Conan O'Brien

When you're on a GLP1, you often experience a smaller appetite. That means for GLP1 users, every bite of food should be as nutritious and delicious as possible. And that's where Sprouts Farmers market comes in. I knew they'd come in somewhere and I guess now's where they come in. From nutrient dense foods to proteins to supplements that help sustain muscle mass and energy levels, Sprouts has you covered. And with in store wellness experts available, guidance is always within reach for any GLP1 journey or broader health goals. Visit sprouts.com to find a Sprouts market near you. Have you got an ass? Then Duluth Trading Company is for you. I'm just reading what they wrote, folks. For decades, Duluth has been making workwear for harder workers. You got an ass, Sona?

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, I do.

Conan O'Brien

Well, Duluth companies for you. From highly abrasion resistant pants to heat beating work shirts, Duluth empowers you to take on life with your own two hands, ready to bolster your nether regions. What the hell? Duluth's buck naked unders are the no pinch, no stink, no sweat solution when your junk drawer is on life support. Oh, God. They went too far. They went too far.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, and you read it. You read it all. Didn't even ask any questions and I

Conan O'Brien

just blacked out and just came out of my mouth. So you do your glutes a favor. Shop at a Duluth trading store near you or@duluth.duluthtrading.com Duluth Trading for Folks who work their butts off.

Molly Shannon

Hi, my name is Molly Shannon, and I feel proud and cool to be Conan o' Brien's fan.

Sonam (Sona)

Whoa.

Conan O'Brien

Okay. No, you're not. I don't think I generate a cool vibe, but.

Molly Shannon

Yes, you do. Really? Oh, yeah, of course. Are you kidding? The coolest

Conan O'Brien

fall is here. Here they back to school, ring the bell brand new shoes Walking loose climb

Sonam (Sona)

the fence books and pens I can

Conan O'Brien

tell that we are gonna be friends Yes, I can tell that we are gonna be friends hey there. Welcome to Conan o' Brien needs a friend. I'm joined by sonam of session. Hello and of course, Mr. Gourley. How are you, sir?

Matt Gourley

I'm well. How are you?

Conan O'Brien

I'm really good. Although we did discover recently that the chair I'm in makes noises.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, it does.

Conan O'Brien

Are we going to oil this chair? What's going on?

Sonam (Sona)

I am not the person.

Conan O'Brien

Did we find out what's wrong with this chair?

Matt Gourley

I'm actually.

Conan O'Brien

I will say Jason Schlemmi and I

Matt Gourley

are ahead of the game.

Conan O'Brien

We already Switched that chair out for you. So this is a new chair that doesn't make noise. I just interviewed a very famous celebrity.

Matt Gourley

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

And while I was talking to him, I heard.

Molly Shannon

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

We all thought it was a. It sounded like a very old Jimmy Stewart at an auction. Oh, God, Rachel Barter. But it was. What was going on? Who would allow a chair like that to even be in this room? Well, we're not exactly. We don't test the chairs every day beforehand. That's why you didn't get that job at NASA. We don't test the rocket.

Sonam (Sona)

That's why we didn't test.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah, I mean, we kind of operate in. In this studio, we kind of operate on a. Oh, when it breaks, then we fix it. Yeah. Just being ahead of the game, we kind of wait for something bad. I don't know, I. You just looped Eduardo into your failure.

Matt Gourley

Oh, no.

Conan O'Brien

And. Okay, fine. And that's not. No, no, I go by that. Yeah, let's just make sure we have the proper equipment. Everyone looked at the clock to see how much more time we have during this segment.

Matt Gourley

When I started speaking, by the way. Yeah. I don't just mark when to rap. I wasn't.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, I see.

Conan O'Brien

A judgment call.

Matt Gourley

Blay, I like you and I appreciate it.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, I didn't look.

Conan O'Brien

I don't look at the clock. I just look for something that I can hurt myself with.

Sonam (Sona)

Just made it so awkward. Yeah, like we want you to just stop talking. Yeah, but we tell you that. But everybody just looked at the clock about it.

Conan O'Brien

No, no, Literally, look, as soon as I started speaking, everyone looked at the clock. No, they didn't. I didn't look at the clock.

Sonam (Sona)

You did.

Conan O'Brien

You all looked over there.

Sonam (Sona)

This is on video.

Matt Gourley

Keeper of the time. That's my job. It's nothing personal.

Conan O'Brien

Okay, but now.

Matt Gourley

Now you've talked a lot.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, okay, now I'm looking at the clock a lot.

Conan O'Brien

Apologize. Your chair is fixed. It's fixed. But it did make a big noise and it was a big problem. Another big problem that needs to be fixed right over there. I'm sorry, you're saying that this institution

Matt Gourley

is literally not a well oiled machine?

Molly Shannon

Exactly.

Conan O'Brien

It is not. We had a topic and then we went down this primrose path. Sorry, what were we talking about? I can't remember. Why don't we just start over? No, no, this is fine.

Sonam (Sona)

Just.

Conan O'Brien

Will you not shut up? When did you decide, Blade? When did you decide that you needed to steer the podcast left and right? I got this. I got this. What a madman.

Matt Gourley

Leave the man alone. He does a lot here. I'm.

Conan O'Brien

I know he does a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sort of the Unabomber. Okay, so we had. I'm talking to you now, Matt. Let's see if interjectee can just settle down for a second. What about me? You're good. Okay, we'll get to you. We had a topic that we agreed on before we started.

Matt Gourley

We're going to talk about the fact that Sona's sons have learned to swim.

Conan O'Brien

Oh my God. That was the topic. Full disclosure, we sat around for four topics.

Matt Gourley

We trying to think of something that

Conan O'Brien

was the topic that made us say alleluia. She brought it up. And you went. Okay, let's.

Molly Shannon

I know you did.

Sonam (Sona)

I just was saying it.

Molly Shannon

You proved it.

Conan O'Brien

Wow. You know what's looking tempting right now? Blay's multi volume discussion of squeaking chairs, part four, chapter one. But. Okay, so let's commit to this and see if there's something there.

Sonam (Sona)

Okay.

Conan O'Brien

So Sona, word on the street is that your twin sons learn to swim.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah. Charlie and Mikey can swim now.

Conan O'Brien

Okay.

Sonam (Sona)

And no floaties needed, baby.

Conan O'Brien

What was the process?

Sonam (Sona)

They went to classes and had an instructor, one on one, and they taught them what to do and they. They did it.

Conan O'Brien

Wow. Well, that's a good story.

Matt Gourley

I've got a story.

Conan O'Brien

No, but I have one too.

Sonam (Sona)

I wanna, I do.

Conan O'Brien

You wanna hear about how I learned to swim?

Sonam (Sona)

That's what I was gonna say. I wanna learn how you. You learned.

Conan O'Brien

Let me show you how you tell a story about swimming. We went, they made a promise that the swimming would be learned, it was learned and all was done. No conflict then. No conflict, no plot point. And then everyone was happy. And then long credits, 40 minute credits.

Sonam (Sona)

We did have a little bit of a conflict. Oh, good.

Molly Shannon

This is how.

Matt Gourley

You didn't want to lead with that.

Sonam (Sona)

They were learning how to swim in this one pool and then they thought they could only swim in that one pool.

Conan O'Brien

Oh, you took them someplace else.

Sonam (Sona)

When I took them home or we took them to another pool, they were like, this is not the pool we swim in.

Matt Gourley

They took site specific swimming lessons.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah, yeah.

Matt Gourley

Okay.

Conan O'Brien

It only works in that one pool. I can understand that. That's sweet. When I was a little kid growing up, and I think I've mentioned this before, we didn't have a summer house or anything, but we would stay at my grandfather's summer cottage. He had a small house near the state beach in Misquamicut, Rhode Island. And so all of us, the giant o' Brien clan, would cram into my grandparents house. And that was our favorite thing. We'd go there for like a month in August and we would go down to the beach and it was time for us to learn swimming, how to swim. And my mother signed us up for Red Cross classes that they taught in this marshy area that was near the state beach. You know, not the most appetizing body of water. It was like a salt marsh. This is where you're gonna learn to see. Yeah. And you'd like climb through some tall reeds, maybe be attacked by a cr. And you know, it had that boggy smell, methane y smell. But anyway, we'd all gather. Of course, my mother, I would burn constantly and so she would just put white T shirts on us, which we now know just attracts more sun. And I would get giant blisters on my back.

Sonam (Sona)

I'm just picturing these little red children.

Conan O'Brien

No, I was so walking into a swamp. I was so red. I don't even think they had come out with sunblock yet. This is, you know, the early 1970s. So she put, I think she just put mayonnaise on our faces. And then I'd be attacked by these advertising for the animals. Yeah, attacked by these marsh animals. So I'm sitting there like cross legged. And this woman would lecture us and then she would say whose turn it was to go in. And the first thing she wanted us to learn was how to float on our back. And I remember she would always read through all our names and we had to say presentation. But she would always say the same thing. She would go, Conan o'. Brien. C o N o N. Conan o'. Brien. And then on the ride home, my brother Neil would go, Conan o'.

Molly Shannon

Brien.

Conan O'Brien

Conan o'.

Sonam (Sona)

Brien.

Conan O'Brien

And I would sit there burning, like shivering. Cause you get like blisters and then you're shivering and covered in just like a methane y bog smell. And still, like some kind of marsh bird still nestled in my shirt. And that was my traumatic introduction. But I do thank the Red Cross for teaching me how to float on my back, which I can do to this day. Which I can do to this day. And yes, you have a story.

Matt Gourley

Oh, well, a year ago when we hired a swimming instructor for my daughter Glenn. And so this is the first time she's coming over. We've never met her. She's a wonderful young woman. Comes over, gets out of her day clothes into a leopard print one piece. Very attractive young woman.

Conan O'Brien

Wow.

Matt Gourley

Sits there. None of us have entered the backyard yet. And she's just sitting there in the pool. Turns out she's in our neighbor's pool. And the mother of the neighbors comes out and it's like, what is this woman?

Conan O'Brien

She went to the wrong house.

Matt Gourley

She went to the wrong house.

Conan O'Brien

What is this?

Matt Gourley

Is my husband having an affair? What is this woman in a leopard print bathing suit doing in our pool? And she came over. She figured it out and came over. She's like, I'm so sorry. I just went to your neighbors and the wife was there and she thought maybe I was having an affair or something.

Conan O'Brien

Can I just say, this is the excuse I use every time Liza catches me cheating. Every time. Who's this bikini'd bimbo in our backyard swimming structure who mistakenly came to our home? I say that every time. And Liza goes, yeah.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, my gosh.

Conan O'Brien

So how did the lessons go?

Matt Gourley

Fine.

Conan O'Brien

After that. Okay.

Matt Gourley

And she and I are very close now.

Conan O'Brien

I bet you are. Listen, the important thing is it started off with us not knowing what to say. And Blay, you did try to help, and I appreciate that. You know, you stumbled and bumbled as most large forest bears do. Yes, I'm sorry. But you did help. You got us. And then I think my anger towards you caused me to come up suddenly. Remember this story?

Sonam (Sona)

Or maybe it was me prompting you guys with some good premise.

Matt Gourley

It could have been. But don't we always say, let's just go, we'll figure it out?

Conan O'Brien

But also, it was Sona's inability to tell a good story that I think at a panic, I rose to the occasion. And then you rose to the occasion. So, Sony, you help too.

Sonam (Sona)

You're welcome.

Conan O'Brien

All right, my guest today is a hilarious actress who was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Now you can see her alongside Will Ferrell in the new Netflix comedy series the Hawk. This woman is one of my all time favorite human beings, and I'm thrilled she's back on the podcast. Molly Shann. Welcome. Molly, listen, I've known you a long time. You're going to listen to me now. I don't know if I said listen. Listen here. I've known you a long. Now you listen to me. I'm a huge admirer of yours. You have the best energy. Molly just walked into this building and just made everybody happy.

Sonam (Sona)

Sunshine. It's sunshine.

Conan O'Brien

But that's the effect you have on people. You were talking to everyone. You were talking about how much you loved the building. You were hugging. You were hugging our booker, Paula Davis.

Sonam (Sona)

I got a hug.

Molly Shannon

Aw, yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Even you got a hug.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, even you. Come on.

Conan O'Brien

I always feel like we have. Oh, here's your coffee.

Molly Shannon

Oh, my gosh.

Conan O'Brien

Let's have this coffee. Come in. Thank you very much, Maddie.

Molly Shannon

Thank you.

Conan O'Brien

And you're fired.

Molly Shannon

Thank you so much, Maddie.

Conan O'Brien

So I've always felt like a kinship with you, Molly. And I don't know if I'm correct in saying any of this, but we both are Irish stock. Catholic.

Molly Shannon

Yes. Irish Catholic.

Matt Gourley

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Okay. And I used to watch you over the years when I first was watching you on snl. And I would notice that you would just throw yourself around with absolute careless abandon, often into stacked chairs, classroom chairs, as Mary Kathleen Gallagher, you know. And at the time I remember thinking, well, those must be made of foam. And then I found out later, no, they're just the same chairs they use in a classroom, which are the most dangerous thing in the world you can throw yourself into.

Molly Shannon

Yeah, yeah.

Conan O'Brien

I would see you do that and I would think, oh, I too, if I think it will get a laugh. Will do something. Would throw myself into a pile of nails if I thought people would laugh.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

And I thought this Molly Shannon, I don't know, it's just always made me very curious about you. And I've always felt like we're quasi related. Is that possible?

Molly Shannon

I know it could be possible, but

Conan O'Brien

how, how, how Catholic were you growing up?

Molly Shannon

Very Catholic. My dad was really, you know. Yeah. We went to church all the time and he was very, I would say, very religious, you know? Yeah, yeah. He believed that you shouldn't have sex before marriage or you should put your marriage certificate above the bed like that type of Catholic.

Conan O'Brien

Oh my gosh.

Molly Shannon

Yeah, yeah. He fel. You shouldn't live with somebody before you were married. Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Well, that would be my parents as well.

Molly Shannon

Your parents too?

Conan O'Brien

Yeah.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. Interesting.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah. They were both very Catholic in almost a 19th century way. And they were both very smart, my parents. Both very smart people who lived in the modern world, but came from this 19th century idea, I think a little bit of how one should conduct oneself.

Molly Shannon

That's. I love that. Old fashioned values. I was gonna say. But regarding the Mary Kathryn stuff, I feel at that time I was much crazier and more reckless. And it felt a little bit like I didn't care. And I. I wouldn't even feel pain when I was doing it. I would feel nothing. I would feel it the next day, but I couldn't the next day does that. Isn't that like I wake up bruised and cut and I could not Feel it in the moment at all.

Conan O'Brien

My wife would always notice, like, I'm getting out of the shower, and I would just. My whole leg would be yellow and purple. And she'd say, what is that? And I'd go, huh? And then I'd remember, oh, right, we had a water buffalo on set and I jumped on it and I got thrown off of it. You know, I would remember these things. And it didn't hurt as much at the time because I was getting all the adrenaline of people laughing.

Molly Shannon

Exactly.

Conan O'Brien

Ha ha ha ha.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Orange man fell down.

Molly Shannon

And then you didn't even notice you were bruised and.

Conan O'Brien

No, you don't really think about that stuff. And then later on you'd notice this leg won't work.

Molly Shannon

Yeah, exactly.

Conan O'Brien

Just walking in circles.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Did you. I think you used to watch mass on television, because I remember that being a fixture when I was staying at my grandfather's house, he would have the mass on. My grandmother and grandfather would have the mass on television. And I remember being kind of fascinated by that because sometimes it was the only thing that came in. This is before cable, and you would just watch whatever came in. Like, oh, we're getting reception on this one channel. It's a Catholic mass. Let's check it out. It beats going outside and playing like other people.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. My sister Mary and I would watch the mass for shut ins, they called it. And we would count, and they would show people going up to communion, and we would.

Conan O'Brien

To get the wafer.

Molly Shannon

To get the wafer. We would guess how many people were wearing glasses. One, two, three.

Conan O'Brien

And so it was. I mean, today you were looking into the future. Cause today that's the kind of stuff people bet online about. You can make any kind of bet. And that's the kind of thing people would bet online about.

Molly Shannon

Now, my friend's son started polymarket.

Conan O'Brien

Oh, you're kidding.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

That must be going quite well.

Molly Shannon

Wisdom is the wisdom of the crowd, right?

Sonam (Sona)

Yes.

Molly Shannon

Yeah, I know, it's amazing. But I was gonna say, and then we would watch this other show called Davey and Goliath right after. Do you remember that?

Conan O'Brien

Of course I remember Davie and Goliath. It was Claymation. Yeah. And there was a boy named Davy and his dog was named Goliath. And Goliath would be like, I don't know, Davey, that doesn't sound like a good idea. And they were made, I think, by the Catholic archdiocese.

Molly Shannon

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

And they were little morality tales. And so it was always, you know, this claymation boy saying, I'm gonna Go over there and, you know, throw paint against that wall. I don't know, Davey. Oh, there they are. There's Davey and Goliath.

Molly Shannon

Why is that? That's so cool. Yeah, I love that show.

Conan O'Brien

So that show was weird. Some of the episodes were very strange.

Molly Shannon

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll have to go back and look at it, but I remember.

Conan O'Brien

Let me refresh your memory.

Molly Shannon

Okay.

Conan O'Brien

I'm glad you brought this up. There's one. My brother Neil and I howled for days about this. We were watching it, Davey. And the whole family's on a camping trip. And Davey finds this beautiful spring, like a little watering hole that all the animals are drinking at. And it's just beautiful. And Davey finds a can of red paint, and he pours it into the watering hole and says, look, I made a giant strawberry shake. Ha ha ha. And of course, the dog goes, I don't know, Davey. And then you see all the animals. Yeah, you see all the animals try to drink out of it, and they can't. Do they die. And I think they're going to die. And the father has a stern talk with Davey. And I thought, davey's a sociopath.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

That's amazing.

Sonam (Sona)

That's really messed up.

Conan O'Brien

I'm going to put plutonium in this water supply so no one in New York can have a drink of water, and anyone who does will die. I don't know, Davy. That's an act of terrorism. Anyway, I'm sorry. I went on a Jag there.

Molly Shannon

I love it. Wait, Conan. Do you. Are you, like. Do you consider yourself an extrovert? Extrovert? Or do you ever have time when you're not performing, like, not being bruised, waking up bruised, where you're just like, have to be quiet and just reading? Or are you.

Conan O'Brien

Well, I do like to read.

Molly Shannon

I'm just curious about that.

Conan O'Brien

It's a funny thing where I want to say you can be both. It's a weird thing, but you can be an insane extrovert, which I can be. And then there are other times where people come to the door and I just kind of want to stay in my room because you almost feel a shyness, like, I don't want to turn that guy on right now.

Molly Shannon

Yes, of course.

Conan O'Brien

I would say most of the time it's weird. You can be both. I'm guessing you're both.

Molly Shannon

I'm both. Jack Nicholson used to say when he would go out in public, he would have to be the mayor. You have to be the mayor. Oh, hello, everybody. You know, like, really. And I'M like, that's a good way to put it. Yes, I'm definitely both. I love being around people. I'm like you. And I get energy from people, but I can be by myself for hours and be completely entertained. Hiking and being quiet. Yeah. So I think I'm an extrovert. Introvert, maybe.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah, I think you can be both. Just spent a weekend and it was. My wife was out of town, and I just. It was me and my two dogs because my kids are both, you know, out of town. And I just spent my whole weekend either reading a book or walking with the dogs. And then I came in today, and I can't stop talking. I know.

Molly Shannon

That's amazing.

Conan O'Brien

And it's been a problem. They want to sedate me.

Sonam (Sona)

You've been alone.

Molly Shannon

So do you feel, like, giddy when you're by yourself with the dog's house? Like, I'm really happy myself.

Conan O'Brien

I'm really happy.

Molly Shannon

I can do whatever I want. And how long do you sit and read? How long can you if you have the luxury of time?

Conan O'Brien

Oh, I would read for hours if I could. You know, I mean, with breaks.

Molly Shannon

Yes, with breaks.

Conan O'Brien

Because. And I blame apps. Apps have shortened my reading time. But as long as I take a little break, I can read a lot. And I like it. It makes me really happy.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

I was at the airport. I was waiting in one of those long lines, and I kept saying, hey, let me through. I'm Conan o'. Brien. And they said, shut up. You'll wait in line. I went, okay, that's so sad. It's a really good story. But I was hungry. I didn't have a snack with me. You got to keep your. And I didn't want to lose my place in line and go try and find something.

Sonam (Sona)

I know.

Conan O'Brien

That's when you got to have nutrigrain on you.

Sonam (Sona)

You got to always have a snack in your bag. And when it's a nutrigrain, it's perfect.

Conan O'Brien

It's perfect because it's the right size. It's handy. It's also nutritious.

Molly Shannon

Okay.

Conan O'Brien

You can go anywhere. It's made with 10 grams of whole grains. 10 vitamins and minerals. These guys are obsessed with tens and no high fructose corn syrup. Nutri grain nourishes and it hits the spot with delicious flavors. They got strawberry, apple, cinnamon, blueberry flavors. I just had a blueberry back in the snack area.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

With a little bit of a glass of milk.

Sonam (Sona)

You earned it. Nice job.

Conan O'Brien

Nice job. Find nutritious and always Delicious Nutri Grain bars at your favorite store or online retailer today. And look for new Nutrigrain Crunchy bars in stores near you. Oh, I'll get that Crunchy. I will. Big news. Sona.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Did you know T Mobile recently partnered with the National Park Foundation?

Sonam (Sona)

No way.

Conan O'Brien

Yep. They're making it easier to stay connected so you're free to wander.

Sonam (Sona)

Well, that's really cool.

Conan O'Brien

And I love a national park. I really do.

Sonam (Sona)

I do too.

Conan O'Brien

Now, there's one thing you have to have if you're doing that good signal. It's a priority. Do you know what I mean? You got your maps, your music, this podcast.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

So take America's best network plus their off grid satellite coverage with you. Look, we're all a little spoiled, but we like to have access to all our stuff and suddenly you don't have it because of a bad single. That's when I throw my phone into the Grand Canyon.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, okay.

Conan O'Brien

Literally filled half the Grand Canyon with phones. Then I got T Mobile. Never had to chuck them again, you know.

Molly Shannon

Good.

Conan O'Brien

So wander over to T mobile.com and switch. Best based on analysis by Ookla of speed test intelligence data for 2H 2025. Wow, that's some sentence. T satellite with capable device in most outdoor areas in US where you see the sky, that's important. You got to see the sky.

Sonam (Sona)

Yep.

Conan O'Brien

Service may be limited or unavailable. Included with experience beyond or $10 per month. Auto renews cancel anytime. That was probably meant to be said by a robot really quickly, but I just did it slowly so you could really understand. Please do not throw your phone into the Grand Canyon.

Matt Gourley

Back to school starts now. Get long lasting battery life on the Dell XPS laptop powered by Series 3 Intel Core. So you can work from anywhere now starting at $699 with exclusive student pricing starting at 599. Complete your setup with savings on select monitors and must have electronics and accessories. Limited time deals and free shipping on PCs and more await you@dell.com deals. That's Dell.com deals.

Conan O'Brien

This is interesting because when you describe your childhood, it's not like mine. And you've talked about this. I know, a lot. And you've talked about it on this podcast how your dad was very unconventional in some of his thinking.

Molly Shannon

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

Because at one point, in one way he's very catholic and very strict, but in another way he had these very strange ideas that he was about what it is to have a child, I guess. Is that fair to say?

Molly Shannon

Oh, sure, yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Like he would encourage you've never talked to this about this with me. But he would encourage you to cheat?

Molly Shannon

Yes. Yes. He did not care a lot about.

Conan O'Brien

So this is a guy who says, no premarital sex. No premarital sex. And you can't live with someone before you marry them. But if you can cheat to get ahead, do it.

Molly Shannon

He was like that? No, he just. He really thought street smarts were, like, a great thing. You know, learning how to make a buck and make it in the world. And school. He would say, if I had a big exam and I was stressed out in high school, he would say, can't you get a call in sick and get a copy of the test so you can go in the next day? So he really did not care about school. He was so laid back. And, yeah, he was much more into street smarts. Isn't that interesting?

Matt Gourley

It's funny.

Conan O'Brien

Fascinating.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. So he didn't mind. And then if we went to the amusement park, like, he's like, okay, if you guys clean out that backyard, I'll take you to Geauga Lake, this local amusement park in Cleveland. But then when we got there, he was like, I don't really want to have to pay. So he was like, can you guys sneak in?

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, my gosh.

Molly Shannon

Hop over the fence. And we were like, but there's barbed wire. We go around. And he was like, just do it. Do it. It'll be an adventure. You know what?

Sonam (Sona)

It's funny.

Molly Shannon

Want to pay?

Conan O'Brien

It's funny that he's defining this as street smarts.

Sonam (Sona)

I know. These are just crimes.

Conan O'Brien

These are crimes.

Sonam (Sona)

These are just crimes.

Conan O'Brien

These are crimes.

Sonam (Sona)

It's all illegal, but it must have.

Molly Shannon

I mean, he was wild. He was fun. Or we would go to the movies, right? He didn't. I've told these stories before, but we would go to the movie, and then after, like, the mall or whatever, they would have those gates that they would pull down, like at Spencer's Gifts or the wig store, whatever. And then we saw wig store coming out of the movies at the mall. And he was like, stick your little hand in there and try to pull out a wig.

Sonam (Sona)

And what's that, Molly?

Molly Shannon

You have a little wrist to it.

Conan O'Brien

He thought it was the claw game that you get in an arcade. It's like that. You just reach your hand in, and if you can get it, you can. That's a jewelry store. But if you can get your hand in there.

Molly Shannon

But we get to get to it. So I pull a wig, wig, wig from me and him and my friend Anna we put them on and we would die laughing, running out of the mall with our wigs on.

Conan O'Brien

No one will ever catch us, they said, leaving the mall wearing three crazy wigs. Arrest that man in the beehive hairdo.

Matt Gourley

No.

Molly Shannon

There is 100 crazy stories like that. He was wild. He was a rule breaker. But yes, he was traditional. But understand the Catholic stuff was a little messed up because he ended up admitting right before he died, I said, have you ever thought you might be gay? And he was like, most definitely.

Conan O'Brien

Oh, wow.

Molly Shannon

And so I think he was conflicted with his. He's not alive to say what he would have been, whether it be bisexual, homosexual. But I did say, have you ever thought you might be gay? When he was dying of cancer, we were sitting at the Four Seasons Hotel. I was on a press junk, and he was like, most definitely. And then we talked all about it. So I think the closeted homosexuality or bisexuality was mixed up with the Catholic stuff. Does that make sense?

Conan O'Brien

Of course it does.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. Because he couldn't fully be who he wanted to be. So I think he had anger about that not being able to express himself.

Matt Gourley

Yeah.

Molly Shannon

So.

Conan O'Brien

And then it comes out your elbow, it says, this is a phrase I've always thought that I've heard used, which is, if you can't admit some essential truth about yourself, you think you can suppress it, but it's coming out in some way.

Molly Shannon

Yes, yes, exactly.

Conan O'Brien

And that means stealing wigs through a grate.

Molly Shannon

Exactly.

Conan O'Brien

I heard this one story that you and one of your friends used to go to a hospital to eat food for free. How would you do that?

Molly Shannon

That was so fun. Well, that's kind of like, oh, this one's fine.

Conan O'Brien

Oh, yeah.

Molly Shannon

No, I don't think we did it. We would pay for the food, but it was kind of like, I still feel that way. It was. If you've kind of felt in a little bit of a rut, I would try to throw myself into a different atmosphere. Like, oh, let's just go up to the hospital and we'll get lunch and we'll get like cream and broccoli soup and a split of tuna fishela sandwich, and we can watch the doctors. And it felt inspiring to be in a different type of atmosphere. I still feel that. I still feel that same way. And when I was first in LA and I was struggling as an actress, I would get kind of depressed. Cause I. I was like, oh, this is so hard. It's such a hustle. I didn't realize how hard it was. So when I Felt in kind of a blue mood. I would drive to Ontario, California, and I would go to the Wilford Academy School of Beauty and let the young students do my hair. And I would get breakfast at Molly's, and then I would feel better, kind of throwing myself in a new atmosphere.

Sonam (Sona)

Right.

Molly Shannon

I think it's traveling, but, like, little cheap ways to kind of open your mind.

Conan O'Brien

Yes.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

There is this. This concept among, you know, neurologists. You have to just keep challenging your brain.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

You have to just keep changing it up. And then one of the problems is people get into a rut, and they're not challenged. So it sounds like the. Almost the ultimate way to say, I'm gonna go to, you know, I'm gonna hang out with some scuba divers just to see what that's all about.

Molly Shannon

Exactly.

Conan O'Brien

Even though I haven't passed any classes and I could easily die underwater, I'm just gonna try it.

Molly Shannon

Well, I love reading about brain science and stuff, and I do think if you do feel in that state, sometimes an action kind of get out of your head. And I think, yeah. So I love reading about that also. If you ever felt like, you know, angry or something, if you do. Or kind of supercharged, if you do a math problem, like a subtraction problem in your head, that can also calm down your amygdala or if you. I just love the idea of thoughts and how you can change your thoughts and stuff to do to help you get out of a little rut or something. Does that make sense? I love reading about that.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Every now and then, I'll be doing something, and a friend said, well, this doesn't seem very like you. And I think that's good.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Because I. I want to try, like,

Molly Shannon

what kind of thing, for example?

Conan O'Brien

Well, I don't talk about it much on the show, but for years I've. I drive a motorcycle. I ride a motorcycle, and people don't know that. And I. I do it kind of like, I just like. And you can be another person. You can put on a helmet and you can just go. And as long as you have a credit card in your pocket, you can pay for gas and you can go anywhere. And sometimes I just feel like I'm a different person when I'm doing that. And I take off for most of a day and come back, and it's very therapeutic because I'm being someone else for a while, which I really like.

Molly Shannon

Yes. I love that.

Conan O'Brien

I also kill people at rim. Oh, my God. No, you can. You can. If it's completely random. Nothing links you to the crime. And then you get away, but you have that feeling of like, I'm choking the life out of you, you know? You know what I mean? And then you run a quick burial. Shallow grave. And then you run away. And then you just feel like, I was just that guy for a while. I've done that second one a lot.

Molly Shannon

Oh, okay.

Conan O'Brien

And I lied about the motorcycle. I mostly just kill. Oh, my God. Anyway, try it. You're gonna really like it. I know that you were here to talk about this project that you're doing with Will Ferrell. Yes. And you two have such a unique chemistry and relationship that just goes back. Had you worked together before snl, or was SNL the time that you came together?

Molly Shannon

Oh, that was the time we came together. I worked at Melrose Baking Company, and Will was in the Groundlings comedy school across the street. And we had a mutual friend named Patricia Cotter. And she said, molly, I really think you're gonna get along great with this guy Will Fer. And I was like, bring him over to the coffee shop. So he came over and I was like, nice to meet you, and what do you want? And he was like, I'll have a scone and a latte. And then we just started talking. We became friends. We've been friends for over 30 years. We did click right away, just like she said. And I got on SNL first, and Will came shortly after. Yeah, we just right away clicked so much and have been really close, close friends for so long.

Conan O'Brien

And then you're on SNL together and everything else. Yeah.

Molly Shannon

And I really did feel like the press was kind of behind. And when we all first started, all us newcomers, they were kind of like, you know, really hard on us. And I remember thinking, wow, the press is really behind. They're just kind of copying old press. And Will to take the. Like to not feel bad, he would hang up the worst reviews about himself on his office door. Oh, man, isn't that wild? To just kind of take the. You know, to not feel ashamed about it. And I was like, God, good for him. I could never do that. But I remember thinking, they're wrong, and they don't. These people are really good. I'm like, this is good. So it helped me understand the press a little bit, where I was like, wow, they're, like, outside and haven't caught up yet.

Conan O'Brien

I remember first hearing about Will and someone said, oh, yeah, I've been hanging out with this new cast member, Will Ferrell. And the end of the season. He was dressed as a character on some sketch and he decided to just keep wearing the costume.

Molly Shannon

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

And I don't know if it was like a, you know, like a boiler suit or some kind of over the top, weird costume, but he wore it for weeks and weeks. And a friend of mine said, yeah, I saw him at the Natural History Museum and he's still wearing that outfit. And I said, I don't know who that guy is, but I love that guy. And this is before I knew him.

Molly Shannon

Yeah, I'm blanking on the character that I know he loves doing that kind of stuff. And it's so. He's really just entertaining himself. And it's just so. He. This is so fun and he's so creative. And I think Will, too, is more serious too, than people would expect. Like, we know his big comedy side, but I know his more serious side. And it's so.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah, it's a real drag. Yeah, it's awful. No, I know what you mean.

Molly Shannon

Do you know what I mean?

Conan O'Brien

I think what's tough and I think it's the same thing with you too, is people would assume you or Will are just. Just kooky all the time and over the top entertainment machines. And both of you are very soulful, real people. You have a very serious side to you.

Molly Shannon

Yes, yes, very.

Conan O'Brien

And do you find that there are people, when they first meet you, who think they're gonna meet the Molly Shannon who's gonna throw herself into a bunch of chairs, and then they find someone who's really talking to them seriously about an issue?

Molly Shannon

Probably, yeah, I think. Cause I think I am more serious. I really like to get to know people and if I have time. And I think I'm more a one on one. And I think I'm shyer than people would think too. But, yeah, I do feel that a little bit too. Yeah. And the whole thing too, with critics, like what you were saying, too. I feel like I'm very conscious too, of like, God, you could so easily. You know, the whole, like, showbiz is such a hustle and I just don't like getting into that thing of like going back. Like, you're good, you're bad, you're good, you're bad. I think I can really repeat, like, childhood patterns. And so I try to be healthier, you know, when you think about life and how lucky we are to be healthy, I just. I just don't. I don't really worry about. I try not to get into that too much.

Conan O'Brien

Don't you Think having a family helps.

Molly Shannon

Oh, my God, it helps so much. It's just my everything. Like, I'm just so glad I'm alive to be there and do it. It affects every decision in my life. My children. I want to be there. I love being a mom. That's my number one. So it makes showbiz less. Ah. I'm very. I'm pretty very laid back about it, I would say.

Conan O'Brien

You have.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

You have, like, a solid foundation. Like a solid basement foundation of this is what matters. And then other stuff can come and go.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Molly Shannon

And I feel like I just don't want to do that to myself. Like, rile myself up like that. Like never feeling good enough or that you're only as good as your last thing. I'm like, ugh, enough. You know, I want to. I feel like I'm proud of myself, and I try not to have to need that so much from the outside. Does that make sense?

Conan O'Brien

Yeah.

Molly Shannon

Otherwise, it just feels so unhealthy. And I feel like there can be a nice place to be healthy and be creative and not, like, not. Not worried too much about that.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah.

Molly Shannon

I worked hard in therapy to not rile myself up like that.

Conan O'Brien

What kind of therapy did you do if I'm not being done?

Molly Shannon

Emdr. And do you know what that is?

Conan O'Brien

No, I just said, okay, look like I know what's going on.

Molly Shannon

It's more for, like, trauma, where you do, like, bilateral stimulation. So if you were nervous, you do the beep, beep, beep, beep. Like the little. There's like a buzzer where you would. You would hold the buzzer and you go back into. You would. You could pick, like, supercharged moments in your life, like the top five where you're like. And feeling scared or whatever. And the bilateral stimulation kind of will bring it from like, a 10 to, like a 3. So you slowly kind of can reprocess this. These trauma. Yeah. And so it really. It's. It's great.

Conan O'Brien

Did you ever do cognitive?

Molly Shannon

Cognitive, I mean. Yes. Yes.

Conan O'Brien

Cognitive is so fascinating because they say if you have a good imagination, it can be great. Or you also have a great imagination for bad things. Yeah. My career is over. I suck. I'm terrible. All these things David writes to me every day, every morning, just little memos. But I start to spiral and go down, and one of the things I learned is write it all down on a piece of paper, walk away from it for 10 minutes, come back, and then read the piece of paper during a worry time. Yeah. And you read it and like, I'm the worst person who ever lived. And I go, well, no, Stalin was bad. I mean, yes, I'm bad, but I'm not that bad. And then, you know, you find evidence

Molly Shannon

contrary to the beliefs.

Conan O'Brien

But also a lot of the things you've written down just look silly, you know, like, they just look ridiculous. And so I find that to be. And it's helped me talk to my kids if they have anxiety, all these little tools. But I'm always looking for another thing, you know, because you. Okay, I've got those tools, but I'm always looking for the next thing.

Molly Shannon

Yes, I love that. I love that kind of stuff though. But that does make sense. The act of writing it, that you can put it aside. And then when you go back and look at it, you're like, yeah, I just read a great book called Social Anxiety for the Overthinker and it talked about that same thing. And I love that kind of stuff. I talk to myself out loud. One of my kids overheard me. I don't want to talk. They're private and stuff. But I was talking to myself in my office and that one of them overheard me. And I was sitting, like, just going through these files. It was kind of tedious. And I was like, you're doing a great job, Malz.

Conan O'Brien

Out loud.

Molly Shannon

And one of my kids heard me and they were like, yeah, they yelled over the house, you're doing a great job, Malz. But I wasn't aware that I was doing like a kind of Long island coat talk. Literally talking to myself out loud, telling myself I was doing a good job.

Conan O'Brien

Lady.

Molly Shannon

I don't know, it just came out. You're doing a great job. Malz isn't all.

Conan O'Brien

I love that.

Molly Shannon

But no, I love. I love positive self talk, creative visualization. I feel like life is hard. Like, any tools that can help you? For me, it's exercise. Like, I have.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah, it's huge.

Molly Shannon

Yeah, I feel like I'm in great shape, but it's not really about exercise. It's about. It just makes me feel so happy, so good. I sleep better. It just makes me relaxed.

Conan O'Brien

You do this because exercise releases all these endorphins. And so what I have found is I'll get on a treadmill and I'll run really hard. It's like, wow, I just did 40 minutes on the treadmill. Really, you know, really going all out and I'm sweating and I get off of it and I'm euphoric. I am euphoric. And when I've Been on the treadmill. I've had all these ideas, and it's like, I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna learn how to play the oboe, and I'm gonna become a really good oboe player. Like, I'll come up with all these ideas for what I want to do, and I'm gonna take a woodworking course, and I'm gonna build a sideboard and give it to my wife on our anniversary. It's gonna be made out of maple. And then I'll play the oboe while she's open. I'll have all these ideas, and I'll start looking up stuff online, like oboe classes, carpentry classes. And then I get in my car, I drive here to the studio, I get to work, and I think, I don't wanna do any of that. I don't wanna do any of that because my heart rate came down and all of the great stuff that gets released. So, yeah, I have learned. Don't make any calls.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Don't make any plans after the exercise period. Just wait a little bit. But it feels so good.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. Yeah. That is so. I love it. That's great that. I love that you have that inspiration, though. And while you're.

Conan O'Brien

If I ever call you right after a workout, just don't listen to me. I'm gonna say, like, you and I should get married. We should leave our spouses and marry each other. And I'm gonna take a woodworking course, and I'm gonna build you a house. Molly, you're gonna send me the best Saw.

Molly Shannon

That is so funny.

Conan O'Brien

And then I get to work, and your husband's like, what the man? Sorry, man. I just had a really good exercise session, and I love Molly.

Molly Shannon

Conan, where do you get your work drive from?

Conan O'Brien

Like, how did you dare you speak

Molly Shannon

to me directly when you were fresh out of college? Like, is that from your dad or your mom?

Conan O'Brien

Or how work was prioritized when I was a kid. But I don't think all of us learned that lesson in my family. But I certainly. I don't know. I, I, I decided. I remembered kind of thinking, like, in fourth grade. Yeah, Like, I'm just gonna. I didn't know what I was good at. I had no idea that I'd be good at anything. So I just decided, well, if I work really hard, that'll make up for the fact that I'm not good at anything. I remembered thinking that, and so I just started. It's not a cool. You started off by saying, I feel so cool. I'm not A cool person. I was. I just worked really hard when I was a kid. In a way that makes me a little sad. I'm really worried about stuff. And the way I combated my anxiety was to prepare really hard for things, and then that yielded these benefits. And then people later on said, you're really smart. And I thought, I think I just work really hard, but I have a work ethic and I. I like to make things and I like to work with people and make things. And so I think that's. That's kind of just part of who I am now.

Molly Shannon

That's great. Sometimes I think about show business. I'm like, you have to be crazy. It's like, I think, like, you know, you're from Boston, I'm from Cleveland. Like, I just think, oh, my God, what did I think? Coming out here not knowing anybody. Like, you have to be kind of crazy to think that you're gonna. Come on, let's, you know, you have to. Don't you think?

Matt Gourley

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

No idea.

Molly Shannon

I think you really were to. If I were to really have known how much work it would be and what I would have to do in the somersaults and backflips and what was gonna. I'm like, oh, my God, I can't believe I did it, you know?

Sonam (Sona)

No.

Conan O'Brien

When I look back, do you feel that way? Yes, of course. I look back now and I think we graduated from this really good school and I did well. And I was like, okay, well, I'm going to LA with my friend Greg. We took a People's Express flight out there. I don't know if, you know, People's Express was like, if you had no money, you flew People's Express. You gave them some cash. There was no, you know, it was like flying.

Molly Shannon

You give them the credit card on the plane.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah, it was like flying a barn. You could get on a barn and fly. They put wings on a barn and you flew to la. We took a red eye and Greg Daniels, who's gone on to create every great show. He did okay. He did, yeah, he did fine. I go to Greg for loans. We just had this goofy existence, but the only thing I can say is it was like a salmon swimming upstream.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. And did you come out? You guys leased an apartment for a year and just. Did you take jobs while you were taking comedy classes?

Conan O'Brien

We did. Well, we had an entry level job. We had a job at this show. It was on cable. It was on hbo. Back when if you wanted to watch hbo, you checked into a hotel Or a motel. Cause no one I knew had hbo. But we worked on this show called Not Necessarily the News. And we had sort of a entry level job at that. But then we would. Would take other jobs. I took some kooky other jobs.

Molly Shannon

So did you come out with just a small amount of money too?

Conan O'Brien

I love your podcast. This is fantastic. I know. I love doing the MAH Standing podcast.

Molly Shannon

I have so many questions for all of you.

Conan O'Brien

Did I do what?

Molly Shannon

Did you come out with like $3,000 or did you have a. How much money did you come out with to la?

Conan O'Brien

I can't remember what I had. I don't. I didn't. We knew that we had this gig. We just didn't know if it was going to last.

Molly Shannon

Okay.

Conan O'Brien

So we were under the impression that we were on like a three week tryout. I think we just didn't know.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

And so we came out very ready to leave immediately. Or that was what we kind of told ourselves is, this isn't working. We can do something else. But I remembered thinking, I'm not leaving.

Molly Shannon

That's so great. I love that.

Conan O'Brien

And I kept thinking, I just want to have a girlfriend.

Matt Gourley

That was.

Sonam (Sona)

Lord.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah. And no one would talk to me. That's so sweet. Well, it was just very sad. Let's talk about the Hawk. Because you and Will Ferrell are together.

Molly Shannon

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

And again. Which is as it should be. Will is out there doing all kinds of insane stunts, which I love. This is the Will we love to see. He's out there 100% committing to being the Hawk. Who is this down and out aging PGA golfer.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

And you are his ex wife. And tell us a little bit about that relationship.

Molly Shannon

I'm kind of frustrated with him. Cause I feel disappointed. I'm like, oh, these nutty golfers. And you know, I kind of regret. I'm like, I just don't. I'm being very hard on him.

Conan O'Brien

And he was great in the past.

Molly Shannon

He was great in the past in his glory days. But now I'm like, oh, God, I'm so sick of your bullshit. You know, I'm really tough and I kind of want to do my own thing and not rely on him. And I want to pull myself out of these world of golfers, these crazy golfers.

Conan O'Brien

It's all consuming that world. Yeah.

Molly Shannon

How they can compartmentalize things. But we have a son. But. Yeah. So. But we really do love one another. We're just kind of in a little rocky period. But we truly do love one another deep down. And yeah. It's about our relationship, our family. And we have a son who's a pro golfer and who's really good. Who's really good. Yes, he's excellent. So, yeah, so it's just that whole world. And yeah, we had a blast shooting it. It was so much fun.

Conan O'Brien

I am just gonna imagine that when you two get together for a project, it's right back to. Could be the third week at SNL that you're together.

Molly Shannon

Exactly. It is like that.

Conan O'Brien

There's a lot of Tom Foolery. Chicanery.

Molly Shannon

Yes, yes, yes.

Conan O'Brien

Skullduggery.

Molly Shannon

Yeah. We had one day where we were shooting and there was a little stunt woman who was hired and her name's Sandy Gimple. But Will said he was like, molly, did you see when Sandy was taking a rest on the ground during when we weren't shooting? I was like, well, of course I noticed, you know, she's like flat on the ground sleeping. And we notice the same things that we think are funny or, you know, it's just. It's an absolute joy. We talk about our kids. I'm really close to Will's mom and dad. Will was really close to my dad. It just feels like family, in all honesty. And Will is so professional. This is what I always tell people. He is the most professional, most prepared, most thoughtful. You know, just like, he's just the best. You better be on your A game because he Farrell is ready to go.

Conan O'Brien

See, that's another misconception. People would see a Will Ferrell or you, Molly, and they would think, well, they're just wacky and they get together and they're crazy together. And then they roll it. They don't understand that there's just an immense amount of preparation and professionalism that's required to get to that space. And then there can be some improvisation. But that's like the frosting on the cupcake. Yes. Do you know what I mean?

Molly Shannon

Exactly. He's sitting there and he's like looking and he's like, uh, huh, uh. And he can look at the scene and go, yeah, we could lose that. I guess we could cut that. You know, he's looking at the writing very technically and excellent, you know, so it is just all those things, but he is there before everyone, ready to go. And memorizes really fast too. Like, he'll have these giant scenes where I'm like, wow, you, you. You started memorizing that last night. That's hard. You know, he's just a pro. And so it just feels so fun. It's just working Working with your friend. And it's just. It's the greatest. I feel like there's no greater joy than when you get to work with people you love. It just doesn't even feel like work. That's truly how I feel.

Conan O'Brien

Well, that's how it's. So many people in the world have to do a job.

Molly Shannon

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

That they don't maybe love or have a connection to.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah. And anyone who gets to do anything like what we're doing, and it's not just in the arts or in comedy or entertainment, it's just, you know, people that really love what they do, that is the ultimate gift. It is the ultimate, greatest way to go through life.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Molly Shannon

And you should never. I think it's so important to not buy. To enjoy where you are and not be like, oh, I'm only as good as this last thing. It's. It's. It's just, I. I try.

Conan O'Brien

Doesn't that come with age, though? Doesn't with age?

Molly Shannon

Like, I try to just enjoy. Like, I'm like, if you can't be happy. I. I had a. You know, when you think about life, how precious it is and health, I just think, I don't want to live like that anymore. My childhood was up and down. You're good, you're bad, you're good, you're bad. It's like, I'm not gonna do that anymore. I don't like that. This life's too short. So what I wanna say is. Yes, it makes you appreciate. I don't like buying into that. You're only as good as your last thing. I think if you do work that is meaningful to you and you love it, that's all that matters. Cause like I said, I've seen people become superstars who feel like they're only as good as their last movie. And I'm like, I don't want to live like that. Like, if they're like that, I should just enjoy my level where I am. Because there is. Do you know what I'm saying?

Conan O'Brien

Of course. Well, there's also. There's a lot we can't control.

Matt Gourley

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

Yes. So if you're, quote, only as good as your last thing that you did, you have very little control over that.

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

You know, there have been things I've been involved in that I thought were just the most amazing thing ever, and it didn't. No one talks to me about it. Doesn't go anywhere. And then there are other things where everyone just loved it. And I don't remember the difference. There's just other currents, things that are happening. This is a very, this isn't. I'll say this, you came in with this energy. Okay, this, I'm not. You're not being punished. You look very upset. No, no, you came, you come with this energy that I'm just gonna call. This is gonna sound very LA and crunchy, but you come in with this energy that's very healing and very positive. And I just absolutely love talking to you. You have always been, I mean, you came on my show so many times over the years. You would always come on and be just outrageously entertaining. But I also knew that you were the highest quality person, you really are. And so to have you and you coming in today and just everybody is irradiated in this Molly Shannon glow, it's a lovely thing.

Molly Shannon

Well, you know, thank you, Conan. That means so much. Well, I feel like I could almost get choked up, you know that I feel the same way about you. And I remember two years ago, you were so nice. Conan's exactly the same all the time. Like you treat everyone with respect and kindness and you make everyone feel good. You have that ability, that gift. You were that way with my father. But I wanted to say too that if I get fucked up about comedy or thinking too much about competition or sure, everybody has it, he's doing that. I just think when I really want to get back to be grounded, I think really I do it to make people feel good. Like, I like when people feel happier, they're like, I love that. That is really all it's about. You won't get fucked up. I'm an entertainer. It is a giving. It is. Do you know what I'm saying? And if you think about it that way, like a service almost, then you're not going to be so self centered about it. Does that make sense?

Conan O'Brien

Yes.

Molly Shannon

And I want to enjoy my life on earth as an artist, not be like, you know, I don't want to be that way, competitive or. You know what I mean?

Conan O'Brien

Exactly, I do know what you mean. But I still want others to fail. You know what I'm saying? I want people who aren't me in comedy to fail.

Sonam (Sona)

No, that's not what Molly said.

Conan O'Brien

Wait, is that not what you said?

Sonam (Sona)

Is the complete opposite?

Conan O'Brien

I agreed with what Molly said. And all I'm adding is, but I want others to fail.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, no, you missed the point completely.

Conan O'Brien

I want to do better, not because of my own abilities. I want them to fail so that I rise.

Sonam (Sona)

I see. Yeah, you see what I'm saying no. Still. Completely.

Conan O'Brien

Okay, well, whatever. I think we pretty much said the same thing.

Molly Shannon

Conan. Listen, getting back to the Irish thing, because my Irishing was that my dad could be tough. This and that. My mom died when I was little. So much of me getting into it was a. Like, my dad really would have loved to have been an actor. My mom died. I thought, well, if I get famous enough, I'll bring my mom back from the dead. It was very sad stuff. And I still have to ask myself, do you really still want to do this? Is this really you? Do you. Do you. You know, I really have to check in with that. You know, but that's my point. Going back to the Irish stuff of. It was. It had some dark stuff.

Conan O'Brien

Of course it does.

Molly Shannon

You know what I mean?

Conan O'Brien

Really dark.

Molly Shannon

Do you relate to that?

Conan O'Brien

But also. Of course I do. Yes. There's also the. Am I doing this because in some way I'm not? Well, like, what's the whole. Wanting to make everyone laugh. Is there an unhealthy part of this? Is there a part of this which is revenge? Like, I can make everyone happy because maybe some people weren't happy, but now I'll make everyone happy. And is this unhealthy? And if you get healthy, does that mean you can't do this anymore? All the dark stuff?

Molly Shannon

I just got my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and I.

Conan O'Brien

Yes. And congratulations. And Will gave this.

Sonam (Sona)

He gave a speech.

Conan O'Brien

Yes.

Molly Shannon

It was so nice. But I was gonna say, I get very shy when people have to show up from me. That makes me shy. I can go be a celebrity by myself alone, but if people have to come for me, I get like, oh, God, I'm gonna disappoint you. Or even at snl, Will would always bring tons of friends to the show. He'd have like, oh, this is. You know, he has so many friends. And I was always like, I would prefer strangers because I felt like if a friend's gonna come, they're gonna get disappointed and they're gonna wanna leave.

Conan O'Brien

This is me. I mean, everything you're saying is. Is if there's a thing where people. Which hasn't happened a lot, but something like the Twain Award, where people come for Conan o'. Brien. I was mortified. Really mortified that, like, people. I don't want people to have to. No, they're flying in. They're flying in.

Sonam (Sona)

No.

Conan O'Brien

And they're going to prepare. They have to prepare stuff. And I had done it for other people and felt fine doing that because I Loved the people I was showing up for, but I couldn't see it the other way, so I was kind of mortified. And then everything you're saying, I always. When I was doing the late night show or any show, and people were like, yeah, and guess what? Your friends. I'm like, no, no. What do you mean?

Matt Gourley

They're here.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, no.

Conan O'Brien

Now the show has to really be

Molly Shannon

good, because if it's a stranger, it's like, there's nothing, you know? Yeah. When I would do snl, if I did invite a friend, I have to give them a list of rules. I was like, don't you know? Cause they'd be like, more Molly. And I was like, oh, my God. Like, really don't if you're just gonna make me feel bad. So I had, like, a list of rules is like, say that you can't say this. Like, I already am hard on myself. Like, so no more. More Molly in the show. It's like the love.

Conan O'Brien

My least favorite is occasionally there's an etiquette when you come off a show. I know. First of all, you're always gonna be great, but no matter what, oh, my God. Great show, Molly. That's what you do. And that's what you would say to me if I came off stage. I love people that come up and go, how do you think it went?

Molly Shannon

Oh, my God. Is that right?

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, I know.

Conan O'Brien

How do you think it went? I don't know. How do you think it went? I'm just curious what you thought. Oh, well, I guess I should get out of the business. All right, we have to wrap this up.

Molly Shannon

Okay.

Conan O'Brien

But, Molly, I adore you. I love you. You're so great, and you live in this neighborhood, so can we get lunch? Wouldn't that be nice? Let's do a lunch sometime.

Molly Shannon

Yes, it will be very serious.

Conan O'Brien

Serious lunch.

Molly Shannon

No joking.

Conan O'Brien

No bits. Support for today's episode comes from Square, the system powering, like, half the places you go. Hello?

Matt Gourley

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

If you've ever tapped to pay and thought, whoa, that was fast, it was probably Square. Whether you're selling lattes, cutting hair, detailing cars, or running a design studio, Square helps you run your business without running yourself into the ground. Square is the platform behind the scenes of so many businesses you already love. It gets them connected to a system to make payments, manage inventory, run payroll, send invoices, track it all in one place. This isn't just a point of sale. Square includes hardware that works in person and on the go. I mean, it's incredible. I see Square all The time when I go out there.

Sonam (Sona)

Me too.

Conan O'Brien

And I'm out there a lot.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, you are out there. You're out there on the streets.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah, with the streets, with the people. And I am doing business, I am bartering, I'm exchanging. And all the time they use Square. And you know what? It's fast and it's easy. And I wish it existed in an earlier time. Yeah, would have really helped us. If you're starting a business or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage and grow without slowing down. Right now you can get up to 200 off square hardware@square.com. go Conan. That's S Q U-A-R-E.com G O/ Conan. Run your business smarter with Square. Get started today. Big news. Sona.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Did you know T Mobile recently partnered with the National Park Foundation?

Sonam (Sona)

No way.

Conan O'Brien

Yep. They're making it easier to stay connected, so you're free to wander.

Sonam (Sona)

Well, that's really cool.

Conan O'Brien

And I love a national park. I really do.

Sonam (Sona)

I do too.

Conan O'Brien

Now, there's one thing you have to have if you're doing that good signal, it's a priority. Do you know what I mean? You got your maps, your music, this podcast.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

So take America's best network plus their off grid satellite coverage with you. Look, we're all a little spoiled, but we like to have access to all our stuff and suddenly you don't have it because of a bad single. That's when I throw my phone into the Grand Canyon.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, okay.

Conan O'Brien

Literally filled half the Grand Canyon with phones. Then I got T mobile. Never had to chuck them again, you know.

Sonam (Sona)

Good.

Conan O'Brien

So wander over to t mobile.com and switch best. Based on analysis by UKLA of speed test intelligence data for 2H 2025. Wow, that's some sentence. T satellite with capable device in most outdoor areas in US where you see the sky, that's important. You got to see the sky.

Sonam (Sona)

Yep.

Conan O'Brien

Service may be limited or unavailable. Included with experience beyond or $10 per month auto renews cancel anytime. That was probably meant to be said by a robot really quickly, but I just did it slowly so you could really understand. Disclaimer. Please do not throw your phone into the Grand Canyon. Now, normally, Eduardo, you are sitting behind the board. You are the puppet master. You're working all the dials and switches making this podcast happen. But I've asked you to step out. I'm nervous and I think you're gonna like this surprise. Okay? And it involves our friends at Miller Lite. I know that you're a massive football fan. That's right. Because we've caught you watching matches while you're. While we're taping a podcast. And you clearly have just taped some of the buttons down into positions so you can watch. I'm gonna present to you Miller Time MVP Match Ball. This is the Miller Time MVP Match Ball. Look at this thing. Miller Light knows you're a big fan, so they asked me to give this to you. And look at this. It holds up to 12 miller lights. This is incredible. Yes.

Molly Shannon

Wow.

Conan O'Brien

I've been asked to specify, do not kick this ball. Oh, shoot.

Sonam (Sona)

I was just going to. To ask that.

Conan O'Brien

No, do not kick this ball because 12 beers will go flying through the air. Tell me, how is this going to be used? Where is this going to go in your.

Molly Shannon

Instantly?

Conan O'Brien

I mean, I've been watching all the matches with friends and family. This is the perfect piece to add to the table. This is really cool. Yeah. Oh, thanks a lot.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, look at.

Conan O'Brien

Thank you. Thank you. Look at. Oh, it's cold. It keeps. I don't want to make any promises, but I think it's actually kept it kind of chilly, which is nice. Hey, well, cheers to you. I appreciate. Cheers to you, Eduardo. Remember, celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. No bits.

Molly Shannon

No bits.

Conan O'Brien

It's like a. It's like a no shoes, no shirt, no service, no bits.

Sonam (Sona)

Can you do it?

Conan O'Brien

I think I could do it.

Molly Shannon

Deadly serious. So it's gonna be ready.

Conan O'Brien

It's gonna be my dinner with Molly. Like, my dinner. It's just gonna be the same thing. Like, serious. All right.

Molly Shannon

This was a joy, a pleasure. You. I love this office. Conan.

Sonam (Sona)

What could be better? Everyone loves you. I mean, this is so.

Molly Shannon

Thank you so much. That is so nice.

Sonam (Sona)

Everybody loves you.

Molly Shannon

Thank you guys so much.

Sonam (Sona)

Molly Shannon day is a fun day.

Conan O'Brien

I've tried to start shit, you know, start saying I've said shit about you to try and get negative stuff out there, and it doesn't take.

Molly Shannon

No, no, no.

Conan O'Brien

You know, when people. I'm just like, you know, Molly Shannon, I think she's kind of. They're like, no, what?

Molly Shannon

Yeah.

Sonam (Sona)

He talks so much shit about you.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah. And it doesn't take. It won't take. I'm gonna try again later today.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah. Good luck.

Conan O'Brien

All right.

Molly Shannon

Thank you for having me.

Conan O'Brien

My assistant, David Hopping, has entered the room and you have have an announcement to make. You said yes, so I do not know what this is. By the Way.

Molly Shannon

Oh, you're.

Matt Gourley

I think.

Conan O'Brien

I think you're gonna like it.

Matt Gourley

So every once.

Conan O'Brien

Or just call every once in a while. And he says the tests are back and you're hilarious.

Molly Shannon

No.

Conan O'Brien

Okay, so every once in a while, I will get tagged in different TikToks about Conan. And last night I opened up TikTok, and I had, like, a bunch of notifications. So I clicked it, and we all know Toy Story 5 just came out. And you play Smarty Pants. There is an entire side of TikTok that find themselves attracted to Smarty Pants. And it's not like just a few. These videos have, like, over a hundred thousand likes each. And all the comments are about how weird it is to be attracted to what the. A potty training toy.

Sonam (Sona)

What?

Conan O'Brien

And I sent Eduardo some of them to pull up to show you. Check this out.

Matt Gourley

Multiple levels. Levels.

Sonam (Sona)

Ew.

Conan O'Brien

Hold on.

Molly Shannon

Oh, God.

Sonam (Sona)

It says. It says, hear me out.

Conan O'Brien

148, 000 likes on that video.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, my God.

Conan O'Brien

Excuse me. Does it not occur to you that maybe this was my intention when I brought this character to life?

Matt Gourley

No kidding.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah. Walk us through your process.

Molly Shannon

Process.

Conan O'Brien

Well, I have a lot of riz, I think is what the kids say. Is that right, Sona?

Sonam (Sona)

I don't know. I'm not well.

Conan O'Brien

You're not well?

Sonam (Sona)

This is so gross and disturbing.

Conan O'Brien

This is like, I didn't see this one coming. I have to be honest.

Sonam (Sona)

I tried it.

Conan O'Brien

You can say I tried for a second to go with it and be like, yeah. And then I realized I can't.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, there's more.

Conan O'Brien

Oh, here we go. Here we go. Here we go. The.

Sonam (Sona)

Give me that.

Molly Shannon

Give me that.

Sonam (Sona)

Give me that.

Conan O'Brien

Oh, God, no.

Sonam (Sona)

The Internet needs to go away.

Matt Gourley

I know you're not supposed to kink shame, but shame on you.

Sonam (Sona)

Yes. No. Yeah, you can. For this, we can kink shame.

Conan O'Brien

Really? This is kink shamable.

Sonam (Sona)

This is kink shamable. You are a potty training toy in a children's movie. And people are like, I what? Like, what? What are we doing? Like, there's so many hot cartoon characters out there.

Molly Shannon

Tell.

Sonam (Sona)

There's a lot of characters out there.

Conan O'Brien

Are you saying. So you're saying it's not just that I'm a cartoon character, it's that there are other far more worthy.

Sonam (Sona)

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

Sexual. Let's hear who they are.

Sonam (Sona)

Off the top of my head, I mean, this is not in a cartoon, but recently, I was reading a comic book, and I was like, when did Superman get, like, this hot? Like, there's Been a lot of illustrated characters I have responded to recently. I just. I can't think off the. But not fucking smarty pants. Not that. That is ridiculous. I'm sorry you can't see it.

Conan O'Brien

What about the. There's a section where smarty pants has my hair. You know, it's a dream sequence. A fantasy sequence.

Sonam (Sona)

Are you asking me if them adding one of your characteristics makes it more attractive to me?

Conan O'Brien

That's my. Yes. Yes, Senator, that is my question.

Sonam (Sona)

The answer is a hard no. And it's. It's.

Matt Gourley

Even the gentleman from Boston will yield his son.

Conan O'Brien

I yield my time. And I also asked for a weapon to kill myself. I know that doesn't usually happen in a Senate subcommittee hearing.

Sonam (Sona)

No.

Conan O'Brien

But if there's a weapon present, I will use a warm bath.

Sonam (Sona)

Arrested. No. That's weird.

Conan O'Brien

Okay, so.

Sonam (Sona)

No, no.

Conan O'Brien

David, give us your thoughts. Because, you know, you discovered this. I was shocked whenever I clicked on it to see what this was.

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah. Well, I don't know what to say. The world is not.

Sonam (Sona)

Well, no. I mean, there's hot cartoon characters.

Conan O'Brien

Again, you keep saying that.

Sonam (Sona)

Okay, I think we can all agree Jessica Rabbit is a hot broad. We all want to bang, Right? And then I like. Even me. And I think that there's hot cartoon characters.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah.

Sonam (Sona)

No, I want to bang her. But I'm saying there's hot cartoon characters. You are a pie.

Conan O'Brien

We got to think of another way. Who's another hot cartoon character? David, you're probably thinking of someone. Any of the like. Well, I think I just had a stroke.

Sonam (Sona)

Now, we're gonna take a look in your psyche. Like, he man can get it.

Conan O'Brien

He Man. Yeah, he can get it.

Sonam (Sona)

Sure.

Matt Gourley

G.I. joe.

Conan O'Brien

Are you saying.

Sonam (Sona)

Yes.

Conan O'Brien

Are you saying He Man?

Sonam (Sona)

Yeah, I think He Man.

Conan O'Brien

Guess what? Skeletor.

Sonam (Sona)

Skeletor doesn't.

Matt Gourley

Jared Leto playing Skeletor. He.

Conan O'Brien

Unfortunately. Unfortunately, Skeletor is dtf.

Matt Gourley

Yeah.

Conan O'Brien

Yeah.

Matt Gourley

He bones.

Conan O'Brien

He bones. There you go. Nicely done. Nicely done.

Sonam (Sona)

No, I remember my friend had to think for Gambit from X Men that, like, he's hot.

Conan O'Brien

That's a cartoon character.

Sonam (Sona)

Yes, From X Men. Gambit. But I just. I. This. This. This is one of those things where you're like, people don't need to post everything because he's not human. That's the. That's.

Conan O'Brien

You're not a human. He's a machine.

Matt Gourley

He's for kids. He. Is he kind of a child, like.

Conan O'Brien

Well, I think he has many of my qualities, so, yeah. Probably a little bit childlike.

Sonam (Sona)

I would do Woody before I did, smarty pants. I think Buzz Lightyear for sure can get him.

Conan O'Brien

All I know is that a Vance. All I know, you can get him

Matt Gourley

if you just go to the store.

Sonam (Sona)

I only know for ranking the Toy Story.

Conan O'Brien

All I know is that a minivan packed with Disney lawyers on their way is driving from Anaheim to this podcast studio right now at 110 miles an hour. Absolutely. And you know what? Anyone who goes to see Toy Story 5 the day after this comes out is going to see just pixels where I used to be and a burn mark on the screen.

Sonam (Sona)

I think that's for the best.

Conan O'Brien

We lost any chance of you being in the sixth one. Actually, anybody that goes to see the

Matt Gourley

movie is going to be put on a sex offender list from here on out and has to go door to door in their neighborhood.

Conan O'Brien

No, they're going to stop the film the minute my character's about to come up and go. All right, you perverts. We got you. Clear out. Clear out.

Matt Gourley

Raid A vice raid. Clear out.

Conan O'Brien

You in the raincoat, get out.

Sonam (Sona)

Oh, God.

Conan O'Brien

Oh, my God.

Sonam (Sona)

No. Even. Even Wally before smarty pants.

Conan O'Brien

I have a list.

Sonam (Sona)

Can I say I have a list?

Conan O'Brien

Now you're just being mean.

Sonam (Sona)

No, I'm not. Wally. Wally is like sentient. And he got Eve.

Conan O'Brien

And sensual, apparently.

Sonam (Sona)

Yes. No, he got. He landed Eve. There's like a thing to him. There's a. There's sensitivity.

Conan O'Brien

You know what?

Sonam (Sona)

I'm. There's nothing about your character that's just.

Conan O'Brien

What are you talking about? I'm. I'm adorable.

Sonam (Sona)

I mean, you're talking about pee pee and poo poo most of the time. A lot of your humor is like pee pee humor.

Conan O'Brien

I saw what the character was and I said, oh, you want the sona?

Sonam (Sona)

That's okay.

Matt Gourley

This is happening. Those people up there putting this up are into some weird.

Conan O'Brien

Well, listen, I think the only way to decide this matter is for everyone to go see Toy Story 5 in theaters now.

Matt Gourley

The biggest.

Conan O'Brien

And guess what? The van just turned around. The van just turned around. It just did a hard 180 and it's headed back to the magic castle.

Molly Shannon

Oh, my God.

Conan O'Brien

All right, peace out.

Matt Gourley

Conan o' Brien needs a few friend With Conan o' Brien, Sonam of session and Matt Gourley produced by me, Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow. Theme song by the White Stripes incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair and our associate talent producer is Jennifer. Samples engineering and mixing by Adrian Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Bautista and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up. Sign up@siriusxm.com Conan and if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a Friend wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

Conan O'Brien

Hey, what's going on over there? It's me, Trevor Noah. You know me. You don't know me. Oh, you do. I was worried there for a second. Well, if you know anything about me, you'll know. I love having interesting conversations. Conversations where we scratch beneath the surface, like what's really going on in the news? Or what is that celebrity really thinking about that scandal that they had? Or what's the worst way to be a parent? I mean, you want to find that out so you can be the best parent, right? Well, regardless of what it is, this podcast is all about figuring that out, talking to interesting people who have interesting ideas that give us an interesting perspective on the world that we're living in. So make sure you tune in. Check out what now with Trevor Noah, available now on the Sirius XM app. Your outdoor space is where you unwind and make memories. So make it count. Belgard pavers are designed to elevate your outdoors. Design forward and built to last. Learn more@belgard.com that's B E L G A R D dot com.