Conan O’Brien fans in the US may have to wait until he hosts the Oscars in March to see him back on TV, but New Zealanders can get their fix next week when he pops up in a guest role on the long-running Kiwi soap opera, Shortland Street.
The former late-night host apparently taped his appearance on the hospital-set soap in September while he was in New Zealand for his Max travel series, Conan O’Brien Must Go.
According to the show’s producer, South Pacific Pictures, O’Brien plays Dr. Aiden Archer, a “successful surgeon” who serves as a counterpart to longtime Shortland Street character Dr. Chris Warner (Michael Galvin).
Speaking with The New Zealand Herald, O’Brien said he had “a blast” taping his appearance on the soap. “Now comes the hard part,” he added. “Convincing my parents it was a documentary.”
O’Brien’s latest foray into the soap world shouldn’t be a surprising one for fans. He made his Irish soap acting debut in April after filming an appearance during Season 1 of Conan O’Brien Must Go.
Over the past decade, O’Brien has pulled similar stunts for his earlier series of travel specials, Conan Without Borders, in which he guested on soap operas in Armenia, South Korea, and Italy—as well as a Mexican telenovela.
O’Brien’s participation in Shortland Street also isn’t the first time the soap has crossed paths with the world of late-night television. Back in 2017, a viral scene from the show was re-enacted by Jimmy Kimmel, Alec Baldwin, and Guillermo Rodriguez on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Conan O’Brien Must Go was picked up for a six-episode second season in May. In addition to visiting New Zealand (where he also helped set a world record for largest haka), he was spotted filming an episode in Spain last month.
O’Brien’s appearance on Shortland Street is scheduled to air on TVNZ December 12th. Max has yet to announce a release date for the second season of Conan O’Brien Must Go.
