Conan O’Brien will address politics ‘with humor’ as Oscars host: ‘It’s threading a needle’

Conan O’Brien is grateful late night hosts are in their nice era. As the comedian prepares to host the Oscars for the first time on Sunday, he gave a nice shout-out to his predecessor, Jimmy Kimmel, for talking with him ahead of the gig.

“One of the first contacts I had was from Jimmy Kimmel and his wife, Molly, who’ve done a beautiful job with this show and they reached out to me,” the comedian and former Tonight Show host said at an Oscars press conference on Tuesday. Kimmel has hosted the Oscars four times, including the previous two years.

“They could not have been lovelier to me,” O’Brien said of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host and his writer-producer wife. “They have been very supportive and very helpful, so that’s nice because I came up in a different era of late night when not everybody was chummy and friendly and you didn’t just pick up the phone. So this new era where people are so lovely to each other is something I don’t take for granted.”

O’Brien also revealed the other person in his comedian community who offered support: Billy Crystal.

“I’ve spoken with Billy Crystal, who I think is the all-time great and mastered the hosting of the Oscars, in my opinion,” he said. “Defined it. And will always be at the top, I think.”

The Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast host said it “has been a really lovely experience” preparing for the 97th Oscars, which will honor Los Angeles after the January wildfires.

“It’s been a thrill,” O’Brien said, shouting out the creative team who he added have made him feel welcomed.

“It’s like for the first time getting to drive a Ferrari,” he said.

O’Brien has clearly been test driving some political material. He was asked by a New York Times reporter if he will address this “fraught political moment in America,” a theme some of this year’s nominated films touch on.

“My philosophy on this is, as the host, is that I’m the spokesperson, in a way. I’m the person who is sitting in for anyone who’s watching at home. If something happens that seems off or funny or strange, I should comment on it,” O’Brien replied.

“I think as host, I cannot ignore the moment we’re in. But I also have to remember, it’s threading a needle. I also have to remember what we’re here to celebrate and infuse the show with positivity, and also shine a light on all these people that’ve worked incredibly hard,” he continued. “Not just A-list celebrities, but people you never see — craftsmen and craftspeople that work hard and have spent years making the films.”

O’Brien said he wants “to make sure that we address where we are in this moment, on March 2.”

“But I do it with humor and that I also make sure that the night doesn’t drift into only about [politics]. Because I think that’s robbing people of something — beautiful, hard work, that they’ve done,” he explained. “So, it’s a difficult line to walk. But I’m determined to figure it out.”

The 97th Oscars air live on March 2 at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu.

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