Hosting an Oscars ceremony is no small feat but Conan O’Brien is no stranger to emceeing big events as he counts Emmys and White House Correspondents Dinner in his resume.
But ahead of Academy Awards, where the late night host will for the first time lead the show, he said he is excited for the Hollywood’s biggest night.
“I thought about when I was a kid watching the Oscars, and I was very interested in watching Johnny Carson host, and I think I saw Bob Hope early on,” he told People. “My gut reaction, which I usually go with, was, ‘Yes, let’s do this thing!'”
Conan likewise admitted that no matter how much he prepped for the show, there would still be challenges.
“There’s no such thing as getting to a point professionally where there are no nerves if you’re working in comedy,” he says. “I am very aware that it’s an iconic show and can be tricky… I like to meet a challenge,” he noted.
He also shared that his wife, Liza, had backed him before the major event. She “was very much pro,” he added.
“I think because it gets her into the Vanity Fair party, so let’s face it, she had her own agenda. But no, she thought, ‘You should go and do that!'”
The 97th Oscars will air on March 2.
