After 14 years away from NBC, Conan O’Brien returned to the Late Night stage in a new episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, bringing a mix of sharp wit and heartfelt nostalgia.

Sitting beside Seth Meyers — now hosting the very stage Conan called home for 16 years — he opened with a playful line: “It’s like coming back to your old apartment and finding it’s all been replaced with IKEA furniture.”

Height and Mistaken Encounters
Conan joked that audiences are always surprised by his 6’4” stature. “People at the airport will say, ‘Wow, you’re taller than I thought,’” he laughed. Some don’t even remember his name, identifying him only by his towering frame and signature red hair.

The Airport and the “TSA” T-Shirt
Once, at an airport, a man in a “TSA” shirt stopped him for a selfie. It turned out the shirt didn’t stand for the Transportation Security Administration but for “Tom’s Sandwiches of America.” “He kept holding up his phone while I was still in the scanner. Only in America,” Conan recalled.

Podcast Success and Real Conversations
Since stepping away from late-night television, Conan has found success with his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, which draws millions of listeners. The biggest reward, he says, is the chance to have deep, unhurried conversations — something television rarely allows.

A Memorable Moment with Prince
Conan fondly recounted a rare backstage encounter with Prince. “I just managed to say, ‘Hello,’ and he replied with a look that made me… not want to say anything else,” he said with a grin.

His Late Night return proved that Conan O’Brien’s charm and self-deprecating humor remain intact. Even off the nightly stage, he still knows how to make an audience laugh like he never left.