Conan O’Brien is already making some cuts before his 2026 Oscars hosting gig.
O’Brien, 62, revealed which jokes he nixed from his script ahead of hosting the awards show during a Wednesday, March 11, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Before the Sunday, March 15, ceremony, O’Brien shared that he axed a handful of “bad” jokes when it came to Train Dreams, which is up for Best Picture.
“This is the best Train Dreams joke out of 5,000,” he said. “Train Dreams was nominated for Best Picture. Finally, a movie that proves being a Pacific Northwest lumberjack in the early 1900s wasn’t as fun as it sounds.”
Although O’Brien knew the joke didn’t land, the audience still cheered the comedian on.
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“No! No! No! No! Pity applause doesn’t work,” he said. “You waited, you were sad — as I was. That’s why you’re not gonna see this joke.”
O’Brien added that his team consists of “very good writers,” so he didn’t blame anyone for not being able to come up with a solid joke.
He added, “And these are very good writers, so I blame Train Dreams. It’s a beautiful movie, but no joke sticks to it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, O’Brien told Kimmel, 58, that there are topics that he wouldn’t joke about.
“There are times when there are certain areas we cannot crack,” he said. “One of them is the movie Train Dreams. Can’t get a good joke for Train Dreams, which means there is no good joke for Train Dreams.”
Train Dreams, which is based on a novel by Denis Johnson, follows Robert Grainer after his wife and daughter perish in a wildfire. Played by Joel Edgerton, Robert works on building railroads while navigating grief. The movie also stars Felicity Jones and Kerry Condon.
Train Dreams is going up against Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value and Sinners in the Best Picture category.
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The film is also nominated for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) and Best Cinematography, as well as Best Music (Original Song) for “Train Dreams” by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner.
This year, the Oscars are being held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. A number of stars are presenting awards, including Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Nicole Kidman, Pedro Pascal, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and more.
