After way too many hostless or less-than-perfectly hosted Hollywood awards shows over the last few years, Conan O’Brien’s opener as emcee of the 2025 Oscars represented an extremely welcome return to solid joke-writing. (He and Demi Moore really got into it with that Substance bit up top, huh?)
While there were ups and downs to his gig overall—two distinct “downs” being a too-corny Amazon bit and a cameo from Adam Sandler that beautifully showcased schmuck style but failed to deliver the laughs—what really stuck out over the course of the night was O’Brien’s well-honed comedic prowess, to say nothing of his very high energy (there was a song-and-dance number!) and obvious delight at some of his own jokes. (See: the running John Lithgow gag below.)
On another note, O’Brien’s sincerity when talking about the devastating effect of the recent L.A. wildfires was thoughtful, well-timed, and appreciated (especially since the comedian and his family are still displaced from their own home as a result of the fires). Yet when he went for comedy, he found it—as we should have expected from such a seasoned pro.
Below, find some of O’Brien’s very best lines and bits from the 2025 Oscars:
“It’s Hollywood’s biggest night…that starts at 4 in the afternoon.”
While pacing with microphone: “I’m walking to show I have control of the stage.”
“Wicked is nominated for 10 awards. It’s a perfect movie for anyone who ever watched The Wizardof Oz, got to the end, and thought, Sure, but where did all the minor characters go to college?”
“I loved The Brutalist. I never wanted it to end, and luckily, it didn’t.”
“Anora uses the f-word 479 times. That’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist.”
To Gascón: “Karla, if you tweet about this, just remember: My name is Jimmy Kimmel.”
To Timothée Chalamet: “Love that suit. You will not get hit on your bike tonight.”
While introducing the presenters of the best-hair-and-makeup category: “My two hall passes, Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb…”
“Well, we’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile.”
“Anora is having a good night. Two wins already. I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian.”
“A Complete Unknown... A Real Pain... Nosferatu... these were just some of the names I was called on the red carpet.”
“It’s Ralph Fiennes’s third-time being nominated. If he doesn
t win tonight, we get to call him RALPH.”
“If your acceptance speech goes too long, we’ll cut to John Lithgow in the audience looking not angry, but slightly disappointed.” (Extra points for actually cutting to Lithgow on this one.)
