Timothy Olyphant Hijacked Conan O'Brien's Podcast

By Andrew Sanford | TV | January 23, 2023 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | January 23, 2023 |

Over the years, late-night hosts have had favorites or regulars. They are guests who come on, have fantastic chemistry with the host, and deliver a fun, memorable show every time. Carson had Don Rickles. Letterman had Regis Philbin. Conan O’Brien has Timothy Olyphant. The two are real friends, which adds an extra buzz. Tim’s appearances have been made even better by the fact that he likes to cause a little chaos whenever he arrives.

Olyphant’s hectic energy was on full display in the newest episode of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend. Conan usually kicks off the podcast by chatting with his co-hosts, Matt Gourley and Sona Movsessian. For the latest episode, there was no Matt or Sona. There wasn’t even a Conan! Olyphant sat with Conan’s engineers and delivered his own opening to the show. It’s got all the Olyphant sarcasm and charm you’ve come to expect, and also fun late-night stories.

Late-night hosts need guests like Timothy Olyphant. They can’t be guests all the time, and not every guest can have the same chemistry; then you’re just watching someone talk to their friends over and over again. What’s the point? I love guests like this, but it’s far more impressive when a host can squeeze an interview out of an actor they’ve never met who made a TV show they’ll never watch. Then, every now and then, someone like Olyphant drops in to shake things up.