Following the passing of Larry King, tributes have been pouring in for the legendary talk show host. While the vast majority have been praising King for his signature style of interviewing, Conan O’Brien put together a touching (and hilarious) tribute that showcased an underrated side of the venerable TV man: his comedic chops. In a heartfelt intro, O’Brien revealed how King was an eager partner at the start of O’Brien’s late night career, and the CNN host was up for anything. Literally anything.
“When our show first went on the air, I think in ’93 or ’94, Larry came on and he loved to try jokes out and comedy out with us,” O’Brien said. “And that relationship started and then it just kept going. And I think for 27, 28 years, Larry would come on our show and we’d have a weird idea, and he’d say, ‘Love it! I wanna do it!'”
Following the intro, O’Brien played a series of clips that showed King mixing it up like an old pro. He’d banter back and forth, dress up as Wolverine for a sketch, interview guests on the fly, do stand-ups, break bricks, and even sit up in the rafters. And his timing was perfect. You can absolutely tell that King loved coming on the show and having a blast with whatever Andy and Conan cooked up that night. It takes skill to be that good of a comedy partner, and King clearly had it in spades.
You can watch Conan’s tribute to Larry King above.
