Why Conan O’Brien Turned Down a $28 Million Offer From Fox (2015)

Gary played me a piece of tape I was on your TV show in 2006 and they had just announced that you were going to be The Tonight Show replacement for Jay when Jay retired and and was many years off right and I turned to you on your show and I was half being funny but I said um it's going to go horribly wrong when their time comes Jay will [ __ ] not let you have that show yeah and the audience was going wild and they were laughing and you were even like hey it's hundred years from now it's never going to you know and I said wow I sound like I knew what I was talking about I mean you knew exactly what you were talking about yeah I you know I look back on that whole thing which was you know craziness but um and I don't like to talk about it much and I'll I'll tell you why yeah why I don't like to talk about it much and in fact I really try to avoid talking about it because for a long time I decided first of all nobody in Show Business should complain it's just rule number one don't comp you sound like a whining you make that kind of money no we make crazy money and we're getting to live out our dreams and then you're complaining and anyone listening uh is rightfully thinking you're a jackass but the other point is on my TBS show there were a couple I really made a point to like I'm going to be positive and I'm just going to keep doing it and guests because it was the big thing would bring it up and ask me about it right and they would and and I would make a joke to try and I just make a joke about the whole and gloss over it and then I would read the next day Conan can't get you know let over it and you the thing is I I I think I saw I saw I saw Let It Go and I remember thinking a guest asked me about on the how do I let it go and if I talk about it for a second someone's saying like oh my God Conan you know enough shut up and so what people don't understand is that you beat the odds and it's rarified a to get a talk show and to be in this kind of thing and people don't understand another thing I remember there was a point where Fox TV came to you and said we're going to give you 20 something crazy $28 million to jump over to Fox NBC heard about it they said to you well we're going to give you $8 million but we're going to give you the Tonight Show when Jay retires yeah and you had such a fixation for The Tonight Show as many performers do because it's rare to get that offer you said I'll [ __ ] the $21 million [ __ ] you fox I'll stay with NBC because I want that tonight show I want my shot here's the other thing I never made a decision in my career based on money not once I'm not going to lie it's nice to have money right but I've also not had money um and I'm okay with that I really wanted to keep my body of work all I ever wanted was a body of work and that can sound pretentious to people but it is the most important next to my family my wife and kids my body of work is like the most important thing to me it's your legacy it's my legacy and I've put so much into it and I'm really proud of the good stuff I'm very proud of and so the idea of leaving NBC on bad terms are leaving and not having access to 16 years of work that I'm incredibly proud of was crushing to me so I do not regret anything I don't regret trying I don't regret uh I I feel like a lot of your career and in your life it's all how you play the cards that you're dealt and I was dealt certain cards at certain times and I've been extremely fortunate I am the poster boy for luck in show business but I also think I've been dealt cards at times which which aren't the best and I'm proud of the way I played them

Channel: The Howard Stern Show

Views: 949,102

Keywords: The Howard Stern Show, Howard Stern, Robin Quivers, Fred Norris, Gary Dell'Abate, Baba Booey, SiriusXM, HSS, htvod, howard stern show, howard stern interviews, stern show, interview, Conan O'Brien, Conan, Late Night Tv, TV host, Fox, NBC, The Tonigh Show, Jay Leno, Comedy, Comedian, team coco

Id: SKg4c5diib0

Length: 3min 41sec (221 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 22 2023