“L.A. Law” Inspired David Oyelowo To Apply To Law School | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

what's the uh pop culture you're you're. growing up with what are you watching on. TV for example that's influencing you. what's what's hitting you what's tugging. at your strings oh wow I I the the show. I became obsessed with was La law um and. the reason why is again going back to my. dad my dad had three sons and he wanted. a lawyer a doctor and an engineer um and. I started to get this acting bug when I. was when I was younger but Blair. Underwood played this very snazzy lawyer.

sure remember in La law and unbeknownst. to me the conflation of the two things. was why I was so gravitated to I. gravitated towards that show cuz I was. like gosh I just love TV I love films I. love uh uh the whole idea of. Storytelling but my dad wants me to be a. lawyer and that guy is both you know and. so I I went as far as applying to law. school the whole thing but I just.

because of Blair under because of Blair. Underwood I have told him since and he's. horrified um but uh but yeah that was. that was one of the more influential. shows on me I was flipping through uh. just notes on you and then I saw that. you were a Happy Days fan I thought. Happy Days yeah were you watching happy. days when you were in in Nigeria where I. mean obviously these are reruns cuz. you're you're way too young but but um. was that cuz I mean that's a show that. was on prime time television when I was.

a kid and it was hugely influential but. I'm trying to think of you seeing it. what kind of you know why is that show. grabbing you it was the funs it was all. about the funs it was all about Henry. Winkler and how cool he was and you know. the the the comb through the hair the. whole thing but it was also a very. traumatic thing for me because I had a. little afro and every time I took the. comb to my Afro it wouldn't go. through like it did for him and many. years later cuz you know obviously he.

was in this with Ron Howard and I Bryce. Dallas Howard is a good friend of mine I. was at her wedding I met Henry Winkle I. was like oh my gosh I'm meeting the fond. and and I said ah it was so hard for me. because I would always try to imitate. the hair the comb going through my hair. and he went ah I only ever hold it up I. never put it through my hair he never. does put it through and I went oh my. gosh all of that pain and you never. actually ran the Cove through your hair. I just I true he starts and then he.

realizes it's and goes hey in front of. the mirror and I was like that would. have been so much more achievable for me. so um yeah I I I got that all wrong I. think one of the first celebrities I saw. when I came to LA in ' 85 was I was at. some of event that I shouldn't have been. at cuz I was you know just starting out. but uh I'm coming out of some hotel and. I there's a bunch of people coming out. and I it's raining out really hard and I. see uh Henry wink they bring up like a. station wagon and Henry Winkler uh it's.

been raining really hard and for some. reason the seats are some of the water. got in the seats and he got a towel and. just started mopping up the water and he. looked all disheveled oh my gosh and I'm. seeing my childhood hero The Fawns and. he's this schlub like he's just this wet. guy who's like I got to get these seat C. so my wife and he's like I think I got. it all okay I thought what happened oh.

wow this is La yeah I'll take my trauma. over that I I I would not have. recovered that's a terrible story how. dare you tell me I know I'm. sorry uh but uh you went to a like a. milit almost a not a military academy. but but you were educated simar similar. Military Academy in what way did you. have to wear a uniform when you were had. to wear a uniform it was very very. regimented it was a boarding school in. Nigeria a incredibly RCT um and yeah and.

when I talk about it especially in in a. Wern context cuz you you will get lashed. if you if you did naughty things and I. was a very naughty boy um but yeah it. was it was it was pretty it was pretty. intense uh but I was the kid who you. know I remember for a dare I I this is. so stupid I I for a dare I went into. steal something out of the head head. Master's fridge.

and uh I got into his house and I'll. never forget the silhouette of this guy. in the door looking at me with I'm in. his fridge I didn't want anything out of. his fridge I just did it for you know. right browning points uh but uh it was. and he had one of those voices you know. those people who you can barely hear. what they're actually saying. because I was just like and so all I. heard.

just and it's all I heard but that I. spent the next term washing toilets and. uh it was and our uniforms were white. which is not not the best uniform for. doing that job the closest I have to. anything like that was I was very happy. my my parents sent me away to a camp and. then for some reason they switched me to. another Camp the next year and I got. there and they issued me it's it's. summer camp you're supposed to run. around in like this previous summer I've. been running around in torn cut off. shorts and right whatever just sneakers.

and no socks and uh wearing a beat up. you know sun hat whatever a T-shirt and. then I get to this I got sent to this. other camp and they issued me a uniform. and it had a stripe down the side and I. remember think like what the hell is. this but that's the closest I ever came. to feeling like I was in the military. was wearing it shows was thank. you I went to a camp where every it was. like a camp in every other way except. there was a stripe down the side.

And yet when you're telling your story. I'm like I've been there. man I remember roasting a marshmallow. wow and wow there was a stripe down my. pants so don't complain to me about your. Military Academy it's hard it's hard. having a stripe down your pants I I get. it I get it.