opening monologue

USA Today03-03-2025

The best moments from Conan O'Brien's sensational Oscars opening monologue
Legendary late-night talk show host and beloved comedian Conan O'Brien knocked his 97th Academy Awards opening monologue out of the park.
In one of the great show openings in the ceremony's history, O'Brien brought his blistering sense of humor, his love of movies and his edgy approach to the Dolby Theatre stage to deliver some genuine belly laughs. That's hard to do!
Late-night hosts have a complicated history with hosting the Oscars, but O'Brien should be invited back whenever he'd like to return. His brilliant opener should be the new gold standard for hosting the Oscars.
Let's look back at our five favorite moments from his excellent Oscar opening monologue.
1. His pre-taped introduction was a very funny Substance parody
2. He had a wonderful moment with Conclave actor John Lithgow
3. His dig at the Karla Sofía Gascón controversy was his sharpest one-liner of the night
4. He went back-and-forth with a hilariously underdressed Adam Sandler in the crowd
5. His "wasting time" musical number felt like it was ripped from one of his best Simpsons episodes from the 1990s

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