Conan O’Brien Explains Why ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ Will Probably Be His Last Dramatic Role | Video

Conan O’Brien might not have been on the list of people you’d expect to get critical acclaim from film reviewers this year, but his supporting performance opposite Rose Byrne in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” has become one of the biggest surprises of 2025. Just don’t expect the comedian and podcast host to make a habit out of it.

On Monday’s episode of “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” Paul Rudd asked O’Brien about what went into playing the role. O’Brien acknowledged that he wasn’t used to acting outside of comedy sketches for shows like “Saturday Night Live.”

So he worked with an acting coach and with writer-director Mary Bronstein to get a grip on his role as the colleague of a psychotherapist named Linda, played by Rose Byrne, who is buckling under the strain of caring for an ailing daughter. But as Linda keeps pushing him, all the colleague and therapist wants is for her to stop interrupting his time with his patients. As O’Brien described him, he’s “the opposite of me in so many ways.”

“This is not a career I had any plans for or something I intend to repeat, but I love the script, I love the director, and like everyone else on the planet, I worship at the altar of Rose Byrne,” he said.

Watch the full interview below:

O’Brien also talked about the issue of his signature hairstyle, which was heavily slicked back to reflect his character’s attitude as somebody who is “not a caretaker” and who, when dealing with someone like Linda who is in distress, “just wants them out of the room.”

“It was like being Superman without his cape,” O’Brien said about performing with a new hairdo. “It’s like ‘this guy’s no fun!’”

Despite enjoying the experience, O’Brien said that dramatic acting isn’t really his thing long-term. “I don’t see me saying ‘get me out there!’” the podcast host said, even as Rudd joked that pilot season is coming up.

Instead, Conan will be getting back to his comedy routine when he returns to host the Oscars in March. He is also set to appear in “Toy Story 5” next June.

Watch Conan O’Brien talk about his performance in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” in the clip above.