Conan O’Brien Stole the Show in the Best Psychological Drama of 2025

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Rose Byrne received an Academy Award nomination for her deeply moving performance as a woman facing a difficult time in the new A24 drama, which is currently generating a lot of excitement. However, Byrne’s isn’t the only performance receiving attention in the critically acclaimed film.

Okay, so Conan O’Brien in a serious movie? I admit, I was skeptical. Everyone knows him from late night, and this film was being talked about as something really dark and unsettling. But honestly? He completely surprised me. Conan delivers a performance that’s not just good for a comedian trying drama, it’s genuinely strong, and it made me wonder if he might actually have a future in acting beyond comedy. It was a really compelling turn.

Conan O’Brien Stars As The Worst Therapist Ever

Though Conan O’Brien is well-known for decades of work in late-night television, comedy writing for shows like Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, and his popular podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, many would say his greatest strength is simply being a genuinely kind and giving person. This quality really shines through in his surprisingly versatile and engaging performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

Mary Bronstein’s new film centers on Linda (Rose Byrne), a therapist whose life unravels after a car accident. She’s forced to live in a rundown motel with her sick daughter (Delaney Quinn) while her husband (Christian Slater) is absent. Adding to her struggles is a complicated relationship with her own therapist (O’Brien).

This therapist is exactly the type of person who would discourage someone from going to therapy. He analyzes Linda in a subtly aggressive and manipulative way, with no real care for her feelings or problems. He doesn’t even try to hide that he’s uninterested, even as she becomes increasingly desperate for help.

This role feels unexpected for someone known mostly for comedy, especially since he doesn’t have much experience with traditional acting beyond quick sketches and appearances as himself. However, O’Brien brilliantly makes the audience despise his character, and he achieves this by doing the opposite of what people expect from him as a performer.

Conan O’Brien Abandons His Sense Of Humor

For years, Conan O’Brien has been known as a cheerful, friendly, and often silly comedian. But that side of him was nowhere to be seen in his performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

Filmmaker Mary Bronstein shared on Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend that the actor plays a character with absolutely no sense of humor. To prepare, he intentionally removed his usual charming personality, and it worked incredibly well. A standout scene shows him calmly enduring a frustrated patient, Linda, as she scolds him for help, before finally dismissing her as a client. This is particularly uncomfortable because they also work together at the same clinic.

Though O’Brien excels at enhancing the film’s dramatic scenes with his nonverbal acting, he’s also quite funny. The movie, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, is a dark comedy because it finds humor in the difficult and strange circumstances Linda faces. O’Brien’s performance often contributes to this humor, balancing moments of frustration with comedic timing.

The joke about Linda emailing her therapist about a dream wouldn’t have landed as well coming from anyone else. And it’s strangely funny to hear O’Brien tell a disturbing story about dissecting rat heads during medical school – it’s one of those things you really have to experience to understand.

Conan O’Brien has often shared how much he loved the script for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, and that’s why he was worried about taking the role. He didn’t have much acting experience and feared he’d mess up the film. He even made the director promise to replace him if she wasn’t happy with his work. Ultimately, he delivered a funny and complex performance, and he had fantastic chemistry with his co-star, Rose Byrne.

Saoirse Byrne has been nominated for a Best Actress Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards, thanks to her acclaimed performance. Conan O’Brien is hosting the show on March 15th. While it’s his job to remain neutral, many suspect he’ll be privately hoping Byrne wins.

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2026-02-06 05:06