Conan O’Brien Laughs Off ‘Death’ Joke in Hacks: You Won’t Believe His Reaction!

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In the fourth season of the show Hacks, Conan O’Brien is referenced, and following Jimmy Kimmel’s comment “Conan died” in HBO Max’s Emmy-winning comedy, the ex-talk show host-turned-podcaster shares his thoughts. The narrative of Hacks season 4 touches on a personal topic for Conan, as Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) now hosts her own late-night talk show, with Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) serving as head writer. The portrayal of late night in Hacks holds similarities to Conan’s brief tenure hosting The Tonight Show.

In a recent appearance on Conan O’Brien’s podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” Paul W. Downs – executive producer, co-showrunner, and star of Hacks – talked about an improvised joke by Jimmy Kimmel in season 4, episode 5, titled “Clickable Face.” During their conversation, Downs revealed that Kimmel came up with the joke on his own. Conan was thrilled about his fictional demise in Hacks and shared with Downs why he found the joke so amusing. Below, you’ll find O’Brien’s statement and the video for your viewing pleasure:

[The quote and video are provided here]

In this part, there’s a humorous moment when… (laughs) It’s quite amusing and nonsensical. Deborah is attempting to poach a guest who was supposed to be on Kimmel, and Kimmel counters her by saying, “Hey, I claim this guest. You can’t have this guest.” She’s aiming to secure Kristen Bell for her show, but Jimmy Kimmel objects and says, “You won’t get Kristen Bell because she always appears on my show… I claimed her as a guest after Conan ended his show.

What really captivated me was the fact that it was accepted without question. It’s as if everyone simply said, “I understand why she feels this way now that Conan is gone.” And it’s funny because nobody challenges this understanding, and I’m chuckling at the shared acceptance.

What Hacks Meant By “Conan Died”

Conan Thinks He’s Dead In Hacks’ Universe

In the spirit of Jimmy Kimmel’s witty humor when he joked about Conan dying, it’s equally amusing to see Conan O’Brien interpreting his death literally in the world of Hacks. Conan assumed that Hacks had written him off, but fortunately, he is not actually dead according to Paul W. Downs and the show’s executive producers, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, as they clarified during their post-show discussion, Hacks Bit by Bit.

Sona Movsesian, an assistant of Conan, seemed to understand the humor behind Jimmy Kimmel’s remark better than O’Brien: “‘Conan is dead if he doesn’t have a talk show.’” In 2021, after 28 years in late-night television, Conan stepped down to focus on his successful podcast and other ventures such as hosting the Academy Awards and his travel series called Conan O’Brien Must Go. Nevertheless, Paul W. Downs hinted that there are plans for Conan to appear as a guest star in season 5 of the HBO show, “Hacks.

Our Take On Hacks’ Conan O’Brien Joke

Hopefully, Conan Appears In Hacks Season 5

One of the most humorously surprising lines in season 4 of Hacks was when Jimmy Kimmel said, “Conan died,” because it was so unexpected. Conan O’Brien’s influence on late-night television is a significant part of Deborah Vance’s storyline in Hacks season 4, as Paul W. Downs mentioned during an interview on Conan’s podcast. It’s quite fitting that Conan was mentioned and Jimmy Kimmel’s jab was laugh-out-loud funny because Conan humorously poked fun at his own ‘demotion’ from late-night host to podcaster in the opening credits of Conan O’Brien Must Go, which is narrated by Werner Herzog.

In a recent statement, Conan expressed his readiness to assume any character in the series “Hacks,” even one working at the craft services. However, it seems likely that “Hacks” would prefer O’Brien to portray himself, much like he has done in other TV comedies such as “30 Rock.” It appears that Conan O’Brien and the creators of “Hacks” are equally fond of each other. Here’s hoping that “Hacks” invites Conan O’Brien onto the show in season 5, if only to definitively establish his presence within Deborah Vance’s television world.

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2025-05-28 00:39