Celebrity Celebrity Family Celebrity Kids Conan O'Brien's 2 Kids: All About Neve and Beckett Conan O’Brien found true happiness in fatherhood By Katie Mannion Katie Mannion Katie Mannion is a contributing writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work has previously been published in Healthline, SheKnows and more. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 12, 2024 09:44AM EST Liza Powel, Conan O'Brien, Neve O'Brien and Beckett O'Brien attend Hammer Museum K.A.M.P. on May 18, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Conan O’Brien can find the humor in anything, including parenting his kids: Neve and Beckett. The former late-night host and his wife, Liza Powel O’Brien, welcomed their daughter Neve in 2003, and their son Beckett followed in 2005. Conan frequently shares funny anecdotes about his kids and jokes about the various joys of fatherhood on social media. “My children think of me as their best friend, the one they dropped like a stone in high school,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in 2022. Although the comedian likes to joke around, Conan also has a sentimental side when it comes to being a dad. “Anyone here with kids can tell you, suddenly everything you did before in your life, that you worried about before you had kids seems pretty silly,” he said in 2007. “Obviously it’s the best thing that ever happened to me and it’s exciting." Who Is Conan O'Brien's Wife? All About Liza Powel O'Brien Despite his high-profile career, Conan has made it a point to keep his kids out of the spotlight. Speaking to Absolute Radio in 2014, he shared his approach to parenting as a celebrity. “I don’t take my children to premieres,” he said. “I don’t want my kids living in a zero-gravity environment just because I happened to get lucky.” Conan continued, saying that he just wants what’s best for his daughter and son. “I think I’m a good dad, but I don’t want them around show business," he added. Here’s everything to know about Conan O’Brien’s kids: Neve and Beckett. Neve O’Brien, 21 Conan O'Brien and Neve O'Brien attend a basketball game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Noel Vasquez/GC Images Conan and his wife, Liza, welcomed their first child together, Neve, on Oct. 14, 2003. At the time, he was the host of NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien and would go on to a slew of other high-profile roles. In a 2014 interview with Success magazine, the comedian credited Liza, Neve and Beckett with keeping him grounded. “My family, they are all funny and very real, and to this day they don’t care that I’m on television,” he said, adding that they’re also his toughest critics. “Kids kick your a-- every day.” In 2012, he gave an example of this during a special forum at the John F. Kennedy Library, sharing a funny anecdote about his daughter. Conan recalled Neve having one request when he was about to kick off a new show. “She said, ‘Could you try and keep this one longer than the last one?’ ” he explained through laughter, referencing his short stint on The Tonight Show. “It was a great, honest moment." Conan O'Brien and his daughter Neve O'Brien attend a basketball game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Noel Vasquez/GC Images After graduating from the Los Angeles private girls school Marlborough in 2022, Neve started attending Yale University. According to her LinkedIn, she is studying history and is an illustrator for the Yale Daily News Magazine. She also shared that she’s interested in performing arts and music production. Apart from her creative pursuits, Neve has lobbied for stricter gun control in California with the organization TeamENOUGH. In 2020, Conan praised his daughter in a heartfelt post on X. “The person who told me Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away was my daughter, Neve,” he wrote. “I was terribly sad, but also filled with gratitude that my daughter could see first hand how much intelligent, brave women can change the world.” Beckett O’Brien, 19 Conan O'Brien, Neve O'Brien, Beckett O'Brien and Liza Powel attend a basketball game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Noel Vasquez/GC Images Conan and Liza welcomed their son Beckett on Nov. 9, 2005. During an interview with Absolute Radio, the former late-night host spoke about Beckett’s love of technology. “My son is like a little Steve Jobs,” he said of the then 8-year-old. “He’s very good at the computer.” Conan continued, saying that when his son’s school asked the kids to dress up as their hero, Beckett chose to emulate Jobs. In 2018, the father-son duo attended the Bay Area Maker Faire and took part in a video discussing their experience. "Beckett was so siked about it ... I was blown away by the ball that you were making levitate," Conan said to the camera while standing beside his son. When the comedian said goodbye to late-night television in 2021, he opened up about the decision in an interview with Vulture. “When you get married and you start having kids and your kids are growing up and you have a good share of success, that drive [for more success] gets blunted a bit,” Conan said. “I am happier now than I was at any other period in my life.” He continued, “I am so happy to spend time now with my kids, who are so hilarious and smart, and my wife, who’s so hilarious and smart.” Close