Conan O’Brien Regrets ‘Being So Intense’ at ‘SNL’ and Burning Out in Three Years: ‘I Robbed Myself of Fun’ and ‘Could’ve Written There Longer’

Conan O’Brien welcomed Tom Hanks onto the latest episode of the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast and told the Oscar winner about one of his biggest career regrets: Being way too intense during his brief stint as a writer on “Saturday Night Live.” O’Brien worked at “SNL” for three years from 1988 to 1991 before he jumped ship to write and produce “The Simpsons.”

“People always say no regrets,” O’Brien said. “I regret being so intense about that job. Yeah. I was way too intense, and I think I robbed myself of some fun that I could have had. I did have a lot of fun, but I think I could have had more fun. And I think I could have maybe written there a little longer if I didn’t make it such a grind for myself.”

More from Variety

• Chappell Roan 'Gets the Job Done,' Debuting New Lesbian Country Song 'The Giver' on 'Saturday Night Live'

• 'Weekend Update' Mocks Trump's X-Rated Microphone Motion, 'Island of Garbage' Backlash

• Pete Davidson Returns to 'SNL' for John Mulaney Musical Parody of 'Hamilton,' Timothée Chalamet Look-Alike Contest and More

“I burnt out. I burnt out. And [Lorne Michaels] could not have been nicer,” O’Brien added about his “SNL” experience. “This was a couple years before he contacted me about the late night show. But I was burnt out and I was like, ‘I’ve got to go,’ and that’s when I went to ‘The Simpsons.'”

But O’Brien’s time at “The Simpsons” also did not last long as Michaels called him with an offer to host “Late Night” starting in 1993 after David Letterman stepped down. O’Brien took the offer and became one of late night television’s biggest stables for over a decade. He hosted “Late Night” from 1993 to 2009.

“The thing that Lorne does that’s brilliant that doesn’t exist anywhere else, I’d only worked about three years in television before that, but no one had let me near anything,” O’Brien said. “You get to ‘SNL,’ you write a sketch, and Steve Martin’s gonna be in it. And Lorne says, ‘Well go in and tell Steve how it should be done and what you’re thinking, and then go and talk to the props people about how the restaurant should look.’ And I thought, ‘I’m 26, I’ve never been to a restaurant! I don’t know.'”

Watch O’Brien and Hanks discuss “SNL” on the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast in the video below.

Best of Variety

• New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 

• What's Coming to Netflix in November 2024

• The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Al Pacino to Lisa Marie Presley

Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.