The Daily Populous Tuesday July 21st, 2026 evening edition
Authored by pagesix.com and submitted by gamersecret2

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Conan O’Brien’s signature pompadour was nowhere to be found during his latest podcast episode — and viewers are baffled.

“We ALL clicked for the hair and theres just NO explanation?” one fan asked in the YouTube comments section of the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” host’s interview with Molly Shannon.

The 63-year-old’s hair, notably, was slicked back instead of in its usual towering wave on Monday, with many dubbing O’Brien “Greaser Conan.”

8 Conan O’Brien ditched his signature pompadour and debuted a new look on Monday. teamcoco/YouTube

8 The comedian’s hair was slicked back during a “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast episode with guest Molly Shannon. teamcoco/Instagram

Some speculated that the “jump scare” look was the Emmy winner’s “after shower” transformation, while others compared O’Brien to an actor “auditioning for the Irish spinoff of ‘The Sopranos.'”

One social media user asked, “Why does he look like I’m about to be sold a used Kia Sorento?”

While many “expect[ed] a dedicated segment about Conan’s hair” — and questioned whether he “los[t] a bet” — “nobody [said] a word” during Shannon’s sitdown.

Instead, O’Brien chatted amiably with the “Saturday Night Live” alum, 61, about her time on the show, her “Hawk” Netflix series with Will Ferrell and more.

8 Social media users were baffled by the transformation, comparing the host to a greaser and a used car salesman. teamcoco/YouTube

8 The hairstyle was not addressed during the sitdown with Shannon. teamcoco/YouTube

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The duo was all smiles in an Instagram photo promoting the episode — with the caption also making no mention of O’Brien’s hair.

“Pretty sure this guy drives a New York cab,” one commented on the snap, while another joked that “AI got Conan’s hair wrong.”

A third quipped, “Conan is dead. This is his doppelgänger.”

O’Brien’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

8 “We ALL clicked for the hair and theres just NO explanation?” one viewer asked via YouTube. teamcoco/YouTube

8 O’Brien (pictured above on June 9) revealed in 2010 that his signature wave dates back to high school. Getty Images for Disney

O’Brien shared the inspiration behind his hair in a 2010 “60 Minutes” interview, explaining he “invented [the look] when [he] was in high school.”

The comedian recalled, “I knew one day I wanted to be in show business. I needed a hook. … Sometimes people don’t know my name. They’re like, ‘You’re the guy with the hair.'”

After joking that his hair is crafted by a “Belgian dessert company that makes a whipped topping,” O’Brien praised the “structurally sound” style.

“If there’s an earthquake and you’re in the Pacific Northwest, get under my hair,” he said at the time. “It’s the safest place here.”

8 The 63-year-old (pictured above on March 15) explained on “60 Minutes” that he “needed a hook” to make it in the entertainment industry. Getty Images for Vanity Fair

8 O’Brien (pictured above on June 10) noted, “Sometimes people don’t know my name. They’re like, ‘You’re the guy with the hair.'” Getty Images

During 2020’s COVID-19 quarantine, however, O’Brien posted a video teasing the “collapse” of his pompadour.

“It is crumbling as it grows, crumbling under its own weight,” he said. “I have consulted with a structural engineer. He said there’s too much on top … and the pompadour cannot sustain the gravitational pull.”

The former “Conan” host predicted the wave would “eventually collapse completely” and “crush [his] skull.”

snotboogie on July 21st, 2026 at 14:14 UTC »

I think his receding hairline is just catching up. His thinning hair is probably making it too much of a chore to maintain. Unlike certain public figures he is adapting instead of clingining to the past

Outrageous_Pumpkin28 on July 21st, 2026 at 14:07 UTC »

You think that's slicked back? That's pushed back

smitty046 on July 21st, 2026 at 13:59 UTC »

Much like Letterman, he had to get that signature look everyday for 28 years. A change probably feels good.