Conan O’Brien Gets “Dumb” Oscar Hosting Tips from Jimmy Kimmel
In a hilarious exchange on *Jimmy Kimmel Live*, Conan O’Brien spilled the beans on the quirky hosting advice he received from the late-night legend himself, Jimmy Kimmel, ahead of O’Brien’s gig at the Oscars this Sunday. The toast of Hollywood is turning to Kimmel, who boasts four Oscar hosting stints under his belt, for some last-minute wisdom. Yet, O’Brien playfully dubbed Kimmel’s pearls of wisdom “dumb tips” during their chat. “If you can do the joke sitting down, do them sitting down,” Kimmel insisted, seemingly channeling his inner Franklin D. Roosevelt. Kimmel’s obsession with sitting might stem from his own hosting experience but, let’s keep it real—can anyone picture the iconic Conan merely lounging while delivering punchlines?
But not all advice was a wash. O’Brien had nothing but praise for Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, noting that her tips were “specific” and on point—presumably lacking the silliness of Kimmel’s culinary suggestions, which leaned heavily on appetizer ordering. With a stage as massive as the Oscars, O’Brien’s humor radar needs to be spot on, and it sounds like he’s got the right balance of advice headed into the big night.
As Kimmel and O’Brien bantered about movie-watching habits, O’Brien claimed he’d seen all 35 nominated films—a declaration followed by a nervous glance at the camera, which only begs the question of how many viewers out there are guilty of a similar fib. Kimmel confessed to skipping the ones he deemed had “no chance”—classic Oscar move, right? With the Oscars expanding categories to include a whopping 110 nominations this year, catching every flick can seem like an Olympic sport.
So while Kimmel lined up his sage yet stationary tips for O’Brien, Hollywood’s newest host is gearing up for the spotlight, armed with critical—and decidedly non-dumb—advice from McNearney. Tune in this Sunday on ABC for what promises to be a memorable night filled with fashion, emotion, and some candid behind-the-scenes chats between two of comedy’s finest.
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and Entertainment Weekly, PEOPLE magazine, Deadline
