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When Conan O’Brien takes the stage to host the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, one thing’s a given: He’ll be impressively limber.
A fan of self-described “meaningless stretching” backstage before gigs, the 61-year-old comedy veteran and first time Oscars host says he’ll surely wind up on the floor, tuxedo be damned. “I’ll be crossing my legs and pulling my thighs in to get the quad stretch,” he tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “I act as if I’m about to run a marathon.”
In a way, he is. As O’Brien preps to host the toughest gig in show business — a culmination of months spent spit-balling jokes, honing timely material and watching all 35 nominated feature films — he says he’s eager to “lift people up” and honor the entertainment community beyond just its A-list stars.
“It’s a celebration of an entire industry and people from every walk of life who give their blood, sweat and tears for show business,” says O’Brien. This year’s Oscars, he hopes, will serve up laughs and heart, and, yes, he promises to keep his unruly ginger locks on point: “I don’t want to let America down.”
To that end, one Oscar night must-have will include some form of hair-taming product to achieve “that iconic swoop”, he promises. “If I walk out there with floppy bangs, I think you’re going to see the stock market crash.” Also in the backstage arsenal: Coke Zero “for caffeine” and “taste” and protein bars.
An Emmy-winning host who has twice emceed the Emmys and White House Correspondents Dinner, O’Brien is excited to tackle Hollywood’s biggest night.
“I thought about when I was a kid watching the Oscars, and I was very interested in watching Johnny Carson host and I think I saw Bob Hope early on,” he says. “My gut reaction, which I usually go with, was, ‘Yes, let’s do this thing!'”
O’Brien’s wife Liza also gave the gig a thumbs up. She “was very much pro,” he says, adding, “I think because it gets her into the Vanity Fair party, so let’s face it, she had her own agenda. But no, she thought, ‘You should go and do that!'”
He’s since connected with former Oscars hosts Billy Crystal and four-timer Jimmy Kimmel, as well as Kimmel’s wife and two-time executive producer Molly McNearney. “I have a nice text exchange with Billy Crystal, who’s obviously the all-time great,” he says. “And last week I had dinner with Molly and Jimmy. They were terrific [and] have so much great advice… It’s like people that have driven the racetrack many times and they’re telling me, ‘When you get into the third turn, there’s a huge pothole, so veer to the left.’ It’s invaluable stuff.”
Still, O’Brien knows no amount of prep can fully prepare him for show-time. “There’s no such thing as getting to a point professionally where there are no nerves if you’re working in comedy,” he says. “I am very aware that it’s an iconic show and can be tricky… I like to meet a challenge.”
And do anything for a laugh. “If I think something could be funny,” he says, “I will do it to my own detriment.”
The 97th Oscars will air live on ABC and stream on Hulu on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET.
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