Conan O'Brien Recalls Robin Williams Checking in AfterTonight Show'Debacle' — and Surprising Him with a Thoughtful Gift

Mar. 15, 2025

Robin Williams (left) during an interview with host Conan O’Brien on ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ on January 21, 2010.Photo:Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty

Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty

Conan O’Brienis looking back on howRobin Williamslifted his spirits in the aftermath of him being let go fromThe Tonight Shownearly 15 years ago.On a recent episode of his podcastConan O’Brien Needs a Friend, the comedian opened to guest Eric Idle about the phone call he received from the late actor, whodied in August 2014, after his predecessorJay Lenoreturned to NBC late night show and he was unceremoniously removed after seven months.“I was lucky enough to have some great interactions with Robin Williams before he passed,” he shared. “One of the most memorable examples to me is when I went through my wholeTonight Showdebacle. Finally, the show is done, and I don’t know if I have a career anymore. What am I gonna do next? I’m lying on the floor in the living room of my house, and my phone rings, and I pick it up, and it’s Robin Williams.”Robin Williams (right) during an interview with host Conan O’Brien on ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ on January 21, 2010.Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty“I don’t even know how he got my phone number,” he added. “[Williams asked,] ‘How are you holding up, chief?… And he said, you know, ‘You’re gonna be fine, you’re gonna be great.'”O’Brien recalled being surprised when he learned that Williams, who was also an avid bicyclist, had arranged for him to get a bike at a local bike shop in Santa Monica, Calif. “I said, ‘What? And he said, ‘No, no, no, just head on down there. Ride around, you’ll feel better.’ And I went down and it was a Colnago, which is a very nice bike," he shared.He continued: “And he said, ‘I told him to paint it in all these crazy Irish colors.’ I get down there and it’s the ugliest — I mean, it was just greens and shamrocks and everything. And he was like, ‘You’re going to like that bike, chief. Don’t worry about it.'”Conan O’Brien on ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ on January 22, 2010.Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.O’Brien shared that he thanked Williams “many, many times” for the act of kindness, adding, “I just couldn’t believe that he was thinking about me.”Idle, who was a longtime friend of Williams, responded that the actor had “put a lot of effort into making you feel better,” which he called “very, very Robin.”“That’s fantastically typical Robin,” he added. “And that generosity and kindness combined with the wit on the man is not a common combination.”In April, O’Brienreturned toThe Tonight Showfor the first time since being fired. “It’s weird to come back,” O’Brien said of returning to the show, adding that “all these memories came flooding back” as he walked the halls.

Conan O’Brienis looking back on howRobin Williamslifted his spirits in the aftermath of him being let go fromThe Tonight Shownearly 15 years ago.

On a recent episode of his podcastConan O’Brien Needs a Friend, the comedian opened to guest Eric Idle about the phone call he received from the late actor, whodied in August 2014, after his predecessorJay Lenoreturned to NBC late night show and he was unceremoniously removed after seven months.

“I was lucky enough to have some great interactions with Robin Williams before he passed,” he shared. “One of the most memorable examples to me is when I went through my wholeTonight Showdebacle. Finally, the show is done, and I don’t know if I have a career anymore. What am I gonna do next? I’m lying on the floor in the living room of my house, and my phone rings, and I pick it up, and it’s Robin Williams.”

Robin Williams (right) during an interview with host Conan O’Brien on ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ on January 21, 2010.Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty

“I don’t even know how he got my phone number,” he added. “[Williams asked,] ‘How are you holding up, chief?… And he said, you know, ‘You’re gonna be fine, you’re gonna be great.'”

O’Brien recalled being surprised when he learned that Williams, who was also an avid bicyclist, had arranged for him to get a bike at a local bike shop in Santa Monica, Calif. “I said, ‘What? And he said, ‘No, no, no, just head on down there. Ride around, you’ll feel better.’ And I went down and it was a Colnago, which is a very nice bike," he shared.

He continued: “And he said, ‘I told him to paint it in all these crazy Irish colors.’ I get down there and it’s the ugliest — I mean, it was just greens and shamrocks and everything. And he was like, ‘You’re going to like that bike, chief. Don’t worry about it.'”

Conan O’Brien on ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ on January 22, 2010.Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

O’Brien shared that he thanked Williams “many, many times” for the act of kindness, adding, “I just couldn’t believe that he was thinking about me.”

Idle, who was a longtime friend of Williams, responded that the actor had “put a lot of effort into making you feel better,” which he called “very, very Robin.”

“That’s fantastically typical Robin,” he added. “And that generosity and kindness combined with the wit on the man is not a common combination.”

In April, O’Brienreturned toThe Tonight Showfor the first time since being fired. “It’s weird to come back,” O’Brien said of returning to the show, adding that “all these memories came flooding back” as he walked the halls.

source: people.com