Latest news with #ConanO'Brien
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Seth Meyers grants closer look at his anxious writer brain: 'Always chewing its own nail'
Seth Meyers grants closer look at his anxious writer brain: 'Always chewing its own nail' Show Caption Hide Caption Conan O'Brien, Will Ferrell take aim at President Trump Comedians, like Conan O'Brien and Will Ferrell, took aim at President Donald Trump as they gathered to honor Conan O'Brien at the Kennedy Center. AUSTIN, TX – Seth Meyers' mind is always racing, he says in the back room of a downtown restaurant with stacked wine bottles and an antler chandelier. It'd be a cozy spot for one of his 'Late Night' Day Drinking segments, in which he and celebrities like Dua Lipa and Lizzo just let it rip. 'My writer brain is always chewing its own nail,' says the comedian, currently enjoying Season 12 of "Late Night with Seth Meyers," his NBC talk show (Monday through Thursday, 12:35 a.m. ET/PT). He's 'anxious,' because the need for more material never ceases. 'They'll give you credit for your last joke for about seven minutes,' he says. But at least he's been able to shop chewing his fingernails, which makes him 'very proud of myself.' Meyers, 51, jokes that downing booze is the only way to lull his overactive mind to sleep. 'The only way to make my writer brain go to bed is drink a lot,' he says playfully, 'really fast, and I know it's unhealthy and kids shouldn't do it, but I think it makes for pretty good television.' And good stories, with which Meyers entertained an audience at Austin's Paramount Theatre for the opening night of the ATX TV Festival, between sips of a Negroni. (The festival concludes June 1.) Kevin Hart, who appeared in a September installment of Day Drinking called Meyers and cursed him out the next day, Meyers told the crowd. After knocking them back with Rihanna in 2019, Meyers 'went home and fell asleep in the foyer of my apartment building,' he said, 'and she was definitely on her way out. I was like, 'This is the end of times,' and she was like, 'Oh, I thought we were pre-gaming.'' But Meyers' constantly churning brain can't conceive where he'll be when his current 'Late Night' contract runs out in 2028. Ever since James Corden left CBS in 2023, Meyers' is the last traditional talk show at the 12:30 hour. 'I can't picture a world where I would want to stop doing it,' he says. 'But I also have found, from the very beginning of my career in this business, you just have to focus on the day you're doing the show. There's no version of me getting ahead of what 2028 is going to look like that is going to be even close to right.' Even Meyers' 'Late Night' start came as a surprise. He didn't aim to replace Jimmy Fallon when Fallon moved to 'The Tonight Show' in 2014. 'Saturday Night Live' creator Lorne Michaels, also executive producer of 'Late Night,' recruited Meyers, then the head 'SNL' writer and 'Weekend Update' anchor. 'The whole journey of getting a show like this is when you get it, first you just try to do a good enough job that they'll let you keep having it,' he says. 'And then the longer you do it, the more you bend it to your own personality and your own skill set. You stop trying to imitate and you start trying to be your authentic self, and I think we get closer to it every day.' SNL turns 50! How Lorne Michaels made comedy cool again | The Excerpt 'It's an industry that's constantly facing challenges,' he says. 'Late Night' lost its house music, the 8G Band, in 2024 to budget cuts. 'But I don't think anybody at our network thinks I'm going to be the one smart enough to solve the problems of, like, how to fix TV.' Meyers giddily anticipates his weekly 'Corrections' bit, during which he addresses 'Late Night' mistakes. The political segment 'A Closer Look,' now primarily focused on President Donald Trump, is one of Meyers' most popular. 'At some point, you can't just accept his behavior,' Meyers says. 'So you have to keep talking about it. But ultimately you can't change his behavior, either. All you can really do is have the catharsis of sharing with people this idea that it's not OK.' Meyers gets a welcome reprieve from Trump in his standup comedy act, which draws from his personal life. He and human rights attorney Alexi Ashe share sons Ashe, 9, and Axel, 7, and daughter Adelaide, 3. Meyers and Alexi are in 'constant conversation' to make sure Meyers avoids 'anything about the kids that is traumatic, and we'll have to pay for 10 years from now,' he says. Alexi, whom Meyers married in 2013, 'does have veto power' over jokes about their family life. 'But she rarely uses it,' the host says. 'She roots for my success. So if I have a good joke where she's the punch line, she tends to let me keep it in the act.' The audience at the Paramount Theatre May 29 erupted with laughter at a sampling of Meyers' slice-of-life comedy. 'I walk my boys to school, and I allow them to do Wordle with me on the walk because I think it would be rude if I was a dad just looking at my phone while I was with my kids,' Meyers said. 'But if all three of us are looking at the phone, that's parenting. 'I guess it was my 9-year-old (who goes), 'Ahhh, I got a word, but it's only four letters,' Meyers continued. A four-letter expletive that he shared with Meyers. 'And I said, 'Jesus!'' Meyers recalled. 'Then he goes, 'Is that five?'' Meyers responded, 'Yes, but it's a proper name.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Genius: MLK/X,' ‘Out of My Mind,' and 4 other shows win at the 2025 Television Academy Honors
Two scripted shows — Genius: MLK/X and Out of My Mind — and four unscripted projects — Daughters, Independent Lens: Greener Pastures, We Will Dance Again, and Will & Harper — have been named the winners of the 2025 Television Academy Honors. RuPaul's Drag Race judge and producer Michelle Visage will host the non-televised awards show on May 28. This is the 18th year for the Television Academy Honors, which recognizes programs and producers that inspire social change. This year's eligibility window was the 2024 calendar year. More from GoldDerby No, Conan O'Brien is not dead in the 'Hacks' world - and he has an 'open invite' to join Season 5 'No one ever asks me to do comedy': Julianne Nicholson explains how she became Dance Mom on 'Hacks' Steve Carell will submit in lead at the Emmys for 'The Four Seasons' as Will Forte, Colman Domingo, and Marco Calvani land in supporting Recent influential series that have claimed this prestigious prize from the TV Academy include Beef, Heartstopper, Insecure, The Daily Show, I May Destroy You, Watchmen, and Pose. 'Now more than ever, television serves as a powerful platform for information and discourse on important social issues that affect so many of us throughout the world,' said Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego. 'We honor this year's winners for their dedication and commitment to creative and effective storytelling that both educates and motivates audiences around the globe.' Visage, an outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion both on and off the screen, has won three Emmy Awards so far as a producer on RuPaul's Drag Race. The 17th season of that inspirational reality TV show will be eligible at the upcoming Emmys. SEE'RuPaul's Drag Race' winners list: Every season, plus 'All Stars' Here are the 2025 Television Academy Honors winners: This documentary film intimately follows four young girls as they prepare for a special daddy / daughter dance with their incarcerated fathers, part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C., jail. The girls share their aspirations, dreams and the emotional toll of their fathers' absence, revealing a profound wisdom and resilience beyond their years. (Netflix) The formative years and parallel stories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, two iconic leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, are compellingly explored in this docudrama series. It is particularly focused on their pioneering accomplishments with their formidable wives, Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz. (National Geographic Channel) There is a mental health crisis happening for many American farmers. A combination of climate change and the pandemic have contributed to increasing economic uncertainty and isolation. This documentary, which follows four family farms in the Midwest over several years, is a story of perseverance and survival within the farming industry in the heartland. (PBS) This inspiring, coming-of-age drama is the story of Melody Brooks, a quick-witted, non-verbal sixth grader with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair. She is not given the same opportunities as her classmates; but when a young educator notices her untapped potential, Melody starts to participate in mainstream education and finds her voice. (Disney+) This documentary about the October 7 Hamas terror attack at the Nova Music Festival in Israel is told by two dozen survivors — witnesses to unimaginable stories of courage, humanity and heroism. Their stories provide a riveting account as the celebration of music turned into a nightmare, and festivalgoers had to make choices that would determine whether they lived or died. (Paramount+ and Bitachon 365) When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years was coming out as a trans woman, the two decided to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship. This documentary is an intimate portrait of friendship, transition and America. (Netflix) SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Everything to know about Ryan Coogler's 'The X-Files' reboot: Gillian Anderson finally weighs in 'I just wanted to make her feel seen': Imogen Faith Reid on portraying Natalia Grace in Hulu's 'Good American Family' 'The Four Seasons' star Marco Calvani on how his breakout role changed his life Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
6 Reasons You, A Regular Person, Might Want A Burner Phone
Burner phones aren't just for nefarious intentions, like you see on TV. They can actually be a handy tool for people who get distracted easily (because we all know how easy it is to turn off 'Focus' mode). Emmy-winning talk show host Conan O'Brien even uses one. He admitted on an April 2025 episode of his podcast 'Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend' that he has a flip phone for calling friends. 'You have the security of knowing, 'I can call these key people and find out what's going on,'' O'Brien said about his phone, per CNET. 'I really like not being tempted to look at the texts, not being tempted to look at the emails.' Even tech experts have been noticing a return to low-tech burner phones lately. 'What we now call a 'burner phone' used to just be a phone,' Steven Athwal, CEO and founder ofThe Big Phone Store, the fastest-growing U.K. refurbished tech retailer, told HuffPost. 'You had your Nokia 3310, sent a few texts, made a few calls, played Snake, and that was it. … It was the norm before smartphones.' Now, the phones are coming back in a big way. Rocky Cole, co-founder ofiVerify and former mobile security analyst at NSA, said, 'We're seeing more people turn to burner phones or secondary devices, especially for travel or when they want a little more privacy.' 'The shift away from landlines plays a small part, but it's really more about people realizing how much personal info lives on their main phone,' he added. 'Using a separate device can help limit exposure in certain situations.' Tech experts shared several reasons you might want to consider one for yourself, from the silly and fun to the serious and practical. It seems like everything requires a phone number for verification, discounts and more. Using a burner phone is an easy way to keep all the extra stuff off your main number, according to Cole, who says people might 'use a burner to avoid giving out their real number when signing up for apps or services.' Many people, including entrepreneurs or those who want help maintaining a work-life balance, may choose a burner phone for work. This helps separate business and personal life, according to Nizel Adams, CEO and principal engineer atNizel Corporation. 'Nowadays, it's more common for people to give out a virtual number than their real phone number,' he said. 'This helps separate co-workers and acquaintances from friends and family members and makes it so that people can be easily removed from your life if you ever need to change your virtual number due to stalking, harassment, stolen identity, etc.' Additionally, having another 'layer of insulation' between you and your employer helps keep employees from accidentally sharing private information or having company data leaked. At Athwal's store, he sees many customers cite mental health as 'the most common reason' for a burner phone. 'People are tired of being constantly plugged in,' he said. 'They want something more basic with no notifications, no doom scrolling, no endless feeds of videos and pictures.' 'There is something that feels very free about having a phone that only lets you call and text,' Athwal added. 'Some basic phones have simple cameras too, but that's about all they do … there's no constant noise.' A burner phone may also be 'helpful for staying focused by using a simpler phone just for calls or texts without all the distractions,' Cole said. With the rise of many 'vintage tech' options — old school digital cameras, record players, camcorders — it's no surprise that 'dumb phones' are making a comeback as well. 'We're seeing more and more people buying them again,' Athwal shared. 'Some really love the retro look, especially since styles from the early 2000s are becoming popular again: [the look of] 'Y2K.'' Since 2023, Gen Z has been filming videos on TikTok of their new flip phones, perCNN. This shows that the trend is only getting more popular. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is legally allowed to seize your phone and other electronic devices to inspect them when crossing the border, although the organization stated that in fiscal year 2024,less than 0.01% of international travelers entering the U.S. had their electronic devices searched by CBP. Cole says people might want their main phone offline when traveling, 'especially in places where device searches might happen at the border.' He adds, 'For high-risk travel, a clean device can be a smart move, and that's part of why we rolled out a new solution recently at iVerify to help secure phones in those kinds of situations.' People may want to avoid other countries spying on them through their devices. 'I hear from people every day, whether they be administrative assistants, executives or a maintenance worker, that tell me they use burner phones when traveling to foreign destinations,' Adams said. 'In the information age countries and organizations that spy on people have been exposed,' he continued. 'This new awareness has led people traveling or living in those countries to resort to burner phones to avoid being spied upon. You access a cell tower in these countries and the government immediately has access to whatever data you're transmitting or even access to your phone.' More simply, some people are just worried about losing their phones. 'Some don't want to risk losing or damaging their main phone,' Athwal said. 'People use them to keep work and personal life separate, as a backup for weekends away or festivals.' Even though President Donald Trump has backed off on his China tariffs, bringing its 145% tariffs on Chinese imports down significantly, the U.S. economy is still struggling. And the astronomical price of groceries might have people second-guessing their decision to upgrade to the latest iPhone. With basic prepaid phones starting at just $29.99 atBest Buy andTarget, it's understandable that people would opt for this option. If you are using a burner phone for added security, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you start. 'Burner phones are a security measure to protect sensitive data and privacy, but they aren't the end-all, be-all,' Adams said. 'Remember, criminals use burner phones, and they get caught every day. Security itself is a wholesale solution that is incorporated into your entire lifestyle.' He recommends eventually trashing a burner phone, as they are meant to be temporary. 'Getting a new phone and changing all of your passwords (or deleting, then making entirely new accounts) every few months is expected once you start using burner phones for security purposes,' Adams recommended. 'This is usually coupled with not writing anything down as well.' If you are just using it as a work phone, Adams said you only need to do a factory reset to wipe it about once a year to keep your phone running optimally. And if you use it for traveling, just reset it and throw it away when you get home. Cole said, 'It's not just about buying a second phone. You have to think about how you use it. If you log into all your usual accounts, you're basically connecting it right back to your main identity.' If you want privacy, Cole recommends not using personal logins, getting a new SIM card, and avoiding linking it to your cloud services. 'And even with a burner, there's still a risk of tracking or compromise, so it's important to stay aware of the basics around mobile security,' he added. There are many options for a phone, from flip phones to smartphones. Athwal said, 'If you're thinking about getting [a burner phone], just check what features you need. Some come with WhatsApp or a basic web browser, and some don't. And make sure it works with your phone company and/or network.' He added, 'It's not about being secretive. For most people, it's just about life being less busy.' The Most Annyoing Thing Partners Do Right Before Bed That Is Ruining Relationships More And More People Are Switching To 'Dumbphones' — Here's Why The Tiny Tech Purchase That Made My Life 1,000 Times Easier
The Spinoff
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
The trouble with all these celebrity travel shows in New Zealand
Why are we watching so many overseas travel documentaries about a place we already live in? Only 3.2% of The Spinoff's readership supports us financially. We need to grow that to 4% this year to keep creating the work you love. Sign up to be a member today. Conan O'Brien is standing in front of a large statue of a donut in the small Canterbury town of Springfield. Apart from the giant pink cake behind him, it's an otherwise unremarkable moment, until O'Brien is approached by a man holding a plate of crepes and a pair of blue snorkelling flippers. O'Brien doesn't flinch. 'I'm a big fan,' the stranger says, explaining that he grabbed the two items closest to him as soon as he unexpectedly laid eyes on the American comedian. 'Thank you for sharing your C+ pancakes with me,' O'Brien replies, his mouth still full as he theatrically wipes his greasy hands on the stranger's jacket. It's not your typical New Zealand tourist experience, but it's one of the more delightful moments from Conan O'Brien Must Go, the travel series that sees O'Brien roam the world to meet his fans. In the latest episode, O'Brien is lured to our shores by Riley, a fan from Hokitika who reveals on O'Brien's podcast that he lives in a container house and poops into a bucket. 'It's a journey that would bring me to the brink of madness,' O'Brien tells us, as we watch him dramatically hack his way through New Zealand's thick native bush. Conan O'Brien Must Go mixes comedy with sightseeing, as O'Brien meets Taika Waititi ('as required by the government'), learns how to be 'skux' from comedian Abby Howells, and even pops up on Shortland Street. As is also required by the New Zealand government, there's a bit about how much we love sheep, and O'Brien even enjoys a coffee with his namesake, Rotorua councillor Conan O'Brien. It's an especially funny and charming episode, with the self-deprecating comedian happy to be laughed at while he points out the quirks of a tiny country plonked at the end of the world. But O'Brien is far from the the first celebrity to enjoy a light-hearted romp around Aotearoa recently. A steady stream of famous folk have turned up here to make a TV show, like reality TV judges Colin Fasnidge and Manu Fiedel, currently hauling a caravan around the country in Colin and Manu: Off the Grid (TVNZ+). Before them, actor Miriam Margolyes farted her way across the motu in Miriam Margolyes in New Zealand (Neon), while Location Location Location's Phil Spencer returned this year to film a second season of the top-rating Phil Spencer: New Zealand's Best Homes (TVNZ+). But wait, there's more. Fellow British TV presenter George Clarke also toured the country to film the upcoming Homes In the Wild (Neon), and Hoff Roading, the much-delayed New Zealand travel-comedy series featuring David Hasselhoff and Rhys Darby, will screen later this year. Essentially, we bloody love it when famous people come here and point at our stuff. 'He loves New Zealand as much as we love him,' the NZ Herald gushed during The Hoff's visit, while copious media coverage was given to Hollywood actor Jason Momoa's astonishing nationwide tour. We thrive on any attention from foreign celebs, we go wild when celebrities have small-town beef, we turn unruly tourist hijinks into operas. Let's face it: New Zealanders never feel more validated than when a celebrity likes our pies. These photogenic travel shows must also be a dream come true for Tourism New Zealand, given they'll inspire rich tourists around the world to come and channel their inner Miriam Margolyes, breaking wind from Cape Reinga to Rakiura. But amid those crepe plates and giant donuts, we're being served up a lot of travel shows about a place we already live in – and at a time when record numbers of New Zealanders are leaving the country. Are we being gaslit about how good things are here, and why are we leaving these shows of discovery and exploration to people who don't even know us? Where are more of the insightful homegrown shows that tell the unique, dynamic stories of our everyday lives, like Whakaata Māori's beautiful Homesteads or Neon's heartwarming Shepherdess? Remember those classic docu-series like Off The Rails and Heartland, which took us into communities around the country and revealed us to be a surprising and complex nation? Guy Williams' satirical New Zealand Today celebrates the eccentricities of small town New Zealand, but there's still so much more room for local shows that take us far beyond what the tourism industry wants people to see. Shows like Conan O'Brien Must Go give viewers a taste of New Zealand, but they barely scratch the surface of who we really are. There's only so many times you can see a sweeping shot of Queenstown's mountains or hear a French chef say how beautiful our country is, before you start to wonder if that's all there is. As the nature of television changes and it becomes more and more challenging to make our own dramas, comedies and documentaries, these endless celebrity travel series beg an important question: are we now destined to only see ourselves on screen through someone else's lens?
Express Tribune
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Conan O'Brien joins ‘Toy Story 5' as new character Smarty Pants
Conan O'Brien has officially joined the cast of Toy Story 5, Disney and Pixar revealed during their Consumer Products presentation at the Disney Licensing Expo. The veteran comedian and talk show host will voice a new character named 'Smarty Pants,' though further details about the role remain under wraps. Set for theatrical release on June 19, 2026, Toy Story 5 marks the return of beloved characters like Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie, while also introducing new voices and storylines. The film's plot centers on a clash between classic toys and modern tech gadgets, exploring how traditional playthings adapt in a world dominated by electronics. The upcoming installment will be directed by Finding Nemo and WALL-E filmmaker Andrew Stanton, with McKenna Harris serving as co-director. Jessica Choi is producing, and Pete Docter will executive produce. In addition to O'Brien, the voice cast includes Ernie Hudson, who will take over the role of Combat Carl previously voiced by the late Carl Weathers, and Anna Faris in a mystery role. Franchise staples Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack are expected to return as Woody, Buzz, and Jessie, respectively. Conan O'Brien is currently the host of HBO Max's Conan O'Brien Must Go, now heading into its third season. He recently garnered acclaim for hosting the 2025 Oscars and will return to host next year's ceremony. His upcoming film project, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, premiered at Sundance to critical praise.
