Conan O’Brien Steering ‘Away’ from Normal ‘Antics’ During Oscars Hosting Gig After Losing Parents

Conan O’Brien had his world turned upside down after both his parents died just three days apart in December 2024, and a source exclusively tells Closer that he’s taking his Oscars hosting duty seriously and steering “away” from his usual “antics.”

“Conan has a bunch of siblings that he’s still very close to, so he hasn’t had to go through this tragedy alone,” sources say. “But the timing of his parents’ deaths was a complete shock and it happened right as things were creatively coming together for him with his upcoming debut turn as Oscar host.”

Conan, 61, lost his parents, Ruth Reardon O’Brien and Dr. Thomas Francis O’Brien, in December 2024, who passed away just three days apart after more than 66 years of marriage. Dr. O’Brien passed on December 9, 2024, at the age of 95, and his wife, Ruth, “peacefully” followed on December 12, 2024, at the age of 92.

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Devastation continued to strike in Conan’s life as he was one of the thousands of Los Angeles residents who had to evacuate when the Palisades and Eaton fires struck Southern California in early January.

“It’s crazy how things work because shortly after his mom and dad passed, Conan had to take in the devastation of the L.A. wildfires,” the insider explains. “The reality has set in that this will be a very different Oscar ceremony than in years past.”

The insider reveals that Conan’s mission as the 2025 Oscars host is to create “a love letter to the people of Los Angeles,” which has been his permanent home for the last 16 years.

“Conan and his family have been evacuated since the fires. He’s pouring the stress of the situation into the Oscars job,” the source continues. “Conan is the lead writer on the show this year as well and he’s steering the comedy away from his usual over-the-top antics and into something really different and emotional.”

While the academy has had to deal with “large scales tragedies” like 9/11 or the pandemic in the past, fans will be “surprised” by how the TV host executes his role as the Oscars host.

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“With Conan they have a seasoned leader who has just gone through a devastating personal tragedy as well, and he’s going to deliver the goods as a tribute to the parents he just lost and the homes and lives lost by his family’s neighbors in L.A,” the inside explains. “It’s a huge moment for Conan and he’s going to have to walk a tightrope because of these sensitive issues, but he’s up to the challenge and has the support system around him to actually pull this off and make the show one for the history books!”

Conan previously teased that he and the academy planned to present the show in a way that would “respect the moment.”

“What I’m saying to my writers is, ‘don’t — let’s not decide now what’s going to be on the show. Let’s think of lots of different ideas, lots of different approaches,” he told On The Red Carpet on January 24. “And as we get closer to the night, I think, I have, I can read a room and I can, when I say read a room, I don’t just mean it can’t be just that room … It’s global. So what is the room? Read that room.”