Conan O’Brien recovering from shock family tragedy as he prepares to host Oscars 2025

Conan O’Brien, a late-night talk show host for the 97th Academy Awards, will be hosting the Oscars for the first time just days after a personal tragedy, which will take place on Sunday in Los Angeles.

The comedian, 61, sadly lost both of his parents in December of last year for three days. His father, Dr Thomas O’Brien, died on December 9 at the age of 95, while his 92 year old mother, Ruth Reardon O’Brien, passed away three days later at her home in Massachusetts. Her obituary read: “O’Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O’Brien, M. D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024”.

In a heartfelt Boston Globe interview the same day, Conan defended his father, saying, “Science has said there’s no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong.

He recalled his father’s laughter as the loudest he’d ever heard, especially after seeing Peter Sellers in a Pink Panther film, and said, “For the rest of my time on earth, I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad.” I’ve never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father. If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, I’d think: ‘ Who the hell is this guy? He’s the most interesting person I’ve ever met'”.

Conan previously made up a hilarious story about his mother not recognising Jim Carrey at a Christmas party. Conan stated on Ryan Tubridy’s Virgin Radio show in 2024, “Years and years ago, I had a Christmas party at my house. You know, Jim Carrey was coming off of his fourth major hit movie at the height of his mania. “Everywhere Jim Carrey went, there was a riot,” he said.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother having a long chat with Jim Carrey, and I got nervous. When the party was over, I said: ‘ Mom, what were you talking to that man about? ‘ And she said: ‘ Oh… he told me that he’s a comedian, and I told him: ‘ Well my son’s had his difficulties but he just keeps at it, and eventually made it. So if you just keep at it Jim, you’re gonna make it too’. And I said to her, “Mom, I want you to go home to Boston and tell everyone you told Jim Carrey to keep at it”!

Conan’s parents married in 1958, and dad Thomas trained at Harvard Medical School, becoming the institution’s first director of the infectious diseases division. Before he retired in 2019, at the age of 90, he worked as a doctor and professor for more than 60 years.

Ruth Conan’s mother, one of only four women, was a member of Conan’s mother’s Yale Law School legal team, joining the Boston firm where she previously worked as a partner. The couple had six children including Conan, along with Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke.

Conan took over as Late Night’s host in 1993 after beginning his writing career for programs like Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. Jimmy Kimmel will take over the Emmy Awards and MTV Movie Awards as host of the Oscars on Sunday, replacing him with Jimmy Kimmel, who did so in 2024.

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Source: Mirror