Conan O’Brien is officially a soap star in New Zealand. The former late-night host’s latest foray into the world of soap acting aired last night on Shortland Street, a hospital-set soap opera that’s been a staple of New Zealand television for over three decades.
Luckily for those not in New Zealand, Shortland Street has shared the scene on YouTube, titling it “Doctor Conan O’Brien?!” O’Brien actually plays Dr. Aiden Archer, a surgeon who advises the soap’s lead character, Dr. Chris Warner (Michael Galvin), on a patient’s diagnosis.
Despite the show’s dramatic setting, O’Brien’s role comes with a bit of humor. The former late-night host refers to himself as “Dr. Love” (a reference to what Warner’s character is referred to by fans of the show), and later reveals an unusual hobby.
“I’ve gotten into bears lately,” Archer tells Warner. “Literally gotten into bears. It’s a lot of effort. Sometimes they don’t want to die, but there’s something about the feeling of a bear’s skin on my flesh that’s just a rush.”
O’Brien’s character than rattles off a slew of medical terms (seemingly with the help of some cue cards, judging by O’Brien’s wandering eyeline during the scene).
O’Brien taped the appearance while in New Zealand shooting Conan O’Brien Must Go. The Max travel series typically finds O’Brien inserting himself into various local media appearances wherever he travels—including a growing list of soap operas. He made his Irish soap acting debut in April as part of Conan O’Brien Must Go. On his earlier series of travel specials, Conan Without Borders, O’Brien guested on soap operas in Armenia, South Korea, and Italy, and a Mexican telenovela.
We’ll no doubt get a peek behind-the-scenes of O’Brien’s latest soap cameo when the New Zealand episode of Conan O’Brien Must Go drops as part of the show’s six-episode second season sometime in 2025.
