Conan O’Brien returned to the Academy Awards on Sunday night, March 15th, kicking off the 2026 Oscars with a skit in which he dressed as Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys from Weapons and paid tribute to some of the most nominated films, including One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Sinners, KPop Demon Hunters, and F1.
It was a genuinely funny opener, giving way to a monologue that didn’t waste any time getting straight to zingers. In addition to mocking Timothée Chalamet and the alternate Super Bowl halftime show, O’Brien joked about Sean Penn, the Epstein files, and the American healthcare system.
Promising not to shy away from politics tonight, O’Brien joked about an “alternate Oscars hosted by Kid Rock at the Dave & Busters down the street” for those who might be made uncomfortable.
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O’Brien also alluded to Timothée Chalamet’s viral comments about ballet and opera, claiming, “Security is very tight tonight” due to “concerns about attacks from the ballet and opera communities.” Directing his attention to Chalamet, he added, “They’re just mad you didn’t mention jazz.”
In perhaps his most biting joke of the monologue, O’Brien pointed out that there are no British actors nominated for Best Actor or Best Actress for the first time since 2012, adding, “A British spokesperson said, ‘Yeah, but at least we arrest our pedophile.’”
In another topical joke, O’Brien added, “In Hamnet, Shakespeare’s wife gives birth by herself in the woods. Or what we call in America: affordable healthcare.”
One Battle After Another was described as a film where “Best Supporting Actor nominee Sean Penn got an erection at gunpoint” and “then director Paul Thomas Anderson said, ‘Let’s put that in the film!’”
Elsewhere, O’Brien acknowledged the encroachment of AI into the film industry. “I’m Conan O’Brien, and I’m honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards,” he said. “Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.”
There was also an AI-fueled moment when O’Brien joked about all the seat-fillers being Michael B. Jordan, in a nod to his Sinners performance. The camera then panned to a section seemingly filled with Michael B. Jordans.
It wasn’t all jokes, as O’Brien also made a sincere statement about the importance of coming together to celebrate the film industry. “Tonight is an international event. If I can be serious for just a moment, everyone watching right now, around the world, is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening time,” he acknowledged. “It’s at moments like these that I believe that the Oscars are particularly resonant — 31 countries across six continents are represented this evening, and every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages, working hard to make something of beauty. We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience, and that rarest of qualities today — optimism.”
Watch O’Brien’s full Oscars monologue below.
I needed almost no makeup to play Aunt Gladys. #OSCARS pic.twitter.com/nBaxh7aZnP
— Conan O’Brien (@ConanOBrien) March 15, 2026
