Late Night with Conan O'Brien (TV Series)

Don Rickles/John Leguizamo/Erran Baron Cohen (2008)

Don Rickles: Self - Guest

Photos 

Quotes 

• Conan O'Brien : I come out, and it's my trademark, I tend to maybe jump around a little bit, what do you really think about that?

  Don Rickles : I think you're makin' a fool of yourself.

  [Conan laughs] 

  Don Rickles : But, I can't knock it. You come up with about $8 million, a truck backs up every night.

  Conan O'Brien : Yeah?

  Don Rickles : Puts the money in, "That moron jumps up and down",

  [mimes counting dollar bills] 

  Conan O'Brien : Yes, $8 million. Yes.

  Don Rickles : I'm doing something normal, and I'm lookin' for Thursday!

• Conan O'Brien : When I was a kid growing up, one of the big events, probably the big television event in my life, and I would share this with my parents, was, and my brothers and sisters, is when you would appear on Johnny Carson's show as a guest. It was television unlike anything I've seen before. I don't think anything's been that funny since. You had a great relationship with Johnny.

  Don Rickles : Yeah well, Johnny was unique, rest his soul. He was the kind of guy, y'know, as you people know, Conan had the notes, and they'd tell me what we might like to talk about and so forth. With Johnny, we would do notes, and all of a sudden I'd come out, and the notes would say, "Don, talk about the World's Fair." Or whatever. Making it up. And he would just turn around and say, "How's your mother?" Which had nothing to do with anything.

  Conan O'Brien : Right, right.

  Don Rickles : And I would say, "You never liked my mother."

  Conan O'Brien : Uh-huh.

  Don Rickles : "Why'd you bring that up?" And we'd do ten, five minutes about our mothers. Y'know? And it was funny.

  Conan O'Brien : And it was completely improvised, and you could tell, as a viewer, that things were going off the rails, in a great way. That's the best television.

  Don Rickles : Absolutely, and he was the kind of guy that made you look good. Y'know? And you don't find that around too much anymore.

  [stares at Conan] 

  Don Rickles : [audience laughter] 

  Conan O'Brien : It's very rare!

• Conan O'Brien : [reading one of Don's letters to Conan from his book]  "Dear Conan: You mesmerize me when you jump out for your monologue and start jumping up and down like something just ran up your underwear. At seven feet nine inches, you are an imposing guy, so much so, that the audience doesn't know whether to applaud or throw ropes around you. The purpose of this letter, though, is to tell you how to succeed as Jay Leno's replacement. Number one: Work on your relationship with Max Weinberg. He's a great drummer, but let him talk instead of pounding out Indian messages to you on his drums. When you get to L.A., have a little class, don't get up on a ladder to help the workmen take Jay Leno's name down. There it is, Conan, great advice. If you don't use it, Ringling Brothers needs a barker."

  [audience applauds] 

  Conan O'Brien : Very nice. Honored. Honored to be in here. You're, you're a showbiz professional...

  Don Rickles : [interrupting]  By the way, the bell just rang, go to history.