Conan Confronts His Longtime Talent Booker About Her Side Gig | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

We're doing a series of ongoing staff. reviews around the team Coco facility. here. It is important It is important. that every uh business um rigorously. investigate the employees, make sure. that every cog in the machine is working. properly, don't you think? Yeah. With. that in mind, today we're going to. someone I've known for a very long time. Uh her name is Paula Davis. Hi Paula. Hi. Conan. Um don't just push the microphone. up to your That's the thing that Yes. There you go. That's how it works. Is. that good? That's good right there,

Paula. Yes, sir. You've been my booker. at You were my booker at Late Night from. day one. This is true. And we knew each. other before that because you were one. of the first people I met when I showed. up brighteyed and bushy tailed in. February of 1988. I show up at Saturday. Night Live with my friend Greg Daniels. We both walk in and I sit down up in the.

area that's kind of near where Lauren. Michael's office is and I start chatting. with this very funny wise guy uh young. lady. It's you. And I remembered. immediately thinking she's like my. sister. She's really funny and quick and. I connected with you right away. Do you. remember that? Yes, I do sort of. remember. I remember we connected right. away. See, Conan O'Brien. O'Brien walked into a room and you kind. of remember you weren't Conan O'Brien. then. You were just this guy that was. before I changed my name. Exactly. You.

were just new writer guy. Yeah. Uh but I. did like you. Yeah. And we um so we knew. each other in that world and then uh you. were with me all through Late. Night, Tonight Show, TBS, uh and then when this thing started up, you were doing that. So, you've been. finding the good people for us to talk. to all these years. So, yes, I have. I. mean, I'll start off by commending you. for your fine work. Thank you. That's. how he's starting off. Let's Let's see. where it goes. This will be fun.

You know, I get irritated with you. Oh, yes, I do know. Because I try and talk. to you in the morning and you're. teaching a yoga class. Mhm. That's true. I didn't know you teach yoga. I got. certified a couple years ago. Oh, congrats. Oh, that's cool. Thanks. Thanks, you guys. And um I. always picked something. insane to to be offended by and I. arbitrarily decided that you and and. also you work with like you do wonderful.

work. You're helping aren't you help. helping people older people sometimes. with yoga? Yes, I volunteer at volunteer. center. You do really nice things and. I've decided that this is an affront. because that's time you could be booking. some people for and I'm talking like. 7:00 in the morning she's doing this. wonderful work with uh you know. basically elder care for free where she. volunteers and I'll herang you. You. should book some of those seniors and. that'll show up.

That's a good idea. Also, in all. fairness, anything that brings me joy, you don't like. Yes, that's true. That's. very true for all your employees. Joy. killer. You don't like them having. feeling joy. Whenever I see Sona really. enjoying a snack. Oh, yeah. And holding. it a little far from your body where I. can get a clean swipe. Sure. Will I not. knock it from your hand? Knock it. But. it's not just the food. It's, you know, if I say, "Hey, I really liked this. thing." you you'll like just destroy it.

for me. You you just have a very special. I don't say I destroy it. No, I um I. Yeah, you're right. I don't know what. that is. Bye Paula. Psycho analyze it. You're very smart. And by the way, Paula. once I was having this amazing interview. and I will say it again. I've said it. many times. The best interviewer on the. planet is Howard Stern. Oh god. I think. he's a genius interviewer. Always has. been. and he's just gets better and. better. I idolize him as an interviewer.

He was interviewing me once uh. and he we and I were having this moment. and I brought you up and he said, "Well, was Paula here?" And we because you're a. huge Howard fan. You came in and you. were petrified. But you immediately. psychoanalyzed us both brilliantly. It. was great. Really? Thanks. Yeah. And. then Howard was like she, "Wow, she's. great." What did you say about Conan? Um, I remember Conan saying, we were. talking about when he would come into my. office and needed to sort out certain.

things and that I would say to him, "I'm. not going down that road with you.". Whatever the road crazy road of that day. was. Yeah. No, no, she has a I'm not. going down this road with you. Oh, yes, you are. Exactly. Um, yes. Paula a long. time ago uh she saw that and this is. before I was getting cognitive therapy. and realizing that without getting. crazily boring but our thoughts can lead. our emotions meaning our thoughts can.

our thoughts can take us places that. then the emotions follow and it can get. very negative. Anyway, you were the one. that was like no no no we're not going. down that road. We're not going down. that negative road that you have in your. head about yourself. And then you would. say it the way you say to a dog. Nope. Out. Like off the couch. No. No. Yeah. Off the couch. Uh I do that with our We. have a a puppy now, Odin. And he'll just. jump up on the couch and lies and I'll. be like, "Nope." And he quickly jumps. off. That's how you are with me. Oh,

good. I like the glowing staff review. And I have to Oh, sorry. You go ahead. Well, I I don't know you that well, Paula, but you're someone I greatly. admire. I I have always feel like you. have an energy that just helps and. brings people up. You're wonderful. So. nice. Thank you. We got to get this to. be negative. You know what? I actually. have a question cuz I feel like you've. booked everybody. Is there a a white. whale for you after all this time? Is. there someone that you would want to Is. it Sher? Cuz I hope it's Sher. Wow. What.

a uh leading leading question. reading questions from us. Who is the. doctor book? And why is it Sher? It's. Sher. Dr. Kavorian anyone Armenian. Come. on. You always bring up Dr. Kavorian. I. would listen. I would love to talk to. Sher. I have great admiration for Sher. Uh I don't know. She's never promoting. something. We haven't I don't know. Or. maybe she is and she doesn't want to do. our show. I don't know. We're We're into. it. Sorry. We're trying to work on. dates. I uh if you must know. Really?

Yes. I don't know if it's going to work. out. We have very limited availability. I will just say I will write any note. you need me to write. Oh, that'll Yeah, good luck getting that past her nine. nine layers of security. What? And so let me in, too. Let me. in. Let me in. I know that your real. name is Sher. Shared Dian. What? What is. your real name? Cherylyn Sarkeesian. Okay. All right. I'm just saying. No,

but I that's a real question. Is there. somebody who's not who and why is it. Sher? You know, it's Sher because we. haven't done her yet. If there is. someone, honestly, I can't think of who. it is right now. Although, I don't want. to say no, I don't know. That's a that's. a tricky thing because you're putting. Paul in a in a situation where she may. have to say a name and then and so and I. have a terrible memory. So, there. definitely is. But I also I think it's. someone who's been dead for a while. Paula is always trying to book people. that died quite a long time ago. That. does happen. Yeah, that's one of my.

gifts. Is it exhausting to have meetings. with Conan cuz he's always doing like. jokes and stuff and like No, it's the. best. No, be serious. Oh, you're lying. Sorry. No, no, be truthful. Oh, okay. Well, it depends. There's a lot of. varieties. If it's a big meeting and. there's a lot of people there, you have. to wait for the time where Conan teases. everyone in the room separately. and then you have to wait. until So, you have to get through that.

But if it's one-on-one, it's not so bad. There's a lot I I can handle. Whatever. it is, I can handle it. Are there too. many bits? No. Do you like Do you like. the bits? I do like the bits sometimes. Uh Paula has a great laugh and if I can. really one of my favorite things to do. which I can't recreate right now but I. used to walk into an office and you'd be. there with Gina. Batista and I think I tricked them. almost every time but we'd be talking. and I would make sure that we were in a.

pretty serious vein and they always had. celebrity magazines there because. they're in booking and they would flip. through them to get ideas you know did. we not have this person and so you know. you I'd pick up one of those an US. magazine, whatever. And I'd flip through. and I'd go like, "Hey, I didn't know I. was in this." And why do you have this. magazine out if I'm in it? Why do you. have this US magazine if I'm in it? And. Paul and Gene would go, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, shoot. I guess we didn't realize he's in. it." And then I'd say, "Uh, Red Terror. rides. again, and you guys would be listening.

and at first I'd make it plausible." Um, cited that, you know, a certain carrot. top quipster was cited. You know, I. always work that in. a carrot top. jokester was cited on Lassiaga. Boulevard, you know, entering whatever. uh I was say like an, you know, an ice. cream store. Um, and then I would. proceed to describe the most horrible. thing about myself that was completely. fake, but it was always me dropping my. pants, spilling ice cream, kicking an.

old woman. Please stop hurting me, the. old woman, a veteran of the Korean War, cried. You'll take it and like it, O'Brien. said. As I remember, we didn't win that. war, granny. I mean, I would describe. this absolute monster. O'Brien then. said, "Where's my ice cream?" When it. when the ice cream was not brought. quickly enough for the and then I would. say the freckled, you know, uh, late. night star, he grabbed the cone of a.

nearby boy in a. wheelchair. Looks like you lose out, Wheelie. I mean, absolute. insane. Oh my god. And I I think that's. one of the things that's never come out. is my joy at I like to try to be a good. person, but I love imagining myself as. the worst person alive. And and I would. read these things and you would laugh. till you were crying and it would make. me so happy. It was good. It was good.

It makes me angry how nice you are to. Paula sometimes. It really does. It. makes me angry that she gives of herself. at 7:00 in the morning to yoga with. elderly people instead of she could be. on the phone booking Dakota Johnson. How. dare I How dare I donate my time and my. skill and my good karma. And that 7. o'clock time is the only time Dakota. Johnson can be booked. That's right. You. know what Dakota Johnson said? She's. available to take our call for booking.

at 7 a.m. She's the white whale. She's. the white whale. Yeah. Yeah. This is. meant to be a cruel staff review and we. just can't do it. Once again, you've. made it all about you. Yeah. Well, she's. amazing. I mean, I'll make it about Paul. at the end. Thanks, you guys. You're. great. Everyone loves Paul. Everyone. loves Paula. Boring. Sorry. Love you. guys. But uh but thank you for getting. us all these amazing people. Oh, you're. welcome. Thank you for employing me and. giving me a great You get paid? Not that. much. Don't worry about it. But you. donate your time for the oldies. Isn't.

that weird? For the oldies. Well, I'm. sorry. They had their fun in the. 1940s. Why should they be getting a free. ride now? Oh, wait. That's the guy from. the fake US magazine ad. Um, all right, Paula, we love you. Bye. Thank you. Bye.