Oscars 2026 host Conan O'Brien explains why he dropped material early

Conan O’Brien is already editing himself ahead of Hollywood’s biggest night, Oscars.

The 62-year-old comedian, set to host the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, admitted that he and his writing team struggled to land a punchline about Best Picture contender Train Dreams, and eventually scrapped the material altogether.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! March 11, O’Brien shared one of the discarded jokes:

“Train Dreams was nominated for Best Picture. Finally, a movie that proves being a Pacific Northwest lumberjack in the early 1900s wasn’t as fun as it sounds.”

The audience’s lukewarm reaction sealed its fate.

“No! No! No! No! Pity applause doesn’t work,” O’Brien shouted, explaining why the gag won’t make it to the Oscars stage.

Despite calling Train Dreams “a beautiful movie,” O’Brien confessed that “no joke sticks to it,” even after thousands of attempts.

“This is the best Train Dreams joke out of 5,000,” he quipped.

Still, the veteran host has been road-testing other material at surprise comedy club sets across Los Angeles.

“I get obsessive,” he told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week. “I want to turn it off, but I can’t. That’s not always a fun ride, but that’s the deal.”

And while the pressure of hosting Hollywood’s biggest night is immense, O’Brien insists he couldn’t resist the challenge.

“There’s a little bearded Viking inside me,” he joked. “…when that Viking decides on something—whether it’s replacing David Letterman with no experience, skiing some advanced slope I have no business going down or hosting the Oscars, that’s what’s going to happen.”

The Oscars air live March 15 from Los Angeles, with O’Brien returning for his second stint as host.