Following the news that he will be returning as the host of the 2026 Oscars, Conan O’Brien took a shot at The Brutalist star Adrien Brody’s acceptance speech.
In a press release, the Oscars 2026 host was revealed to be O’Brien, who will be returning for a second straight year. O’Brien contributed to the press release (via People) by poking fun at Brody.
“The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” he joked.
Additionally, Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return as executive producers. Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will also be back as producers in 2026.
The 2025 Oscars ceremony was a big success, by all accounts. More than 19 million people reportedly watched the ceremony, which was O’Brien’s first year hosting.
Why was Adrien Brody’s Oscars speech controversial?
The Oscars speech the 2026 ceremony host Conan O’Brien was referencing was Adrien Brody’s after winning Best Actor. The Brutalist star gave a record-breaking five minutes and 40 seconds.
With that, Brody broke the record for the longest Oscars acceptance speech. The record was previously held by Greer Garson, who gave a speech 10 seconds shorter than Brody’s.
The long-winded speech covered a range of topics. Brody also pleaded with the production team after they attempted to play him off the stage with music. He also briefly touched on anti-Semitism and racism in his speech before ending his speech.
Brody won his second Oscar for his performance in The Brutalist. Previously, he won an Oscar for his role in The Pianist, which he made known in his latest speech.
The Brutalist was up for 10 Oscars at the 2025 ceremony, including Best Picture. Brody was one of three winners for the movie. It also won Best Original Score and Best Cinematography.
In The Brutalist, Brody plays an architect, László Tóth, following the Holocaust. He immigrates to America after World War 2 in hopes of starting a new life.
The Brutalist was co-written and directed by Brady Corbet. He co-wrote the script with his real-life partner, Mona Fastwold. Corbet also produced the movie.
The 2026 Oscars will be hosted by O’Brien. He is best known for hosting his late-night shows. First, he hosted The Late Night Show before moving to The Tonight Show.
After The Tonight Show, O’Brien moved to TBS to host Conan. The late-night show aired over 1,500 episodes from November 8, 2010, to June 24, 2021.
Outside of his late-night shows, O’Brien has dipped his toe into other ventures. He started a podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and hosts Conan O’Brien Must Go. Must Go follows O’Brien as he travels around the world.
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