The hour-long “Conan” finale Thursday was largely a trip down memory lane with clips of guests including Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Sarah Silverman, and highlights of specials taped outside the United States.
The host, whose gravity-defying, trademark swoop of red hair has remained virtually unchanged through the years, wrapped up the show with heartfelt thanks to his colleagues, family and fans.
O’Brien, formerly a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” was championed by “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels to succeed David Letterman as “Late Night” host.
In an effort to design an orderly transition, NBC executives in 2004 anointed O’Brien to take over for Leno in 2009.