Paul Rudd has tricked Conan O’Brien again, continuing a years-long prank. Conan is so used to it now, he jokes he’ll probably still be falling for it on his deathbed.
Since 2004, Paul Rudd has consistently played pranks on Conan O’Brien whenever Rudd appears on his shows. It began with a promise: Rudd told O’Brien he had an exclusive clip from the final episode of Friends, which would have been major news. This seemed believable since Rudd was actually in the Friends finale. Instead, O’Brien received a clip from the 1988 movie Mac and Me, a film heavily inspired by E.T. The clip showed a young actor in a wheelchair accidentally rolling off a cliff and into the water, while the movie’s alien character watched in horror.
The joke was a hit, so Paul Rudd kept playing it on Conan O’Brien’s shows whenever he was a guest. He’d often create a believable story to lead up to it, and Conan would always fall for the prank and laugh. After 26 years, though, Conan often suspects it’s coming, like he did during Rudd’s recent appearance on the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend.
O’Brien felt the prank lacked effort, telling Rudd, “This is the least you’ve ever tried.” Rudd confessed he really dislikes doing the gag, saying, “Seriously? I hate setting it up, and I hate just watching it happen.” Despite Rudd seeming tired of it, O’Brien jokingly predicted he’d still be doing it even when he’s very old.
I’m going to be in the hospital, and you’ll come to visit. I won’t have much time left, and the doctors will say I’m in pain, but doing okay at the moment. You’ll come to say hello, and I know I’ll be drifting in and out of consciousness, but I’ll be so happy to see you. Then you’ll tell me the scan came back clear – that they can’t find any sign of the disease. You’ll show me the scan, and that moment will bring me a lot of joy before I pass away.
Rudd: “I’m just happy that I could bring that to you in your final moments.”
Even Without TV, Paul Rudd Keeps Pranking Conan O’Brien
Paul Rudd’s famous prank has become more elaborate over time, often requiring help from others to pull it off, with Bill Hader being a frequent accomplice. He even brought the prank to the finale of Conan, proving he was still a master of the joke. As a heartfelt goodbye to the show, Rudd revisited his classic Mac and Me clip prank. Surprisingly, even after all this time, Conan O’Brien still falls for it!
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Paul Rudd’s continued references to the Mac and Me prank, as seen on Conan O’Brien’s podcast, show it’s a joke fans – and O’Brien himself – clearly adore. What started as a bit has become a sweet symbol of their friendship, with Rudd even mentioning it on audio-only shows. While O’Brien jokes about it, he seems genuinely convinced Rudd will show him the Mac and Me clip one final time, even on his deathbed.
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2026-01-02 20:48