While Conan O’Brien gives a surprising performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, don’t expect him to take on anymore dramatic roles.
The 6x Emmy-winning comedian noted that his therapist character is “the opposite of me in so many ways” as he explained what convinced him to take on the role in the Mary Bronstein-helmed drama.
“This is not a career I had any plans for or something I intend to repeat,” he said on his Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast. “But I love the script, I love the director, and like everyone else on the planet, I worship at the altar of Rose Byrne.”
O’Brien added of the forthcoming pilot season, “I don’t see me saying, ‘Get me out there!’”
Byrne stars in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You as therapist Linda, whose life literally comes crashing down on her when her ceiling caves in, forcing her and her critically ill daughter into a motel. Meanwhile, she has to navigate her relationships with her absent husband, her hostile therapist and a missing patient.
Conan O’Brien and Rose Byrne in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ (2025) (A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection)
Playing Linda’s unnamed therapist, O’Brien explained that that the character is “not a caretaker,” and while dealing with patients like Linda, he “just wants them out of the room.”
“It was like being Superman without his cape. It’s like ‘this guy’s no fun!’” said O’Brien.
In addition to returning to host this year’s 97th Academy Awards, O’Brien can be heard voicing Smarty Pants in Toy Story 5, premiering June 19 in theaters.