‘Conan’ Writer Mike Sweeney: Mark Twain Prize, Oscars, and ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’

Mike Sweeney started writing for Conan O’Brien 30 years ago and has been right there by his side ever since. His work has fueled not only the host’s two big late-night shows—with a tumultuous stint on the ‘Tonight Show’ in between—but also his recent gig hosting the Oscars and his newest project, the travel show ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go,’ which arrives Thursday, May 8 on Max. In this episode, Sweeney discusses this particularly momentous time in O’Brien’s career, including how Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center threatened to derail his acceptance of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (streaming Sunday, May 4 on Netflix). Instead, like with so much of their other work together, Sweeney and O’Brien found a way to marry a hopeful outlook on the world with deeply silly jokes.  Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein  Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices